What is recorded here

No wall, yard or gate remains to mark the Castle of Balloughter, though a 1654 map drew a small tower house near the townland boundary. Nicholas Darcy held the land and castle in 1640, then war and neglect erased the structure from the earth. The exact spot has vanished into ordinary farmland, leaving only a line on an old survey and a name refused by memory.

The precise location of this castle within the townland of Hightown or Balloughter has not been identified. The area marked on the Record of Monuments and Places Map [RMP] for Co. Westmeath is based on the 1654-7 Down Survey map of Farbill barony. No castle site or location is depicted on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. A 19th century house and farmyard is located in the area marked on the RMP map of Co. Westmeath and there is no known tradition of a castle at this location. The 1654-7 Down Survey map of Farbill barony depicts a tower house type castle standing close to the S townland boundary with Lowtown or Balleighter (NLI, MS 723-4). In 1640 the lands of Balloghter including the castle belonged to Nicholas Darcy (NLI, MS 723-4). The terrier of the 1654 map states that the ‘Castle of Balloughter’ was one of 10 castles that ‘were very small ones formerly & now quite Demolished’ (NLI, MS 723-4). Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 14 August 2013

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