Site of Old Castle

John Fleming of Siddan owned 500 acres and the Castle there in 1640 (Simington 1940, 360), and one of the two ruinous buildings that are depicted at Suddan on the Down Survey (1656-8) barony map of Slane is in roughly this location. Polecastle is included within Siddan on the Down Survey map. Taylor and Skinner's map of 1793 (Andrews 1969, 260) depicts two ruins at Suddan S of the old Ardee to Kells road, which is just to the N, and the position of one ruin with the river to the S adds validity to this position. The location is described as the ‘Site of Old Castle’ on the 1836 and 1908 eds of the OS 6-inch map. This is an irregularly-shaped, grass-covered mound (diam. c. 18m; H c. 0.6m). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of revision: 8 June 2016

John Fleming of Siddan held Polecastle in 1640, and it is recorded as one of two ruinous buildings at Suddan on the 1656–58 Down Survey barony map of Slane. Its importance lies in its historical association with landownership and conflict in 17th-century Ireland.