Carstown

Built in 1612 and consisting of one storey over a high basement with an attic of five gabled windows which were subsequently given sashes. A coat of arms with a date of 1612 is carved in stone over the hall door and is repeated on a massive stone mantle over the fireplace in the main living room. The initials 'O.P.' and 'K.H.' on either side of the coat of arms would appear to represent the names of Oliver Plunket and Katherine Hussey, the then owners of the house (Tempest 1943a, 219-20). The stones of the mantle are joggled and the engraved portion is the keystone. Entry to the house is gained by the original steps up from the ground level to the first-floor hall door through a later porch. The first floor had two rooms, a large one at the W side of the doorway which has the fireplace in the N wall and a smaller room to the E. The attic or second floor was divided in a similar way to the one below but contained no method of heating other than small fireplaces at the gable ends which appear to be later additions. (Tempest 1943a, 216-21; Bence-Jones 1978, 60) The above description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 July 2007