What is recorded here

Castle, tower house in Windgates may have never risen because the bawn and tower vanished before mapping began. In 1472 a parliament at Naas ordered the build and took ten pounds from County Kildare, yet no stone marker remains for Windgates. The money may have bought bricks that never left the cart or a fortress so brief it became a rumor.

According to Murphy (1896, 53), 'In a parliament held at Naas in 1472 a castle was ordered to be built at Windgates, County Kildare, and a levy of £10 was ordered to be made in the county for the purpose … . Round (this castle) there was a bawn (KD010-030001-) … .' The castle and bawn are not recorded on the OS 6-inch maps and their exact location is unknown. It is possible that they were never built. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 10 June 2011

The tower house at Windgates was built in the late 15th century, following an order from a 1472 parliament at Naas to construct a castle in County Kildare. It is remembered as a defensive structure reflecting the strategic concerns of the late medieval period in Ireland.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.