What is recorded here

Ballyknockan Castle belonged to Sir Thomas Colclough in 1598, a small rubble tower house buried in low flat land where a wicker-centred barrel vault still bridges the ground floor. The northern wall holds a relieving arch above a broken doorway, while the eastern wall keeps a wide embrasure that may have become an entrance. A narrow passage climbed the north side toward a spiral stair in the northeast angle, suggesting rooms above the vaulted chamber. The castle stood near a western stream and an old eastern track, its stones reduced to four metres of batter and memory.

Owned by Sir Thomas Colclough in 1598 (Comerford 1886, vol. 3, 284). In low-lying area. Standing remains of lower portions of N wall (L c. 7.9m) and E wall (L 8.6m) built of rubble limestone. A N-S barrel vault with wicker-centring survives over the ground floor. Entrance in N wall and garderobe in SE angle. Remains of mural passage in n wall and possible evidence of stairway in NE angle. Site visited by Michael Moore on the 30-05-1994 and described as a Tower House (ext. dims. 8.7m N-S x 8m E-W) situated on a slight rise in low flat land with good views beyond the road to E and S. This was a small tower house made of roughly coursed rubble, no quoins or decorated stones survive. There is a base-batter, only portions of the N, E and S walls survive to a max. H of c. 4m. There is a break in the n wall but a relieving arch probably over a doorway survives. There was a passage in the N wall and at the NE angle it widens out as if it was becoming a spiral stairs. The ground floor chamber (int. dims. 4.4m N-S) had a N-S barrel vaulted roof. There was a small alcove in the SE angle and an embrasure in the E wall that was probably adapted and converted into an entrance (Wth 1.55m). Near the castle there is a stream running W and S and 22m N of the castle there is a fosse or old trackway (Wth 8m; D 0.3-0.5m) running E-W. Immediately SE of this track there is a small enclosure (dims. 41m E-W x 55mm N-S) defined by a field bank and outer fosse which are likely to be of eighteenth or nineteenth century in date. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 December 2007

Ballyknockan Castle was owned by Sir Thomas Colclough in 1598 and is remembered for its partial remains, including sections of its walls and a north-south barrel vault, reflecting late medieval architectural features in a low-lying rural setting.

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