Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight rise, in gently undulating pasture, with extensive views to N, E and W. Castle is depicted as a tower house type structure on the 1655 Down Survey map of Moycashel Barony (NLI, MS 723-4). The 1655 Down Survey map of Ardnurcher parish shows the tower house annotated 'Castle' standing on lands belonging to 'Rose Geoghagen' [Ross Geoghegan] of Ballard and Corenagh who is listed as an Irish Papist' (ibid.). Depicted on the first ed. OS 6-inch map as a rectangular-shaped structure annotated ‘Castle’ and on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map annotated as ‘Castle (in Ruins)’.
Monument described in 1979 as very poorly preserved ruins of a rectangular-shaped building (approx. dims. 10m E-W) defined by low wall footings to E, S and W. A short portion of the E wall (approx. L 1m) is highest (approx. H 3.5m) toward the NE corner. The visible portions of wall are built of rubble limestone laid in rough courses. No dressed or cut stone features survive. The rest of the wall footings are obscured by rubble, earth and tree trunks which have been deposited on the site at N and E. A mound (approx. H 1m) of earth and stone is visible within the interior. The monument is partly overgrown with thorn trees. There are no surrounding earthworks visible. According to a field report of 1977, burials (WM037-007001-) were found to E or SE of the castle. Monument is visible today as a tree-covered structure on Digital Globe aerial photography.

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

Date of upload: 16 December 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.