Castle

According to the OSL (Herity 2002, 12 (35)), ' … there is a portion of a building, called 'Castle' by the people, as yet observable …' and the 1st ed. (1838) of the OS 6-inch map shows a rectangular structure (dims. L c. 20m NW-SE; Wth c. 12m) standing in a narrow clearing in woodland. OMURETHI (1909-11, 206) records that, ' Of the Rochford Castle at Castledillon, one small fragment alone remains: it consist of one ivy-clad angle of the building with a projecting external chimney running up the wall from a fireplace on the first floor …'. No visible surface traces of the monument survive and a cattle pen and crush stand on the site, with a farmyard and sheds immediately to the N. In 2001, archaeological monitoring (Licence No. 01E0716) of ground works associated with a single residential development c. 70m to the NE revealed no in situ features or deposits of archaeological potential, however, pottery sherds of both medieval and post-medieval date were recovered from a layer of fill apparently introduced to the site, at some unknown time in the past, in order to fill a natural hollow. The monitoring archaeologist, M. E. Byrne, commented, 'While it is tempting to speculate that this fill material may have come from the adjacent castle site, this cannot be proven. (www.excavations.ie) Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 10 June 2011

A local castle; wider significance not recorded.