Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on flat land in undulating countryside. Square shaped area enclosed by bawn wall (ext. dims. 48m N-S; 49m E-W; wall T 0.85m) constructed with roughly coursed limestone rubble with base batter visible. Original gate tower to bawn (OF046-008002-) at centre of N wall and protrudes beyond external face of wall flanked by musket opes. One of these opes is now blocked by a rebuilt section of the bawn wall on the W side, probably a result of 19th-century improvements to the bawn. There is evidence of a bartizan on the NE angle which was carried externally on corbels and a flanking turret on the SE angle (ext. diam. 6.6m), of which only the foundations survive. There are several modern sheds located inside the bawn with the original tower located in the NW angle which presently stands one storey high with a fine transomed and mullioned window of Jacobean style in the W wall. The Tower house (dims. 15.25m N-S; 9.35m E-W; wall T 1.1m) is constructed with roughly coursed limestone rubble with base batter visible. Only the N and W walls survive with wall footings of the S wall and no evidence of the E wall. Narrow slit ope visible at ground floor level at the S end of the W wall. A modern gateway exists at the centre of the S wall probably a later insertion. The S wall of the bawn has a string course visible with post holes in pairs above and below the string course of unknown function. It could possibly indicate presence of building against bawn wall. At the S end of the bawn there is a small two storey T-plan house (OF046-008003-) with later 19th-century extension at N end of house. Small tower projecting at rear of house contained stairs which was the only access to the first floor which is a characteristic feature of late 17th/early 18th-century houses. Probable 17th-century Tower house\fortified house and bawn with later 17th-century house erected inside bawn. (Cooke 1875, 34)

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.