What is recorded here

Laracor clustered around a motte and church likely dating to the late twelfth century, long before the Civil Survey named its castle, cottages, bridge and church in 1656. People lived there continuously into the eighteenth century, leaving pottery, clay pipes and glass beside evidence of local iron working. One six-metre structure still lies fragmented beneath the soil, its walls marked by seventeenth and eighteenth century remains.

Laracor is described in the Civil Survey (1656-8) as a small settlement consisting of a castle, some thatched cottages, a bridge and a church (Simington 1940, 176). The settlement was probably older and would have developed around the motte (ME036-043----) and the parish church (ME036-044----), both of which could date from the late twelfth century. Archaeological excavation (04E0987) in advance of a new line for the R158 road from Trim to Summerhill recovered a large quantity of medieval pottery, which was mostly from the topsoil, in the area E and N of the graveyard. No structures could be identified with the earlier material but occupation continued into the eighteenth century with appropriate ceramics, clay pipes and glass artefacts. Iron working was conducted in the area, and one structure (dims 6m x 6m) was evident in fragments of three walls associated with seventeenth and eighteenth century ceramics. (Breen 2007, 2010, 44-6) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 9 November 2019

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