Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

The precise location of Ballynagall Castle has not been identified. The castle is depicted on the 1655-9 Down Survey map of Portnashangan parish (NLI, MS 723-4) where it is shown standing close to the townland boundary with Brackcastle now Brockagh. The terrier of this parish map recorded that 'There are Scituate in it the Castles of Loughanstowne (WM012-117001-), Ballenegall'. The terrier of this parish map recorded that in 1641 Ballynagall Castle stood on the lands belonging to 'Richard Tirrell' who is listed as an 'Irish papist'. The castle is not depicted on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. There is no evidence to suggest that the ruins of Ballynagall House were built on the site of the medieval castle.
Ballynagall House was built in 1808 for James Gibbons and according to local tradition it was built on the site of an 18th century house Castle Reynell and reused fabric from this castle in the construction of the 19th century house. In 1720 Arthur Reynell High Sheriff of Co. Westmeath purchased this estate from which the house received its name (Burke 1847, 1112). It is not clear if Castle Reynell was a new house built on the site of the medieval castle of Ballynagall or whether it was the medieval castle that was renamed Castle Reynell.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 4 October 2016.

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.

Burke, J. & Burke, J.B. 1847 Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, Volume 2. London. Henry Colburn.