House - fortified house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a low natural rise in undulating countryside. Remains of four storey tower (OF029-006001-) built with roughly coursed limestone rubble with only N wall and part of W wall (OF029-006002-) surviving. Circular tower attached to W side of tower house via original bawn wall running S from this tower. Originally the bawn would have returned E to join onto the tower house. The surviving larger bawn belongs to a later 16th/17th-century building phase. Architectural features evident on the Tower house consist of a bartizan on NE angle at battlement level with Sheela-na-gig (OF029-006004-) beside corbel of destroyed bartizan, mural passage in E wall at first floor level gives access to a garderobe in the NE angle with a second garderobe directly above at second floor level. The larger surviving bawn wall (dims. 50m E-W; 53m N-S; wall T 1m) with wall-walk has a two centred gateway with punch dressed jambs and is not contemporary with the adjoining Tower house. The gateway is protected externally by a machicolation which is accessed from a gatehouse directly over the interior of the gate. From this gatehouse the wall walk was accessed. During this phase a large fortified house (dims. 18.7m N-S; 10.7m E-W; wall T 1.3m) was built to the S of the tower house forming the W side of the bawn wall. Only the W wall and S gable with part of the E wall survives. The house had a flanking gun tower one storey high at the SW angle which was accessed from the ground floor of the house. Other features include a curious double fireplace in the S gable wall with no evidence of a chimney flue visible, three opes in the W wall and a single punch dressed jamb of a window splay on the S end of the E wall with a larger window directly opposite on the W wall. Mural stairs in the W wall was accessed from the NW angle and gave access to the wall walk. Possible evidence to indicate a flanking tower existed at this angle as well. Later Georgian farmhouse added to the E wall of the bawn. Interesting site with continuous occupation from the late medieval phase to the present century with the architecture reflecting each contrasting period. Stronghold of the Mac Coghlan's built in the year 1450 (ITA Survey 1942). (Cooke 1875, 314; Weir 1980, 62)

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.

Date of upload: 23 May 2011

References

Weir, A. 1980 Exhibitionists and related carvings in the Irish midlands: their origins and functions. In H. Murtagh (ed.), Irish midland studies: essays in commemoration of N.W. English, 57-72. Old Athlone Society.

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).

Cooke, T.L. 1875 The early history of the town of Birr. Dublin. Robertson.