Lows Castle (in Ruins) — Newtownlow

Described in 1973 as 'This is a roughly circular sharp sided mound, the western side of which has been somewhat defaced. This was presumably a motte (WM038-015001-). On top of the motte are the ruins of a squat round tower or keep, Numerous stone walls & wall footings can be traced in the field between the castle and the church & between the castle & the roadway.' (SMR file) An earlier report from 1913 describes this monument as 'This castle is circular on plan about 48 feet (14.6m) external diameter and the portion now standing is 25 feet (7.6m) in height greatly overgrown with ivy. The castle is all that remains of a more extensive series of buildings on the site of an ancient earthwork. The doorway is the only architectural feature now to be seen. Some cross walls have been built in the interior forming three or four small apartments. They are no part of the original construction, and it looks as if the interior had at one time been used as a private still for the manufacture of illicit spirits. The Castle appears to have been built by the Maddens, a once powerful family in Westmeath. O'Donovan says that Madden invited Geoghegan of Castletown on a visit and that when the time was up for Geoghegan to leave he declined to go and expelled the Maddebs and took possession of their property which he retained until the Parliamentary wars, when he was in turn expelled and a Cromwellian family named Low was installed instead. This family changed the name to Castle Low and resided there for many years until changing hands it came into the possession of the Goodbodys' (SMR file). The Lows were planted in this locality after the Restoration (1660), chiefly in the parishes of Newtown and Rahugh' (Walsh 1957, 287). William Low had grants of the land dating to 1666 and 1668 (Walsh 1957, 66). The castle of Baile Nua or Newtown was destroyed in 1474, in 1451 the castle of Ballinua alias Newtowne was taken by the sons of Brian Mageochagan (Walsh 1957, 284). The medieval church (WM038-012----) of Newtown is located 80m to the SW. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 27 April 2010