Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Moate Castle situated on an elevated site, set back c. 35m N of Main Street, in the town of Moate. Depicted on the Down Survey map of Clonlonan barony and annotated as ‘Castle habitable’, described in the Terrier of the parish map, ‘There stands in Motegrenog a castle habitable’ (NLI, MS 723-4). Depicted on the revised 1910 ed. OS 25-inch map as a long rectangular-shaped structure in a complex of buildings, annotated ‘The Castle’.
Monument described in 1981 as a multi-period complex incorporating a medieval tower house, a possible fortified house, a mid-18th century house and a working yard. The main structures consist of the remains of a 3-storey tower house which incorporates a Georgian dwelling. The tower is built of limestone rubble with a base batter to the E, S and W walls (T 8ft/2.4m), which appears to have been deliberately removed along the N wall, which forms the principal facade of the Georgian house. Dressed quoins are visible forming the corners of the tower house, where the plaster rendering has fallen away.
A three storey house of probable early to mid-18th century date adjoins the W side of the tower house. The castle and the Georgian dwelling are the same height and are roofed with one continuous pitched roof. A two-storey ruinous wing (over a basement level) breaks forward on the N facade at the E and W ends. These wings have blank gable walls on the N façing front facade. The S facing rear façade of the E wing is bowed and appears to incorporate the remains of a medieval structure, however this could also be an 18th century ornamental flanker with a semi-circular outer wall. If this can be proven to be the case, it was probably matched by three other ornamental flankers, which no longer survive.
A fine medieval doorway with a pointed arch is incorporated into a small yard adjoining to E of the 18th century house. A sheela-na-gig (WM030-112001-) is set into the wall directly above the point of the arch and was probably taken from a nearby medieval church. Within the yard is an 18th century stables which has a single light ogee headed window opening and a fine triskele ventilator, both of 15th / 16th century date. The origins of these medieval features is unknown. Above a doorway leading to a loft in the S wall of the yard is a Coat of Arms bearing three flaming castles on a shield, above which is a ribbon, with ears of corn flanking either side. Below is a label with the numbers 2355, which may indicate it is an insurance plaque.
The original deed of transfer from Humphrey’s, the planter soldier to Clibourne family dated 1656 was viewed during the field inspection and it suggests that the tower-house may be at least late 15th or 16th century in date. The tower house was being renovated at the time of the field inspection in 1982.
Moate Castle described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) as a 'Detached two-bay three-storey former fortified house/tower house, built 1550, having a three-bay three-storey wing to the west end, built c.1720 and possibly containing earlier fabric, and a two-storey bowed extension to the east end, built c.1760. Now in use as a private dwelling. Pitched natural slate roofs with rendered chimneystacks and cast-iron rainwater goods. Roughcast rendered walls with square-headed window openings having cut stone sills and paired or single timber sliding sash windows. Cut stone detailing, including a sheila-na-gig and cut stone surrounds with pointed-arched window openings (possibly taken from a medieval church site), to original castle. Base batter to castle walls. A complex structure, of at least three periods of construction, which dominates the centre of the town and is of immense local historical significance. This confusing structure was originally built by the O'Melaghlin family, probably during the sixteenth century. It was later acquired by Captain John Clibborn in 1659, who repaired the castle and may have built the wing to the west end shortly afterwards. James Clibborn later carried out extensive works to the complex c.1730/40. It was the home of a Cuthbert Clibborn in 1837 (Lewis). The bowed wing to the east end may have been added slightly later, perhaps during the late eighteenth-century' (www.buildingsofireland.ie; HIAH Reg. No. 15317049).

Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien.

Date of upload: 10 November 2019

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.