Edmondstown Castle, Edmondstown, Co. Westmeath

Co. Westmeath |

Tower Houses

Edmondstown Castle, Edmondstown, Co. Westmeath

Hidden amongst trees in the gently rolling pastures of County Westmeath, the ruins of Edmondstown Castle stand as a modest reminder of Ireland's turbulent past.

This rectangular tower house, measuring roughly 7.2 metres east to west and 6.4 metres north to south, dates from an era when such fortified dwellings dotted the Irish landscape. Interestingly, the castle doesn't appear on the 1655 Down Survey map of Farbill Barony, though by the time of the 1913 Ordnance Survey, it was already recorded as partially ruined with its north wall missing.

Today, visitors who venture to this overlooked site will find three walls still standing, though in varying states of preservation. The eastern and southern walls remain the most intact, reaching heights of 2.5 to 3.5 metres, whilst the western wall stands somewhat lower at 1.5 to 2 metres, its facing stones largely stripped away over the centuries. The northern wall has completely collapsed, leaving only grass-covered footings and a scatter of rubble. A single, roughly cut rectangular window opening in the south wall represents the only surviving architectural detail, as the interior is now choked with fallen masonry.

Located just 380 metres southwest of Corbally Church and its accompanying graveyard, Edmondstown Castle occupies a quiet corner of the Westmeath countryside. Though it lacks the grandeur of better-preserved castles elsewhere in Ireland, these weathered walls offer a tangible connection to the medieval and early modern periods when such tower houses served as both homes and defensive strongholds for the local gentry.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Edmondstown Castle, Edmondstown, Co. Westmeath. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement