Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a natural rise on the floodplains of the river located to the S of the site and site of medieval church (OF030-016----) to SE. Poorly preserved tower house constructed with roughly coursed limestone rubble with only portions of its N and W walls remaining with a later 18th century house attached to its N wall. The tower house is almost square in plan (ext. dims. 10.4m N-S; 9.9m E-W; wall T 1.9m) with slight base batter evident and stands two storeys high with original entrance probably located in the E wall. From a rebuilt door in the W end of the N wall at ground floor a mural stairs was accessed running upwards from W to E which gave access to the first floor now destroyed in the NE angle. Evidence of a wall walk support on the N wall above first floor. Mural passage in the W wall and possible guard room were also accessed from the rebuilt door in the W end of the N wall. First floor guardroom with musket loop directly above guard room in the NW angle at ground floor level. Running S from the SW angle and returning E the bawn wall is largely intact with several outhouses attached to the bawn (OF030-015001-). Evidence of cobblestone paving in the SW corner of the courtyard. The arrangement of medieval church (OF030-016----) and tower house with later 18th-century house displays an interesting continuity in settlement and architecture similar to Garrycastle (OF029-006001-). (Cooke 1875, 25-6; O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 2-6)

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

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

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1933 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the King's County collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839. Bray.