Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - motte
Portnashangan, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Portnashangan
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 53.58662, -7.38532
- SMR number
- WM012-098----
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 a low rise in grassland overlooking Lough Owel 150m to SW. Portnashangan church ruins (WM012-086----) and burial ground (WM012-086001-) 60m to ENE. Depicted on the 1837 OS Fair Plan map as an oval shaped earthwork annotated ‘fort’ with spring well just outside the earthwork to the ENE. On this map a drain or stream flowing into Lough Owel is depicted running past the base of the earthwork on E side. This watercourse can still be seen today. Present remains consist of a raised oval shaped mound (approx. diam. 17m NW-SW; 24m NE-SW) now covered in scrub vegetation defined by a scarp. The interior rises towards the centre. A depression in the scarp (Wth 1.8m) at N may represent the original entrance. Profile of monument suggest a burial mound or motte associated with Portnashangan church rather than that of a ringfort.
See attached profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI.
Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 19 February 2018
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.