What is recorded here

Enclosure in Castletown (slievemargy By.) is a vanished circular boundary, forty metres across, in County Laois. It marked the heart of Ui Buidhe, the territory Strongbow gave Robert de Bigarz before 1176. The earth has swallowed the stones, but the shape remains in the land's memory, a quiet ring around the place where power first turned to law.

Castletown was the manorial centre of Ui Buidhe (Oboy), which was the pre-Norman territory given to Robert de Bigarz by Strongbow before 1176 (Orpen 1911-20, iii, 105). After 1245 it passed to William de Cantilupe and was obtained by John de Hastings in 1283. (Sweetman 1875-86, ii, no. 2107). In 1348 the Earl of Pembroke received 30s. yearly from the burgesses of Castletown and returns from the hundred of the town. (PRO1916, 128). There is no mention of Castletown after 1348 until the late-sixteenth century. Circular enclosure (approx. diam c. 40m) indicated on current edition of the OS 6-inch map has been levelled with no surface remains visible (Urban Survey 1986, 20). Church site (LA026-011002-) and graveyard (LA026-011003-) located 170m to the N and motte and bailey(LA026-011001-) located 220m to the E. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 17 December 2007

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