Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

Medieval McGawley castle site depicted as ‘a Castle in repaire’ on the 1656-59 Down Survey map of Ballyloughloe parish (NLI, MS 723-4). On this map the castle is shown standing in the SE corner of ‘Grynan’ townland which in 1640 was the property of Henry McGawley. This townland was later incorporated into the present townland of Mount Temple. A lake depicted as ‘Loch Luatha’ on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map is located immediately to the N of the castle. It is this lake which gave its name to the local area and to the parish of Ballyloughloe. On the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map the upstanding remains of a castle building are depicted standing to the NW of 'Mount Temple Old Ho.'. However no castle building is depicted on the revised 1910 edition of the OS 25-inch map where the location is depicted as 'Castle Site of' indicating that the castle had been levelled after 1837. In 1837, O'Donovan recorded the condition of the castle in the OS memoranda where he recorded that there was 'no remains but one vault' (SMR File).
The monument site was inspected in 1982 and described as follows: ‘No trace of this castle now survives. It was located near the village of Mount Temple, a short distance NW of the motte (WM030-047----). The area where it is indicated consists of a natural knoll. This is now occupied by a farmyard. In the fields to the E, there are a number of ridges etc. which appear to be the remains of some earthworks (WM030-039----). These do not extend as far as the site of the castle’ (SMR File).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 4 March 2014

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.