Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a steep prominent hillock with good views of the surrounding countryside. Royal Canal 85m to N. Ringfort (WM010-018----) 35m to N, earthwork (WM010-020----) 150m to SSE. This is not the came castle as the medieval castle of Ballintue (WM010-040001-) located 1.1km to the SSE that is depicted on the 1654-59 Down Survey map of Kilmacnevan parish map (NLI, MS 723-4). The terrier of this map recorded that in this parish there was a castle lately ruined 'in Ballintue' (ibid.). This castle is located in the present townland of Kilmacnevan.
Depicted as a rectangular-shaped area (approx. dims. 22m NW-SE; 36m NE-SW) and annotated as ‘Site of Castle’ on the 1837 OS Fair Plan map. A series of low earthen banks and depressions mark the site of the levelled castle. At the foot of the hill to SE & S is a complex of grass covered banks, some forming small enclosures which may be settlement earthworks associated with the levelled castle site. The earthworks to the SE of the castle site may be the remains of a medieval settlement.

Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 8 June 2017

References

NLI, MS 723-4 - National Library of Ireland, The parish maps of the Down Survey for the County of Westmeath, attested by W. Petty, in 1659. Copied by Daniel O'Brien. A set of 67 maps with accompanying terriers in two volumes, 1786-7. Dublin.