Balregan

22 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Balregan, from 364 m² to 205,489 m² (20.55 ha, 50.78 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 24 neighbouring parcels touch it.

Download the townland: DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings; GeoJSON or KML.

• O1Strategic Reserve (Strategic reserve, White land)
  Louth County Development Plan, Louth · 9 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
• G1Open Space (Open space, park)
  Louth County Development Plan, Louth · 1 parcels The zoning objective in the plan

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

• 4 Sept 2026N/a

  Permission for a detached dormer house, installation of a waste water treatment system with percolation area and all associated site works

  Permission · Louth County Council, 2660604

• 4 Apr 2023Conditional

  Retention permission for an extension currently under construction (previously granted planning permission under planning ref. no. 21/1157), to include raising of roof height, alterations to layout and addition of bay window to rear and all associated site development works

  Retention, 1 home · Louth County Council, 23165

• 28 Feb 2022Conditional

  retention and permission to Calwood House, listed in the Record of Protected Structures (ID No. LHS004-013) for the following: retention of unauthorised demolition of an existing single storey extension and outbuilding while permission is sought for the construction of single storey extension with a flat roof to the side of existing dwelling and all ancillary site works including a new waste water treatment system *Further information received on 24/05/2022*

  Retention, 1 home · Louth County Council, 22153

• 17 Sept 2021Conditional

  Permission for development that will consist of a proposed single storey extension to the rear and side elevation s of an existing dwelling house, and all associated site works. **Significant further information received on 10/05/2022**

  Permission, 1 home · Louth County Council, 211157

• 25 Oct 2019Refused

  Permission for a new single storey dwelling, domestic garage, new vehicular entrance, effluent treatment system, percolation area and all associated site development works.

  Permission, 2 homes · Louth County Council, 19890

• 31 May 2019Refused

  Permission for a new single storey dwelling, domestic garage, new vehicular entrance, effluent treatment system, percolation area and all associated site development works. *Significant Further Information received on 30/08/2019*

  Permission, 2 homes · Louth County Council, 19421

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Balregan.

Recorded monuments

• LH007-001001 Castle - tower house
  Description

  The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Almost square in plan, originally with four projecting corner-towers, it is quite squat-looking, being only two storey's high. It is built of rubble, greywacke and limestone blocks roughly coursed, and has little dressed stone other than in the entranceway at the base of the SE angle-tower. The tower at the NE has collapsed, as has most of the E wall. Access to the barrel- vaulted ground-floor area is gained through doorways in the SE angle-tower, and to the first-floor level by a mural stairwell from a door in the S wall. The barrel vault, which is on an E-W axis is large and well preserved except where the E gable has collapsed. A doorway, now partially blocked, leads from the SE angle-tower into the barrel-vaulted area. It is 0.73m wide, is constructed with limestone blocks and has a large limestone slab lintel. Midway along the S wall of the barrel-vaulted area are the remains of a blocked-up doorway (H c. 2.2m, Wth c. 1.2m) that gave access to the mural staircase which runs straight up to the tower in the SW angle, where there are the remains of one jamb of an ope in the W wall, and then turns northwards into the main first-floor level. The N wall of the ground floor has two opes, both of which are double-splayed, one set on each side of a possible fireplace. Both opes are blocked from the outside. The outside doorway of the SE tower is constructed of hard grey sandstone blocks, seventeen in number, with a central keystone. The base of the E jamb is splayed inwards, effectively narrowing the lower portion of the entrance. The doorway leads into a small sub-rectangular antechamber (1.3m by 2.46m) with beehive corbelled roof, which in turn leads into the barrel-vaulted area through a short passage. The tower projects by 0.6m to 0.65m from the wall faces and has a corbelled roof built with limestone. It was never built higher than the first-floor level, unlike the NW tower which had two storeys above the ground-floor level. The NW tower, which projects out by 1.12m from the N and W walls, has a large amount of small rubble stone in its construction. There is no access to its ground floor level other than from the first floor, where there is clear evidence for a spiral staircase now almost completely destroyed. It would appear that there must have been a trapdoor in the floor to give access to this part of the stairwell. The tower has a circular interior c. 1.9m in diameter. There is no means of lighting in the lower part of the tower, while the two upper storeys have simple rectangular slits with large limestone jambs and lintels. The roofs over the first- and second- floor levels of the tower are constructed in a corbelled manner with large stone slabs. The doorway into the tower at the first-floor level has one remaining jamb, of punch-dressed limestone. There is no obvious access to the second-floor level in this tower since there is no internal stairwell, but broken masonry to the E of the doorway may indicate that there were steps originally in this area. The second-floor level of the tower has a doorway which faces E and has a large stone slab lintel. There is no evidence for stairs within the tower between first- and second-floor level or for a wall-walk, so access to the second floor must have been from a now missing staircase which would have been situated close to the tower entrance. Just to the E of the first-floor entrance to the tower there is a corbelled rectangular opening (Wth 0.6m, H 0.3m), but its function is not known. The SW tower, which carried the top part of the mural staircase, has no opes at the lower level and does not appear to have ever been open at the ground floor. The outer face of the N wall of the tower, that is the NW angle, is splayed giving an obtuse rather than a right-angled return. This appears to have been done to accommodate the top of the mural stairwell which returns at this point onto the first-floor level. On the outside of the W wall between the S wall and the NW tower there are five corbels at the first-floor level; these project by c. 0.15m and support large horizontally-laid limestone slabs which carry a widening of the wall. This method of giving extra width to a wall is normally done to accommodate a mural passage or wall-walk, but in this case there are no such features. There is a large splayed window (max. Wth 1.16m, H c. 1.7m) in the W wall at first-floor level. Also at first-floor level the NW tower has the remains of two splayed loops, while there is one in the S wall of the SE tower and a well preserved example where the W wall joins the NW tower. There is no evidence of the method or type of roofing used, nor is there any evidence of a wall-walk. Wright (1758, bk III, pl. 1; bk II, pl. XXI) illustrates the tower house with the remains of a bawn wall and gateway. There are now no surface remains of this feature. (Wright 1758, bk II, 8, pls XXI, XXII; CLAJ 1908, 35)

• LH007-001002 Souterrain
  Description

  The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Described by Wright (1758, 16-17, pl 10) as being close to Balregan Castle. It appears from Wright's drawing to consist of a passage with two or three steps at a point one-third of the way along its length. Near the end of the passage is a short section of a passage leading off at right angles. A drop-hole creep gives access to a short length of passage overhead, from which a second drop-hole descends again to the lower level. The second passage extends for some distance, finally terminating in a gallery set at right angles. The general plan of the souterrain is H-shaped, but no scale is incorporated to suggest comparative size.

• LH007-001003 Stone circle
  Description

  Monument described and illustrated by Wright (1758, Book 3, p. 7-8, Pl 1, Site A) as a circle of five large stones. No visible trace survives. Reference: Wright, T. 1758 Louthiana: or an introduction to the antiquities of Ireland. London. Thomas Payne. Compiled by: Claire Breen Date of upload: 23 November 2011

• LH007-001004 Standing stone
  Description

  The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Stone described as a 'monumental pillar' (Wright 1758, 7, Pl.1, Site E). No visible trace.

• LH007-001005 House - indeterminate date
  Description

  Monument described by Wright (1758, Book 3, p. 7-8, Pl 1, Site G) as an 'abode or residence of the chief druid'. Nature of site not known but may have been some sort of house. No visible surface trace survives. Reference: Wright, T. 1758 Louthiana: or an introduction to the antiquities of Ireland. London. Thomas Payne. Compiled by: Claire Breen Date of upload: 23 November 2011

• LH007-001006 Standing stone
  Description

  Stone described as a 'Monumental Pillar' by Wright (1758, Book 3, p. 7-8, Pl.1, Site H). No visible surface trace survives. Reference: Wright, T. 1758 Louthiana: or an introduction to the antiquities of Ireland. London. Thomas Payne. Compiled by: Claire Breen Date of upload: 23 November 2011

• LH007-001007 Cairn - unclassified
  Description

  The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Wright's site 'C' is described as being 'carned'. No visible surface trace (Wright 1758, 7, pl. 1).

• LH007-001008 Embanked enclosure
  Description

  Wright describes and illustrates this, calling it site 'B', a 'Burying place or sort of family sepulchre' (1758, 7, pl. 1). No visible surface trace. Partially excavated in advance of the 'M1 Dundalk Western Bypass - Northern Link' (Excavation Licence No. 03E0157). An arc of two ditches (internal ditch: max. Wth 3m; max. D 1.9m; external ditch: max. Wth 2m; max. D 1.5m) on either side of an encompassing bank (Wth 5m) was uncovered. This arc represented c. 15% of a circular enclosure (estimated int. diam. c. 46m; ext. diam. 57m), the remaining part was preserved in-situ outside the road take. The remains of the bank consisted of a layer of water-rolled stones that is thought to have formed its foundation. A possible entrance way was identified in the S/SE. Over 1000 sherds of prehistoric pottery were found, over 500 of which came from the bank. A number of pits which contained sherds of burnt Neolithic pottery were discovered just outside the enclosure. The socket from a possible standing stone (LH007-001010-) and a barrow (LH007-001011-) were also discovered. (O'Donnchadha B. 2005; O'Donnchadha B. 2006, 324) References: O'Donnchadha B. 2005 Dundalk Western Bypass: Site 116: Balregan 1 Chainage 23.470 - 22.600 Post-Excavation assessment and updated project design on behalf of Louth County Council and the National Roads Authority, Licence Number 03E0157. Unpublished Report DAHG, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. O'Donnchadha B. 2006 'Balregan Henge' in I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2003: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 324 (No. 1221). Bray. Wordwell Wright, T. 1758 Louthiana: or an introduction to the antiquities of Ireland. London. Thomas Payne. Compiled by: Claire Breen Date of upload: 23 November 2011

• LH007-001009 Standing stone - pair
  Description

  Wright illustrates two 'stone pillars' (Wright 1758, Book 3, p. 7-8, Pl. 1, Site F). No visible trace survives. Reference: Wright, T. 1758 Louthiana: or an introduction to the antiquities of Ireland. London. Thomas Payne. Compiled by: Claire Breen Date of upload: 23 November 2011

• LH007-001010 Standing stone
  Description

  Stone described as a 'monumental pillar' (Wright 1758, Book 3, p. 7-8, Pl. 1, Site I). No visible trace survives. Excavations in advance of the 'M1 Dundalk Western Bypass - Northern Link' (Excavation Licence No. 03E0157) uncovered a pit (L 3.4m; Wth 2.5m; D 0.45m) which the excavator suggests may have represented the socket from a standing stone as described by Wright above. No finds were recovered from this pit. (O'Donnchadha B. 2005; O'Donnchadha B. 2006, 324) References: O'Donnchadha B. 2005 Dundalk Western Bypass: Site 116: Balregan 1 Chainage 23.470 - 22.600 Post-Excavation assessment and updated project design on behalf of Louth County Council and the National Roads Authority, Licence Number 03E0157. Unpublished Report DAHG, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. O'Donnchadha B. 2006 'Balregan Henge' in I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2003: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 324 (No. 1221). Bray. Wordwell Wright, T. 1758 Louthiana: or an introduction to the antiquities of Ireland. London. Thomas Payne. Compiled by: Claire Breen Date of upload: 23 November 2011

• LH007-001011 Barrow - unclassified
  Description

  Excavated in advance of the 'M1 Dundalk Western Bypass - Northern Link' (Excavation Licence No. 03E0157). A circular (diam. 18m) terrace cut into sloping ground with two pits and three postholes in the interior. (O'Donnchadha B. 2005, 10) Reference: O'Donnchadha B. 2005 Dundalk Western Bypass: Site 116: Balregan 1 Chainage 23.470 - 22.600 Post-Excavation assessment and updated project design on behalf of Louth County Council and the National Roads Authority, Licence Number 03E0157. Unpublished Report DAHG, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. Compiled by: Claire Breen Date of upload: 23 November 2011

Architectural heritage

• Calwood House, presbytery/parochial/curate's house, 1860–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey former parochial house, built c. 1880, now in private domestic use. Rectangular-plan, canted bay to west, pitched and hipped roofed returns to east and north-east, recent extension to north and conservatory to south-east. Pitched and hipped slate roof, clay ridge and hip tiles, red brick chimneystacks with yellow brick corbelled course, stone verge coping to north and south gables; moulded cast-iron gutters on yellow brick corbelled eaves course, circular cast-iron downpipes. Red brick walling laid in Flemish bond, granite plinth to west elevation; painted brick walling to north and east, painted smooth rendered ruled-and-lined walling to south. Segmental-headed window openings, granite sills, yellow brick arches with granite keystone, painted timber one-over one sliding sash windows; square-headed window openings to north, south and east elevations and returns, some painted timber casement windows. Round-headed door opening, yellow brick arch and granite keystone, painted timber door with six decorative raised-and-fielded panels, flanked by timber engaged Doric columns supporting frieze, cornice and plain-glazed overlight. House situated in own grounds, painted brick outbuilding to east, pitched slate roof, square-headed openings, painted timber vertically-sheeted doors; gateway to north-west, square-profile piers, granite capping stone and ball finial flanked by red brick quadrant walls, granite plinth and coping; site bounded to north by dry stone wall.

• Balregan House, miller's house, 1740–1780 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay single-storey over basement with attic former miller's house, built c. 1760, now in use as private house. T-plan, half-dormer to east elevation. Pitched slate roof, clay ridge tiles, painted smooth rendered chimneystacks with stone corbel courses; painted timber bargeboard to half-dormer window; moulded cast-iron gutter on projecting eaves supported on timber eaves brackets, circular cast-iron downpipes. Painted roughcast rendered walling. Square-headed window openings, stone sills, painted smooth rendered reveals, painted timber eight-over-eight timber sliding sash windows with prominent central glazing bars to east elevation, painted timber casement Diocletian window to half-dormer. Segmental-headed door opening, painted smooth rendered reveals and soffit, painted engaged Ionic columns supporting frieze, cornice and tear-drop fanlight, painted timber door with four flat panels, steps to entrance flanked by metal railings. House situated in own grounds. Detached five-bay three-storey derelict former corn mill to south-east; rectangular-plan, roof missing, random rubble stone walling, square-headed window and door openings, red brick dressings.

• Water Lodge, miller's house, 1830–1850 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey over basement house, built c. 1840. Square-plan. Hipped slate roofs, lead ridges and hips, smooth rendered ruled-and-lined corbelled chimneystacks, moulded cast-iron gutters on overhanging eaves, painted timber soffit supported on paired eaves brackets, circular cast-iron downpipes. Smooth rendered ruled-and-lined walling to basement, stone plinth, red brick walling laid in Flemish bond, block-an-start stone quoins. Square-headed window openings, tolled stone sills, painted smooth rendered reveals, painted timber six-over-six sliding sash windows to ground floor, three-over-six sliding sash windows to first floor and basement, one-over-two sliding sash windows to ground floor north elevation, round-headed window opening to north elevation, multiple-pane sliding sash window. Round-headed door opening to west elevation, painted stone door surround comprising fluted Doric columns supporting frieze with metope, cornice and petal fanlight, painted timber door with four raised-and-fielded panels, stone steps to entrance flanked by wrought-iron railings; square-headed door opening to basement north elevation, painted timber vertically-sheeted door. Stone plinth wall surmounted by wrought-iron railings, cast-iron newel posts surrounds basement area. Random rubble wall to west, stone coping, stone stile, flanking roughcast piers, flat capping. Detached multiple-bay two-storey outbuildings to south-west; hipped slate roof, clay ridge tiles, cast-iron gutters; squared-and-snecked stone walling; square-headed loops to east elevation, square-headed window openings, stone sills, brick surrounds, painted timber vertically-sheeted shutters; segmental-headed door openings, carriage arch to north elevation, recessed to lower section of jambs, stone surround, painted timber vertically-sheeted doors. Girder bridge c. 1840 to south-east, timber carriageway, central random rubble V cutwater, tubular steel balustrade. House set in own grounds accessed to south-east through painted smooth rendered gate piers, painted stone ball-finials, cast-iron gates.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Radon

About 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

Susceptibility moderately low, low, low (inferred), on the 1:50,000 map.

Terrain model

LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_2989 (ZIP).

Flooding

The flood maps of the Office of Public Works: floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency; Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland; both CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

No address of the register names Balregan with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Louth.

Name

Balregan · Baile Uí Réigín

Area

757,458 m² (75.75 ha, 187.17 acres)

Civil parish

Castletown, and its townlands

Barony

Dundalk Upper

Electoral division

Castletown, the unit of the census

Neighbouring townlands

Balriggan, Castletown, Falmore, Kilcurry, Killin, Lurgankeel, Stranacarry, Tateetra

Placenames

Balregan on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address; old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.