Castle

Situated in pasture. Depicted on the 1837 OS Fair Plan map as a long rectangular-shaped ruin (long axis NW-SE) annotated ‘Castle in Ruin’. Also depicted on this map is a small rectangular-shaped ruin (long-axis NW-SE) close to NW and annotated ‘Privy in ruin’. Baltrasna Castle described in 1981 as a much modified rectangular-shaped tower (dims. 8m NW-SE; 6m NE-SW) with the ruins of a plain two-storey 18th/19th century farmhouse adjoining the SE gable. The tower has been extensively reconstructed and remodelled as an adjoining building to the farmhouse. Many of the original features are no longer apparent and all of the windows and door reveals have been rebuilt using brick. A few stone corbels protrude from the inner wall faces at first and second floor level, however they no longer form any obvious pattern, although they are assumed to have supported the original timber floors. The S wall is best preserved, however it does not appear to extend to its full original height and has features blocked up with patches of new brick. The top of the original tower seems to have been removed as part of the remodelling works. The other three walls do not appear to retain any original features due to the brick reconstruction works. This includes a large brick built arched opening in the N wall which seems to be quite modern and may suggest that the tower was used as an outbuilding of the later dwelling. The tower house has several large structural cracks in the walls and is quite overgrown with vegetation. Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien. Date of upload: 30 September 2019

Built in the late 16th or early 17th century, Castle Baltrasna was constructed by the MacMurrough Kavanagh family, Gaelic lords of Leix. It is remembered as a significant site in the history of the Boyne Valley, reflecting the power and resistance of the Gaelic aristocracy during the Tudor conquest of Ireland.