Castle — Slanecastle Demesne

It is situated on a bluff with a SW-NE section of the River Boyne c. 130m to the SE, and it is attached to the NE of the tower house (ME019-033002-). This is a rectangular structure (ext. dims 15.85m NW-SE; 11.8m NE-SW) of three storeys with cut-stone quoins, but the NW end is separated off as a kitchen by a wall with a large fireplace and oven. The kitchen has doorways to the outside on the NW and NE walls and two large windows on the SW wall. The main chamber has two large windows on the SE wall and one on the NE, and is entered from the outside by a doorway at the S angle abutting the tower house. Doorways communicate with the kitchen and the tower house but there is no fireplace on the ground floor or evidence of a stairs. The first floor has large windows on the SW, NW and NE walls of the smaller NW room, which also has a fireplace on the SE wall. The larger chamber has three large windows on the SE wall and one large window and a light on the NE wall, and there is a fireplace in the NW wall. A passage communicates with the smaller room but there is no connection with the tower house. The walls rise significantly above the first storey and if there is a second it repeats the design of the first, but because of damage and ivy growth this is not certain. The joists appear to have been set directly into the long walls. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 22 June 2016