What is recorded here

Oughterard was a thriving medieval borough in County Kildare that received a royal charter for weekly markets in 1318. The settlement grew around an early monastery, sustained fifty-eight burgesses, and featured a tower house before fading from history. A long rock-cut ditch still traces the southern edge of this forgotten town, preserving the shape of a community that once believed it would last forever.

Oughterard formed part of the area granted to Adam De Hereford, which passed subsequently to the Pippards in the 13 century (Gilbert 1889, 102-3). The borough was established here before 1276 in the vicinity of a possible early monastery (KD015-007002-), and in 1318, the bailiffs and men of the town of Oughterard received a royal charter granting them a weekly market and a fair there (Tresham 1828, 21: No. 27). Subsequent history is obscure: an undated, but possibly early-14th century, extent refers to 58 burgesses holding 132 acres at a rent of £5 0s. 5d. The borough may have still existed in 1608 when a William Browne is mentioned as provost of the town of 'Woughterard' (Russell and Prendergast 1874, 577). Hall, Hennessy and O'Keeffe (1985, 16-25) identified possible traces of medieval arable activity to the S, W and N of the church (KD015-007005-). Other known monuments here are; a round tower (KD015-007003-), a graveyard (KD015-007004-) and a tower house (KD015-007006-). A rock-cut ditch (Wth 1.5m; D 2m) of uncertain function runs SW from the graveyard then turns SE to pass the tower house and continues on as a shallow ditch beyond the road to the S -traceable length c. 800m. (Bradley et al. 1986 vol. 4, 400-12) Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 10 June 2011

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