Enclosure in Balrath (moycashel By.)

In 1488 the Annals of the Four Masters recorded that the Earl of Kildare demolished the castle of Bile-ratha (Balrath) upon the sons of Murtough Mageoghegan, after having brought ordnance to it’ (O’Donovan 1856, 1165). In 1604, King James I granted William Taaffe the ‘castle of Belraha and 1 cartron, rent 2s 6d., Ir. parcel of the estate of James McRosse McGeoghegan, late of Belraha, outlawed’ (Griffith 1966, 2). This Mac Geoghegan castle was described in 1977, as Balrath [Belraha] Castle (WM032-103001-)which consists of the remains of a long narrow rectangular stone-built building aligned N-S with a roughly D-shaped enclosure (diam. 24m N-S) adjoining the E side. This building along with the adjoining enclosure to the E of the castle is depicted on the first edition of the OS 6-inch map. The enclosure acts as the earthen enclosure of a bailey or courtyard area located to the E of the castle. The enclosure consists of a rough D-shaped area enclosed by an earth and stone bank mainly reduced to a scarp and partly built on a natural rise of rock outcrop. The whole area of the enclosure is greatly disturbed due to livestock poaching. There are indications of quarrying in the N and S quadrants of the enclosure. There is a short stretch of low wall footing visible along the edge of the bank of the enclosure at SE which may be remains of the original enclosing wall supported by the earthen bank of the enclosure attached to the stone castle. A gap (Wth. 3.1m) in the bank at NNE may be the remains of the original entrance feature into the enclosure. A modern silage pit has been built just outside the external face of the W wall of the castle. Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 28 March 2013