Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
House - 17th century
Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Kilbeggan
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- SMR number
- WM038-017009-
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Kilbeggan is situated on the River Brosna in the low-lying countryside of south Westmeath. According to Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 388) a monastery (WM038-017001-) was founded at Kilbeggan by St Beagán in the sixth or seventh century. According to the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1985, 102) the 'early monastery was superseded by a Cistercian monastery (WM038-017007-) c.1150 but the history of Kilbeggan as a town does not begin until the seventeenth century. In 1606 Sir Oliver Lambert was granted the site of the Cistercian monastery (Erck 1846-52, 267-9) and later in the same year he was granted a weekly market and annual fair at Kilbeggan (ibid., 267). On the 1656-59 Down Survey map of Moycashel Barony a tower house type building in ruins which may have been the house of Lord Lambert described by Piers (1981, 84) in 1682 is depicted standing between the abbey (WM038-017007-) and the parish church (WM038-017006-) close to the E bank of the River Brosna. In 1682 Piers (1981, 84) described the house of Lord Lambert as being in ruins when he recorded that ‘of the house built here by the late lord Lambert before the late war, more than the ruins; for it was burnt in the late war, and is not to this day repaired. In this town stands a church (WM038-017006-) in repair'. The precise location of this seventeenth century house built by Lord Lambert c. 1640 has not been identified.
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 17 April 2014
References
Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.
Erck, J.C. (ed.) 1846-52 A repertory of the inrolments of the patent rolls of chancery in Ireland commencing with the reign of King James I, vol. 1, parts 1-2. Dublin.
Piers, H. 1981 A chorographical description of the county of Westmeath written AD 1682. Meath Archaeologial & Historical Society.
Bradley, J., Halpin, A., and King, H. 1985 Urban archaeological survey - county Westmeath. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.