Castle

The precise location of Kinnegad Castle has not been identified. In 1557 during the Reign of King Philip and Queen Mary, the crown certified a land grant to the Earl of Kildare and Mabell, his wife which included ‘a castle called Kenegad, in the county of Westmeath’ (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Chas I, 193). No surface remains visible of any castle in area marked on the Record of Monuments and Places Map [RMP] of Co. Westmeath. Modern housing estate located in area marked on the RMP map. No castle site or castle location is depicted on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. The exact location of Kinnegad Castle has not been identified. The location on the RMP map is based on the 1654 Down Survey map of Farbill barony. On this map Kinnegad Castle is depicted as a tower house type fortification standing close to the W bank of the Kinnegad River (NLI, MS 723-4). The castle is depicted standing a short distance to the NW of Kinnegad Bridge (WM028-003----). The castle of 'Kinigad' is depicted standing close to the bridge on Sir William Petty's map of Ireland dating from 1685. The terrier of the 1655 Down Survey map of Farbill barony records that in Kinnegad there is ‘a castle in good repaire where is at present some horse quartered’ (Simington 1961, 41; NLI, MS 723-4). The 1655 Down Survey records that in 1640 the lands of Kinnegad consisting of 609 Irish plantation acres (986 statute acres) belonged to Sir Luke FitzGerald of Ticroghan, Clonard, Co. Meath (NLI. MS 723-4). In 1668 the forfeited lands of Kinnegad belonging to Sir Luke FitzGerald were granted to John Clotworthy, 1st Viscount Massereene. The castle was located close to the bridge and fording point over the Kinnegad River in the fields to the W of the river. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 12 August 2013

Built or held by the Earl of Kildare and his wife Mabel in the mid-16th century, during the reign of King Philip and Queen Mary. It is remembered for its mention in a 1557 royal land grant, reflecting the ongoing consolidation of Anglo-Irish lordships under Tudor rule.