Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a low natural rise in undulating countryside with church (OF10-021002-) to N. Present remains consist of grass covered wall footings of a destroyed castle which may represent a tower house from the sixteenth century. It is possible to estimate that the tower house had internal dimensions measuring approximately 10m E-W by 9m N-S. There may have been corner towers on the SW and NE corners. Remains of a rectangular shaped bawn (OF010-021003-) area (int. dims. 53m E-W; 80m N-S) to the S of the tower house. This area is defined by a partially destroyed L shaped bank. To the N of this enclosure there is a low bank which adjoins the graveyard wall and runs out in an E direction to form a roadway or laneway of unknown date and origin. Overall this site may have consisted of a tower house with bawn to the S and church with roadway to the N. There is also evidence of a possible enclosure in the adjoining field to the W of the tower house.
In 1942 the site of the levelled castle (OF010-021001-) was described as, 'There is a flat-topped mound, irregular and a little eroded by digging, measuring about 23 [21m] x 27 [24m] yds. Sunk in it is a rect.[angular] enclosure about 11 [10m] x 7 [6m] yds. int.[ernal] dim., lined with stone wall grassed over, probably a keep. On S. of mound seem traces of another wall, and beyond it at a rather lower level an entrenched area rectangular and perhaps a baun [bawn] (OF010-021003-). The banks are however too obscure to plan without excavation, and it is not clear how much is old. Both church (OF010-021002-) and castle are approached from east by an avenue of very old thorns, and there is another such track on S side of 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: 23 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).