Site of Castle

Located 270m SW of the village of Castletown Geoghegan. Nearby monuments include a chapel (WM032-014001-) and graveyard (WM032-014002-) 230m to the NNE, motte and bailey castle (WM032-015----) 240m to the E and Castle Kindalen (WM032-011----) 250m to the NW. The Ordnance Survey Letters of 1837 compiled by Thomas O'Conor recorded that this castle site was the 'castle from which the townland, as the people think took its name' (OSL, 308). This reference suggests that the medieval MacGeoghegan castle was located here rather than at the location of the site marked as 'Castle Kindalen' (WM032-011----) 250m to the NW. In 1624 an inquisition into the estate of Hugh Geoghegan of Castletown who died in 1622 recorded that the manor of Castletown Kindalen contained one castle and one watermill (WM032-116----) belonging to the deceased Hugh (Cal. inq. post mortem, no. 65). He was succeeded by his son and heir Arthur who was married and 33 years of age at the time of his father’s death. The medieval MacGeoghegan castle is depicted standing beside St Mary’s Church (WM032-014003-) of Vastina on the 1654-56 Down Survey map of Castletown parish (NLI, MS. 723-4). On this map the castle is depicted as a tower house type structure which was the residence of Art McHugh Geoghegan in 1641. Art, son of Hugh Geoghegan is described as an ‘Irish papist’ and the owner of 395 acres of land in the townland of Castletown. Monument surveyed by ASI in 1979 and described as following; 'an irregular D-shaped area outlined by a low scarp and field banks. A straight field fence (hedge on a low earth and stone bank) forms the straight side on the NE and part of the NW side. A low scarp runs in an arc from the field fence around to the W and S where it turns steeply to run NE up to a corner of the field bank. The field bank continues this line NE for a short distance before turning sharply to run SE. A second low bank runs outside the first from the W-S and then runs in an arc to the W where it joins the end of the field bank. A low, slight bank of earth and stone runs along part of this scarp but seems to be an old field bank. There is a low bank stone and earth along the inner scarp from S to E but this could also be an old field bank but this is uncertain. There is no indication of an entrance. The interior is uneven and slopes from S to N in the W part and from N to S in the E part. There are old cultivation ridges (running E-W) in the E part of the interior. There is a low rectangular platform of earth in the S corner of the inner scarp. This is on the highest part of the site but its significance is unclear. the site is difficult to interpret and its original shape is unclear. The outer scarp may have been no older than an old field bank. The old field drain shown close to the site on the 1912 ed. OS 6-inch map is not now visible although the mill race or stream still runs S of the site as shown on the 1912 ed. OS 6-inch map. The site is on a slight rise in pasture land. There are extensive views to the S but it is overlooked on the SW by a rise of ground and by a motte & bailey castle (WM032-015----) 240m to the E' (SMR File 11/09/1978). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 12 February 2013