Rathdown Castle (in ruins) — Rathdown Upper

Situated on a very gentle E-facing slope overlooking the sea to the E. This fortification was possibly a moated castle of the 13th century Manor of Rathdown belonging to the Fitzdermot clan. One square tower of the stone castle survived until the early 19th century (O'Flanagan 1928, 39-40) but the site is now partially occupied by a decommissioned sewage treatment plant built by Wicklow Co. Co. in 1975 and a post-medieval limekiln. Both of these later structures are located in the SE quadrant of the moated site. The castle site is located towards the S edge of a roughly square shaped enclosure visible on aerial photographs taken in 1970 (CUCAP, BDP025/026) which may be the enclosing element of the first moated castle at Rathdown (WI008-011001-). A laneway cuts diagonally across the S portion of the enclosure with the castle site just S of the lane. Further cropmarks indicating an associated field system or medieval village (WI008-011002-) occur to the N and there is a small church (WI008-012001-) to the SW. In 1827 the castle was described as following; 'At a short distance beyond this chapel [WI008-012001-], beside a little stream in a deep ravine, and on the bold, seabeaten shore, stand the ruins of the once strong and extensive castle of Rathdown. The ground plan may be distinctly traced by the heaps of ruinous masonry, now all grass grown, which, like lifeless bodies that occupy the very spot on which they perished, lie regularly and artificially arranged in a square, and circular, and other useful architectural forms. The basement of one large square tower (this was all that he could see) may still be seen, the walls of which are four feet [1.2m] in thickness; in the eastern side was a circular headed window, the architrave of which is yet tolerably perfect [by 1838 the OS letters recorded this window was no longer visible]'(Wright 1827, 20). In 1838 the OS Letters recorded that 'a portion of the east and south walls of the old castle of Rathdown remain, say 54 feet [16.5m] in length on the south side and about eight feet [2.4m] high; the east end remains, 26 feet [7.9m] long and five feet ][1.5m] high, a small portion of the north wall also remains' (O'Flanagan 1928, 39). The OS also recorded the presence of the enclosure or 'Rath' (WI008-011001-) around the castle and the existence of settlement earthworks (WI008-011002-) in the field to the N. The OS wrote that the 'castle of Rathdown was built on the north side of a Rath (WI008-011001-) of considerable dimensions, large portions of which remain yet on the south and east of the castle. The ground on the north of this place still retains various traces of buildings or enclosures (WI008-011002-), but whether they belonged to the Rath or the castle I cannot say ' (O'Flanagan 1928, 39-40). According to local information between 1854-6 masonry was taken from the castle and reused in the building of the nearby railway bridge and the limekiln that are both marked on the OS 25-inch map to the E of the castle site (Christopher Kearney, Wicklow People, 01/03/1985). In 1994 archaeological test trenching was carried out by Margaret Gowen under licence No. 94E0048 along a portion of a proposed sewage pipeline forming part of the Greystones Sewerage Scheme. The sewage pipeline corridor runs through the field to the west of the castle site and present sewage treatment works crossing the remains of a supposed ‘mill race’ (tail race?) and other features of apparently agricultural derivation. The archaeological test trenching was undertaken to assess the area crossed by the pipeline corridor to ensure that no features of archaeological interest would be damaged during the pipe-laying process. The results of the assessment indicate that the pipeline crosses a relatively marginal area of archaeological activity, with some features dating back to the medieval period and some of obviously more recent date. Most of the features revealed have an agricultural derivation and some of the features certainly appear to date to the medieval period, i.e. during the occupancy of the castle and surrounding settlement. During the construction of the treatment works, which involved extensive excavation for the insertion of tanks and a comprehensive re-grading of the site, archaeologically sensitive material and soils as they cross the line were removed. Some of the remains of the structure recorded in 1972 and the supposed line of the ditch on the west and south side of the moated enclosure were also removed along with the remains of a later lime kiln. Nothing can now be seen of the archaeological remains on the site but sub-surface remains have survived in places. The masonry recorded in the 1972 inspection of the site lay in the south-west corner of the moated enclosure (WI008-011001-). Archaeological assessment of the proposed new works involved the opening and inspection of four test trenches which revealed ephemeral traces of archaeological deposits as follows: 1) At the extreme north of the site the most ephemeral remains of masonry structures, in the form of blocky stones and mortar, were noted in humic soil at a depth of 0.4m below ground level at the north of the trench. 2) Running north–south, the scant remains of the base of the main enclosure ditch still survives some 19–23m to the east of the western perimeter fence (in the area tested); the remains of the outer ditch are likely to have been removed during the excavation for the surface water-drain just inside the fence-line. 3) The southern line of the ditch underlies the present building, inspection chamber, roadway and northern disposal tanks. Excavation for the rising main which runs east–west across the site will have almost certainly caused further disturbance to the southern side of the enclosure ditch. Some remains of it may exist, however, just to the north of the rising main (Excavations 1994 No. 233). In 2016 a gradiometer and resistance survey was undertaken by Leigh Surveys under licence No. 16R0063 in the area to the N of Rathdown Castle (Burbridge et. al. 2017, 38; Leigh 2016,7). The results of the survey was summarised by Leigh Surveys as following; 'The results have detected responses indicative of archaeological activity. The responses identified are fragmented. There is clear correlation with the aerial photograph (CUCAP BDP025/026) but much of the site has remained undetected in the data, with the responses identified having a fragmented appearance. This suggests this site has been heavily plough damaged. Nevertheless, the responses are indicative of a former field system, with ditched boundary features and clear ploughing trends' (Leigh 2016, 7). The Manor of Rathdown was established by the Fitzdermot (Meic Gilla Mo-Cholmóc/ Mac Giollamocholmóg) clan in the late 12th or early years of the 13th century. John Fitzdermot of Rathdown, also referred to as John son of Dermot was the grandson of Domnhall Mac Gilla Mo-Cholmóc, lord of Uí Dúnchada, in the territory of Uí Briúin Chualann in the late 12th century (Price 1940-1, 240). He was married to Dervorgilla daughter of Dermot Mac Murrough, king of Leinster and brother-in-law to Strongbow (Simpson 1994, 195). In 1207 King John granted 'Dermot Mac Gilmeholmoc of all the land held by Gilleholmoc, his father, namely, Lymerhim with 15 carucates of land in the vale of Dublin, and a burgage in Dublin; to hold of the K. in fee by the service of 1 knight’ (Cal. doc. Ire., 53). In 1233/4 Ralph de Pitchford of Shropshire, paid 300 merks to King Henry III to have marriage of the heirs, and custody of the lands in Ireland, of John Fitzdermot, deceased until the legal age of the aforesaid heirs (Smith 1999, 4). In 1297/8 the Manor of Rathdown was in the possession of Albert de Kenley who had married Joan Fitzdermot, wife of Sir Ralph Fitzdermot of Rathdown. In this year the Crown recorded the payment of '£23 11s. 9d. from Albert de Kenley for the rent of two parts of the