What is recorded here

One green mound and a little lake remain where Loughanstown Castle stood, its walls gone before O'Donovan walked past in the nineteenth century. The castle belonged to Dr Delamare, yet even that much has blurred into legend. Perhaps the lake drank the stones back, or perhaps people simply stopped remembering which angle of the mound was a wall. Either way, the land kept the shape of the loss.

Loughanstown Castle is depicted on the 1655-9 Down Survey map of Portnashangan parish (NLI, MS 723-4). The castle is not depicted on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. In the 19th century O’Donovan in his notes on Westmeath recorded that there was the ‘site of a castle in townland of Loughanstown. It belonged to Dr Delamare, there are no remains of the walls. A green earthen mound occupies the site. The little lake, which gives name to the townland lies in the next field to it’ (RIA 12N 9). The Ordnance Survey Name Book number 47 recorded the following details; ‘There was a castle in this townland, which belonged to one Delamer, but there are now no remains of it. The site is pointed out immediately to the left of the road passing through Laughanstown to Mullingar. It is very close to the lockan or small lake which gives name to the townland’ (SMR File). The castle ruins are marked on 1808 Larkin’s map of Co. Westmeath. The ASI described the site in 1980 as a ‘low rounded rise with a pond at its SW foot. There is no trace of a ruin here now. Slight remains of wide low banks probably field banks run near the foot of the rise on W and NW’ (SMR File 16/10/1980). The ringfort (WM012-117----) in the field to the E of the lake has the wall footings of a stone structure (WM012-117001-) in the W quadrant of the ringfort which may be the remains of Loughanstown Castle. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 4 October 2016

Loughanstown Castle was likely built in the 17th century, as evidenced by its depiction on the 1655–1659 Down Survey map. It is remembered as a historical landmark in Portnashangan parish, though its builder and specific historical significance remain undocumented.

This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed. The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.