(Site of) Drangan Castle — Knockuragh

In improved pasture and disused quarried area overlooking river valley to N and E. Prior to quarrying, castle was situated on a high conspicuous rock outcrop. The Civil Survey (1654-6) records that the proprietor in 1640 of 'The Manor castle Towne & lands of Drangan' was 'James, Lord Barron of Dunboyne Irish Papist' in which year it was occupied 'by his Mother Ellan Lady Dowager of Dunboyne' and 'The sd lands hath on them (besides the Cheife & principall Castle) a Mansion house tyled over with slate, & a short butt of a Castle thatched with other decaying thatcht houses within the Bawne' (Simington 1930, vol. 1, 160). The Ordnance Survey Letters mention that there '…stood on a rock the Castle of Drangan, but only ten feet [3m] of the east wall of it remains to the height of about thirty five feet [10.6m]. Even the foundations of the other walls are not traceable, so that the extent of the building cannot now be ascertained. The wall remaining is six feet [1.8m] thick and built of limestone well grouted. ... It is said that this was a strong building and that it belonged to the Butlers' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 74). According to Brennan (1854-55, 214-215) the castle belonged to the Dunboyne family with the last resident being Colonel Butler who lived there in the early 1700s. Brennan (ibid) states, 'the last remaining wing of the building fell fifteen years since', indicating that it fell shortly after it was recorded by the OS in the early 1840s. The N side of quarry is delineated by the remains of a roughly coursed limestone wall (L 10m; H c. 0.75m), bonded with lime mortar, which may be associated with the castle or associated buildings (TS063-015001-) or bawn (TS063-015001-). The E end of this wall is obscured for c. 2m by dense vegetation. The rubble stone wall (L c. 14m) sitting on top of the quarried rock face continues toward the W end, though the facing has fallen out in places. Quarrying activities encompassing this area make it difficult to decipher the purpose of this wall. An oval depression (dims. 22m N-S; 18m E-W) has been quarried out immediately N of the wall, with quarry spoil to SW. Apart from these fragmentary walls there is no visible trace above ground of the castle. Large drainage stones which have been re-used as headstones in the nearby graveyard (TS063-016003-) of the medieval church (TS063-016001-) of Drangan, c. 160m to the SSW, may have come from Drangan Castle. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 2 October 2014