Why this matters
Built by the Butler family in the 15th or 16th century, Offaly Castle—Mountprospect is remembered for its historical association with the powerful Butler earls of Ormond and its changing names reflecting local administrative and land boundary shifts over time.
What is recorded here
Named 'Kiltaghan' castle on Noble and Keenan's 1752 map of County Kildare, after the townland it was then in, and spelt 'Kyltaghan' castle on Taylor's 1783 map of the county. By 1838 it was named 'Offaly Castle' and was located in Mountprospect townland on the 1st ed. (1838) of the OS 6-inch map. Fitzgerald (1906-8, 159-60), commenting on the latter name says,' I can find no authority for it as it is called Kiltaghan Castle in the Rathangan Manor book of 1760, now at Carton'. At the N foot of a long, gentle pasture slope, immediately E of a possible late-medieval field system (KD017-020----), and c. 75m to the S of an unclassified building (KD017-035----). A low, roughly circular cairn of grassed-over, collapsed masonry (diam. 17m; H 0.8-1.6m) contains a short length of 'in situ' wall (L 6.2m; T 0.7m; H 1.8m) built of roughly coursed rubble masonry, with facing stones surviving at the W end. In 1986, traces of a barrel vault were noted (SMR file), but are no longer obviously visible. (CUCAP BDU 16, 17: 1970)
Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy
Date of upload: 10 June 2011
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