What is recorded here

Milltown Castle vanished before it was ever drawn, leaving only mill seats and a ruined name behind David MacGibbon's death in 1583. William Creagh still stood beside its ghost in 1659, guarding grinding stones where a fortress should have been. The castle may never have existed except as the shape made by what it repeated: a valley, a waterway, a reason to return.

The precise location of Milltown castle has not been identified Westropp (1906/7, 193) recorded that Millmount Castle (LI047-026002-) may have been the same castle known as Milltown Castle for which he gave the following details; 'Not marked, perhaps Millmount. 1583 W. f. Ric. f. Edm. David MacGibbon, alias MacDavid Nynnagh, held the C[astle]. and mill of Mililown near Kilmallock, when slain at Cloghdalton in the rebellion of Sir John of Desmond (Inq. Chan., 49b). 1655 Old ruinous C[astle]. and seats of two grist-mills [LI048-124----], and a tucking-mill [LI048-124----] by W. Creagh (C.S., xxv., p. 15)'. The 1659 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that William Creagh of Miltown an Irish papist was owner of 'an old ruynous Castle, the Seates of two Gristmills, and the seate of a tucking Mill' (Simington 1938, 238). The 1654-6 Down Survey map of Ballingaddy parish shows that there were two townlands called Milltown in this parish and that Millmount was annotated 'Miltowne' on this map (NLI, Ms 718). No castle or mill sites are depicted on this parish map. Cross reference with LI047-26002-. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 20 August 2021

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