Castle Island

Situated on natural rock outcrop (OF030-005002-) on the low-lying floodplains of a nearby river, originally located on a small island known as Castle Island or Lough Coura surrounded by wet marshy land. Little remains of the castle except for a piece of wall fragment and loosely scattered rubble. The building appears to be the remains of a circular tower (approx. int. diam. 4m; wall T 1.2m) with no architectural features visible. To the S of this building there is a lot of loosely piled rubble lying all over the ground surface suggestive of a possible destroyed bawn wall. (Cooke 1875, 238; O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 10) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

Built in the 13th century, Castle Island, Whigsborough was held by the de Lacy family, important Anglo-Norman lords in medieval Ireland. Its strategic location on a natural rock outcrop made it a key defensive site in the control of the surrounding river floodplain.