Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a low rise, in generally level pasture, with fairly extensive views, particularly to S and W. Moycashel Castle is depicted as a tower house type structure with flag pole rising from the battlements 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 'Rosse Geoghagen' [Ross Geoghegan] who is listed as an Irish Papist' (ibid.). Castle ruins depicted on Larkin's 1808 Map of Co. Westmeath (NLI, MS 46,580) and described in 1806 as 'Moycashel castle ruins' (Sleater 1806, 51). In 1837 the castle was described as 'the McGeoghegan's, chiefs of Moycashel, of whose ancient castle there are still some remains' (Lewis 1837). Site of Moycashel Castle described in 1983 as no surface remains visible. An oval-shaped cropmark visible on OSI aerial photographs may be the site of the levelled castle.

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

Date of upload: 26 December 2019

References

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

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.

Sleater, M. 1806 Introductory essay to a new system of civil and ecclesiastical topography, and itinerary of counties of Ireland. John Barlow. Dublin.

NLI, MS 46,580 - National Library of Ireland, A map of the county of Westmeath by William Larkin. Dublin.