Kilbreedy Castle (in Ruins)

The O'Phelan's established a castle here and it remained in their ownership until the mid seventeenth century (Carrigan 1905 vol. 2, 60-61). Situated on a low ridge with nearby church (LA028-035) 250m to NE. A three storey rectangular-shaped tower house (dims. c. 16.9m N-S x c. 10.35m E-W, wall T c. 2.05) built of roughly coursed limestone. Broken-out entrance in E end of S wall with murder-hole overhead. Large mural passage at ground-floor level and at first floor level in N and S walls. Intra-mural stairs in W end of S wall. Large barrel vault over first floor. Three vaulted areas with opes in E wall and two in W wall. At first floor level in E wall are four rectangular shaped opes horizontally aligned. Described by Carrigan as 'It is 56 ft. long externally, and 34 and a half feet wide, and at present 35 ft. high. Within is a great barrel arch of stone, 22 ft. high at the apex, and extending the whole length of the building. One of the side-walls supporting the arch is 7 ft. thick, the other 8 and a half feet. The south end wall, containing the broken doorway, is more than 9 ft. thick. The main stairway, in the thickness of the south walls, leads from the entrance door to the upper part of the edifice. Two other stairways from the ground floor lead to long passages in the other walls, whence access is also had to the upper storeys. None of the stairs are spiral. (Carrigan 1905 vol. 2, 60). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 December 2007

Built by the O'Phelan family, Kilbreedy Castle remained in their possession until the mid-seventeenth century. It is remembered as a historic stronghold associated with a prominent Gaelic family in the region.