Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on well drained pasture land with good views of the surrounding countryside. The site of Rathdrum Castle is situated on top of a circular mound which may been the remains of an Anglo-Norman motte (OF009-029002-). Alternatively this circular flat-topped mound may have been a natural hillock which was scarped and flattened on top to provide a flat surface for the construction of Rathdrum Castle. A lime-kiln appears to be indicated immediately to the NE of the mound on the 1838 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. There are no surface remains of Rathdrum Castle and part of the mound may have been formed from the collapsed debris of the castle. This monument is depicted as a circular platform or mound on the 1838 edition of the OS 6-inch map. The revised 1908 ed. OS 6-inch map shows that the mound or motte was damaged on the S side by the construction of a building which had been built into the base of the mound on the S side. the OS 25-inch map of 1908 shows that the castle mound had by that time been damaged or cut into on the W side as well as the s side of the mound. This building is not indicated on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. Described in 1942 as, 'A prominent mound of boulder-clay in undulating countryside with good view; good pasture around. No fosse visible. The mound sides have been scarped vertically to 5-7' [1.5-2.1m] high; on the faces no habitation earth and little humus are visible. The top is oval, 26 [23.5m] x 40 [36m] yds. a little encroached on by modern buildings in a few places. There are signs of modern walls on the top' (ITA Survey 1944, SMR File). In 1977 the monument was recorded and described as 'a large circular earthwork now partly destroyed. The eastern side has been bulldozed away to make space for a modern silage pit, while farm buildings cut into the southern side of the site. The earthwork is outlined by a fairly steep embankment with a fosse outside it on the west and north sides. A laneway cuts through the fosse on the western side. Beyond the fosse there is an outer bank on west and north. The farmyard occupies the fosse on the south side. The interior is fairly even and is featureless. There is no visible trace of a castle or wall footings. The interior measures approx. 40m NW-SE. This earthwork closely resembles a ringfort' (ASI file 1977).
Today the castle site is situated on top of a mound with extensive views of flat land in all directions. Nothing remains of this castle which was located on what looks to be an artificial mound, possibly a motte (top diam. 29.5m N-S; 32.5m E-W; H 3.5m), but could be a natural hillock. There is evidence of a fosse encircling the base of the mound at N. No evidence of wall footings or dressed stone on top of the mound. Rathdrum House which is located immediately to the SW of the castle site may have been built with stone taken from the levelled castle. A stone head (OF009-029003-) incorporated into the fabric of the house may have originally come from the castle. This head was described in 1944 as 'over the door of Rathdrum House adjoining is a very crude oval head with features only just shown. The work seems so bad that I doubt if it is older than XVIIIc [18th century]; but it might have stood in the castle' (ITA Survey 1942, SMR File).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload/revision: 22 December 2011

References

Irish Tourist Association. Surveys undertaken in the 1940s for the Irish Tourist Association (now Fáilte Ireland) relating to ‘Natural features, antiquities, historic associations etc.' Extracts from these surveys were copied into the Topographical files of the Office of Public Works and these have been incorporated into the Sites and Monuments Record files (National Monuments Service).