What is recorded here

Castle, unclassified in Kilmacnevan stands beside a ringfort and a small town marked Ballintur on a 17th century survey, yet its own stones have never been placed. The survey called it lately ruinous, as if destruction had come so quickly it still smelled of dust. Three hectares of low banks and possible hut sites remain on the grassland, large enough to hide a castle, a kitchen garden, a stable yard and every room anyone would stop believing they remembered.

Situated on grassland with Kilmacnevan church (WM010-115----) 600m to SE and ringfort (WM010-039---) 60m to NW. On the 17th century Down Survey map of Moygoish barony the present townland of Kilmacnevan was marked as Ballintur. The settlement earthworks (WM010-040----) are depicted as a cluster of dwellings and annotated as 'Ballintur towne' on the 1654-59 Down Survey map of Moygoish barony map (NLI, MS 723-4). On the Down Survey map of Kilmacnevan parish map a castle is depicted standing beside the cluster of dwellings depicted as 'Ballintue towne' (NLI, MS 723-4). The terrier of this parish map recorded that the castle had been recently destroyed and was described as 'lately ruinous' (ibid.). The precise location of this castle known as Ballintue Castle has not been identified. Not the same castle as the Site of Castle (WM010-019----) located 1.1km NNW of the settlement earthworks which is marked in Ballintue on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Present remains consist of a large complex of low banks, rectangular enclosures & possible hut sites covering an area of at least 3 hectares. It is bounded by a stream along its W side. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 12 June 2017

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