House - 18th/19th century

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight SW-facing slope in the N interior Kilbrew ceremonial enclosure (ME038-010----). The manor of Kilbrew was owned by Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew in 1640 and on the 366 acres he owned was a destroyed stone house, a stable and a barn in repair, an orchard, a church, a watermill and about 12 tenements (Simington 1940, 94), but his stone house is likely to be (ME038-029----).

This house is depicted only on the 1908 edition of the OS 6-inch map as a roofless building. It is a rectangular structure (ext. dims 11.15m N-S; 11.05m E-W) of two storeys and attic constructed with masonry walls (T 0.6-0.8m) but with brick at the windows on the first floor. Only the E and W gables survive with a fireplace at the ground floor in the W gable and evidence of three fireplaces and an oven in the E gable at the ground floor. There are two small windows at the ground floor in the W gable, and the base of an entrance embrasure is in the S wall towards the W end. At the first floor there are two large windows with brick surrounds in the E gable and two in the W gable, which also has evidence of two round-backed fireplaces at the centre separated by a dividing wall. The house is probably eighteen century in date. There is one small attic window in the W gable but evidence of the roof does not survive.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 10 July 2007
Amended: 13 April 2022

References

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1940 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. V: county of Meath. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.