Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - motte and bailey
Rathgarve, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Rathgarve
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured, dotted outline
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.70725, -7.28885
- SMR number
- WM003-070----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated on top of a high steep ridge in grassland, with commanding views of the surrounding countryside. Tower house (WM003-066----) 280m to S, 17th century wayside cross (WM003-069---) 50m to W, Rathgarve church (WM003-068----) and graveyard (WM003-068001-) 120m to NNW. Stream which forms the townland boundary with Stonestown is 150m to E. The remains of a narrow roadway flanked on either side by a low stone wall 50m W of motte and bailey could be medieval in date.
Present remains consist of a high steep, flat topped earthen mound (top diam. 18m E-W; base diam. 30m E-W) now covered in scrub vegetation which is enclosed by a wide, deep fosse and earthen bank, with a narrow causeway across the fosse at N. To N of the motte is a rectangular bailey (approx. dims. 32m N-S x 29m E-W) enclosed by an earthen bank and fosse. The enclosing bank is visible only at N. Traces of cultivation ridges are visible running WSW-ESE across the interior of the bailey.
See attached plan of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI.
Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 22 May 2017
Nearby in the register
- Cross - Wayside crossunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.