Gortboy

Area

20,092 m² (2.01 ha, 4.96 acres)

Buildings

1 building touches it, 114 m² on the ground

Zoning

R2 Existing Residential (Kilmallock Local Area Plan 2019-2025) The objective
G4 Open Space Sports Grounds (Kilmallock Local Area Plan 2019-2025) The objective
R3 Residential Development Area - Phase 1 (Kilmallock Local Area Plan 2019-2025) The objective

Townland

Gortboy

Planning applications on this parcel

• 28 Oct 2025Conditional

  upgrading of the existing grass pitch to artificial full-size all-weather pitch, including floodlights, spectator fencing, ball catch nets and all ancillary site works

  Permission · Limerick County Council, 25350

• 6 Oct 2017Conditional

  the completion of housing development of 33 No. housing units comprising of 7 No. two storey detached, 14 No. two storey semi-detached, 10 No. single storey semi-detached and 2 no single storey detatched to match existing as part of scheme previously planning permission granted 28/10/04 (Planning Ref. 03/961) and all associated site works

  Permission, 33 homes · Limerick County Council, 17926

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 this parcel.

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 67 recorded monuments.

• LI047-020 Earthwork
  Description

  In reclaimed pasture immediately S of a forestry plantation, formerly on S bank of Ash Hill Lough that has been drained, on the former demesne lands of Ash Hill Towers, that lies 330m to SW. Not depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. Shown on the Cassini ed. OSi 6-inch as a small semi-circular-shaped platform (dims c. 21m NW-SE; 9m NE-SW) defined by a drain from NW-N-E with scarp elsewhere. Outline of earthwork delimited by bushes is visible on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages. Uncertain about antiquity of earthwork which is located on the S shoreline of a lake that has been drained in modern times and replanted with coniferous plantation. See attached Google Earth orthoimages. Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick Date of upload: 27 August 2021

• LI047-022001 Historic town
  Description

  Historic town of Kilmallock described in the Urban Survey of County Limerick as following (Bradley et. al. 1989, 146-51); 'Kilmallock is a small town located in south Limerick on the river Loobagh. The town derives its name from a monastery founded by St. Mocheallog in the early seventh century (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 39). It was/plundered in 1015 (Ann. Inisf.) and it is recorded that Flaithnia O Tigernain, lector of Cell Mo-Chelloc died in 1027 (Ann. Inisf.). The early church site (LI047-019001-) has been identified with the remains on Kilmallock Hill about 1 mile NW of the town but the presence of the base of a round tower (LI047-022022-) within the fabric of the medieval parish church (LI047-022009-) of SS Peter & Paul suggests that by the tenth or eleventh century the monastery had moved down onto the low-lying ground occupied by the town today. It is puzzling, however, that from the thirteenth century the main church of Kilmallock was dedicated, not to St Mocheallog, but to the apostles Peter and Paul. At the time of the arrival of the Anglo-Normans Kilmallock appears to have belonged to the church and to have formed part of the estates of the bishop of Limerick. It is the bishops then who were most likely the founders of the medieval town. This was not an unusual phenomenon. Cashel was founded by the archbishops of Cashel while Swords was established by the archbishops of Dublin. There are few documentary references of a secular nature, however, to give us an insight onto the organisation of the medieval town. The most important is a small collection of deeds dating, it would seem, to the close of the thirteenth century which are preserved in the Black Book of Limerick (MacCaffrey 1907). These deeds show that the street plan of the present town was established in the thirteenth century and they provide evidence for the existence at that time of defences (LI047-022006-), a cross (LI047-022059-), stone houses and many burgage plots. The importance of the town in the Anglo-Norman colony is indicated by the grants of murage which were made during the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and by the strong and impressive walls which the townsmen eventually built. During the later middle ages the town seems to have come substantially under the control of the earls of Desmond and the number of documented and surviving sixteenth and seventeenth century houses (LI047-022002-/005-)indicate that its prosperity continued into the 1600s. Much of the town's importance in the sixteenth century may be attributable to the fact that it was an outpost of government rule in the difficult times of the Munster Plantation. The three-day plundering of the town in 1571 by James FitzMaurice (AFM) indicates just how exposed the settlement was. The Elizabethan map of the town, which appears to have been prepared for Carew, provides a very good insight into the layout of the town in the 1590s and it has been drawn on heavily in the ensuing report (TCD, MS 1209/62). The street pattern of Kilmallock is cross-linear and is formed by two intersecting streets. Sarsfield St (formerly High St) and Sheares St (formerly St John's St) ran north from the intersection while Lord Edward St (formerly Ivy St) ran south. Wolfe Tone (formerly Water) Street was to the east of the intersection while Emmet (formerly Blae, and probably the medieval Blapatstret - see Maccaffrey 1907, 74) Street ran west. Other streets are recorded in the Civil Survey of 1654-6: Friar's Lane was the street joining Queen's (subsequently King's) castle with the Friar's Gate; Church Lane (modern Orr St.) led from the cross in High St to the churchyard (LI047-022010-); Common Cart Lane was immediately inside and to the north west of Blossom Gate and south west of the cross; while Crooked Lane has been identified as being the eastern section of modern Orr St' (Andrews 1968, 33). The series of deeds in the Black Book of Limerick (MacCaffrey 1907, 73-82) indicate that there were substantial number of burgage plots in late thirteenth century Kilmallock. The deeds themselves relate to some twenty-seven properties and specifically mention the presence of stone houses, including one belonging to Radulph of Kilkenny (MacCaffrey 1907, 74). It is clear from this reference, however, that the majority of houses in Kilmallock at the time were of wood. Houses of stone and timber are again recorded in the town in 1571 (AFM). Many of the medieval burgage plots still form an essential Component of today’s town and can be observed running back from the main street to the town wall. The Cromwellian Surveys list many of the properties in the town and their owners (Lee 1965, 151) while Andrews (1968) identifies the position of six castles and six tower houses by combining the information provided by the Civil Survey and Jones Elizabethan map. Many of the houses standing in present-day Sarsfield St. are undoubtedly 17th century structures concealed by cement or plaster and, regrettably, diagnostic identifying features are not always immediately recognisable. The well-known picture by Thomas Mulvaney, now in the National Gallery of Ireland, shows a number of such houses before they were plastered over. The best-known of these is the so-called "Sarsfield’s House" (LI047-022002-), which was partly demolished about 1930. Lee (1965, 150) suggested that it was called after a Sarsfield who was Viscount Kilmallock (Croker 1824, 77) but this title is not included by Leeson in his list of British peerage titles. In 1992 the town walls were described by Thomas (1992, 132) as following; 'W wall, 525m, from S gate almost to NW corner; E wall, 150m from NE corner and about same length at the church [LI047-022009-], which is also the N wall of the graveyard [LI047-022010-]; S wall, an isolated few meters in mid-section, now difficult to see. These stretches vary from 1—2m in height, cemented on top usually, and beyond them are lower remnants embedded in new walls. Gate —Blossoms, S, a tall structure with broad flat-topped central part and narrow slit window over high rounded archway, sufficiently wide for single traffic; one flanking tower survives, slightly higher and rounded (on outside); similar to Clock Gate, Youghal, prior to later 18th century redesigning (Fleming 1914, sketch 18 — considered by him to be 'scarce older than 17th century'; photographs — Westropp 1916 and Shaffrey 1975, 95) — this or another gate may feature on the corporation seal, dated 1585 but possibly remade 1720—30 (Armstrong 1914). Fosse — partly natural provided by R. Loobagh on E side especially in bridge area, and by lake to W; possible remains of fosse along N half of W wall. Other Fortifications—triangular earthen ditch and platform beyond fosse near NW corner, possibly remains of 17th century earthworks'. Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 27 September 2019

• LI047-022002 House - 16th/17th century
  Description

  Sarsfield House in the town of Kilmallock described in the Urban Survey of County Limerick as following (Bradley et. al. 1989, 150-1); 'Many of the houses standing in present-day Sarsfield St. are undoubtedly 17th century structures concealed by cement or plaster and, regrettably, diagnostic identifying features are not always immediately recognisable. The well-known picture by Thomas Mulvaney, now in the National Gallery of Ireland, shows a number of such houses before they were plastered over. The best-known of these is the so-called "Sarsfield’s House", which was partly demolished about 1930. Lee (1965, 150) suggests that it was called after a Sarsfield who was Viscount Kilmallock (Croker 1824, 77) but this title is not included by Leeson in his list of British peerage titles. Sarsfield’s House On the site of the Cinema. This was built of limestone masonry. It was a three floored, three-bayed house with rectangular windows with transoms, mullions and rectangular hood mouldings. The door had a segmental arch and a rectangular hood-mould. It had chimneys and cut stone fireplaces in its gable wall. Only the side walls remain with three chimneys and a limestone mantlepiece. This is probably identified with House B on Andrew’s (1968, 35) map (Leask 1941, 73-5). Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 27 September 2019

• LI047-022004 House - 16th/17th century
  Description

  Stone house listed as House B standing on Sarsfield St. in the town of Kilmallock described in the Urban Survey of County Limerick as following (Bradley et. al. 1989, 150-1); 'Many of the houses standing in present-day Sarsfield St. are undoubtedly 17th century structures concealed by cement or plaster and, regrettably, diagnostic identifying features are not always immediately recognisable. The well-known picture by Thomas Mulvaney, now in the National Gallery of Ireland, shows a number of such houses before they were plastered over. House B - When the house to the north of Parkinson’s Supermarket was exposed recently, seventeenth century cut limestone fireplaces and chimneys could be seen in its south wall, indicating that Parkinson’s Supermarket is built on the site of a seventeenth century house'. Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 27 September 2019

• LI047-022005 House - 16th/17th century
  Description

  Stone house listed as House C standing on Sarsfield St. in the town of Kilmallock described in the Urban Survey of County Limerick as following (Bradley et. al. 1989, 150-2); 'Many of the houses standing in present-day Sarsfield St. are undoubtedly 17th century structures concealed by cement or plaster and, regrettably, diagnostic identifying features are not always immediately recognisable. The well-known picture by Thomas Mulvaney, now in the National Gallery of Ireland, shows a number of such houses before they were plastered over. House C - The house immediately to the north of Parkinson’s Supermarket has a chamfered pick dressed door jamb visible on the street frontage and is also of seventeenth century date'. Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 27 September 2019

• LI047-022006 Town defences
  Description

  Town defences of Kilmallock (LI047-022----) described in the Urban Survey of County Limerick as following (Bradley et. al. 1989, 155-8); 'The earliest reference to the presence of defences at Kilmallock occurs in a deed, dated by Westropp to the 1280s, which refers to the "communal fosse" as a boundary marker (MacCaffrey 1907, 74). The pipe roll of 1301-2 mentions that the Kilmallock then owed a £14 fine for their account of the murage which suggests that a grant had been made prior to 1300 (38 RDKPRI, 76). In 1375 the town recieved a grant the right of collect murage for ten years in order to enclose the town with a stone wall (Tresham 1828, 98: no. 257) and this was followed by another grant in 1409 (ibid., p. 190: no.55). It is clear from these grants that the walls were being constructed and repaired from the late thirteenth until the early fifteenth centuries. The surviving remains, however, show no distinctive sign of thirteenth century work and appear to belong largely to the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The course of the town wall can be accurately reconstructed from surviving remains and the outline shown on Jones" Elizabethan map of the town (Andrews 1968; TCD, MS 1209/62). The wall is still substantially intact along the west side of the town, particularly from Blossoms Gate to the rear of the modern R.C. church of St. Peter and Paul, where a stretch some 575m long survives. Regrettably, the wall has been taken down in two areas close to Blossom’s Gate in recent times to allow for access to the rear of premises on Sarsfield St. Generally the wall survives in good condition, however, although it is overgrown in places with ivy. Its thickness averages from 1.45 to 1.5m and its surviving height varies from 2 to 5m. The wall consists of a rubble core with external facings. In places, however, the internal facing has been removed and the rubble core exposed. This core is weathering away and there is a real danger that parts of the wall will collapse. The north end is missing but it survives along the back of the properties at the north-east end of Shears St. The wall enclosed the parish church (LI047-022009-) and portions of the town wall have been observed in the graveyard (LI047-022010-) wall (Lee 1965, 151). Sections also survive between properties to the south of Wolfe Tone St. Andrews (1968, 27) suggests that a greyish-brown strip illustrated on the Elizabethan map represents a ditch outside the wall. There were five gates of which only one. Blossom’s Gate (Bla-porte), survives today. The others were John’s gate on the north-west, Friar’s Gate on the north, Watergate on the north-east and Ivy gate on the south-west (Andrews 1968; Lee 1965, 150; Westropp 1906-7, 190). Andrews (1968, 35) notes’that the Elizabethan map shows the position of wall towers but no evidence for these survives now. Traces of a seventeenth century earthen bastion can be seen, however, behind SS Peter & Paul’s (RC) Church. There can be little doubt but that "King’s Castle" originally functioned as the entrance to the town on the north-west and that Sheare’s St represents an extension of the medieval town, probably in the sixteenth century. For this reason the account of King’s Castle is included here. Blossom’s Gate This consists of a three-floored tower with a round arch (partly modernised) spanning the road on the west side of the town. It is built of coursed limestone with long and short quoins. A pointed door on the north west side of the arch provides access to a stairs which is lit by narrow flat lintelled windows. The first floor is lit from the west by a large pointed light with modern surrounds. There is also a small pointed single light with a similar one in the east wall. The second floor or roof level is missing. King’s Castle Kilmallock was the centre of a manor which appears to have belonged originally to the bishop of Limerick although this was a subject of dispute in the mid-thirteenth century (Sweetman 1875-86, i, nos. 2367, 2386). The castle of Kilmallock is first mentioned in 1206 (ibid., i, no. 289). The site of this first castle is not clear. One would expect that a thirteenth century castle would be a large seigneurial structure and consequently it is difficult to identify it with the fifteenth century "King’s Castle". There can be little doubt that the "King’s Castle", however, is the castle referred to in documents of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries (Westropp 1906-7, 189). It is clearly labelled "Queen’s Castle" on the Elizabethan map of the town (Andrews 1968). This "castle", discussed above, would appear to have begun its life as a gatehouse and was only subsequently adapted to the use of being a royal castle. It was repaired by the Corporation and stood intact until its partial destruction in 1690-91 (Lee 1965, 150). The remains, which spanned St Johns' St., consist of a three-floored structure with base batter and protruding rectangular stair turret, lit by small rectangular slits, on the north-east. It is built of coursed limestone with long and short quoins and a pointed arch over the street. The modern street is diverted around the tower. There is a chamber to the west of the arch at ground floor level which was lit from north and south by rectangular windows with rectangular hood moulds (possibly inserted and now blocked) while the first floor was lit from the north by a small single light pointed window and from the south by two wide pointed openings. A similar arrangement occurs on the floor above although there is a large rectangular opening in the south wall. A drainage course occurs above this floor and the tower had stepped merlons'. Town Wall described by Thomas (1992, 132-6) as following; 'W wall, 525m, from S gate almost to NW corner; E wall, 150m from NE corner and about same length at the church, which is also the N wall of the grave yard; S wall, an isolated few meters in mid-section, now difficult to see. These stretches vary from 1—2m in height, cemented on top usually, and beyond them are lower remnants embedded in new walls. Gate—Blossoms, S, a tall structure with broad flat-topped central part and narrow slit window over high rounded archway, sufficiently wide for single traffic; one flanking tower survives, slightly higher and rounded (on outside); similar to Clock Gate, Youghal, prior to later 18th century redesigning (Fleming 1914, sketch 18—considered by him to be 'scarce older than 17th century; photographs—Westropp 1916 and Shaffrey 1975, 95)—this or another gate may feature on the corporation seal, dated 1585 but possibly remade 1720—30 (Armstrong 1914). Fosse—partly natural provided by R. Loobagh on E side especially in bridge area, and by lake to W; possible remains of fosse along N half of W wall. Other Fortifications—triangular earthen ditch and platform beyond fosse near NW corner, possibly remains of 17th century earthworks (LI047-022070-). The street plan of Kilmallock is clearly related to its elongated, rectangular walled shape and its 4 main gates, one on each wall but 3 of them concentrated in the S half. The town is one street deep except by the river's E bend where it is a less confined site. There, are the parish church and two streets which give access to it from the main and Water streets. One of these is shown on the 1600 map as sub-mural, lined by houses, but Andrews (1968, 33) regards this as a distortion of the present Orr St. A similar, but only other short sub-mural street (now gone), is shown on the 1600 map at Blossoms gate. It may have been part of the 'common carte lane' of the Civil Survey. It may also have been more extensive within the town generally, as a sub-mural access lane to both the burgage plots and the wall. At the more detailed level there is a widening of the street immediately outside both Blossom and Ivy gates, and a slight bend in the street beyond the former (at Gortboy House) where the suburban or external gate was (1600 map).

• LI047-022007 Gatehouse
  Description

  The following description of this monument is taken from 'The Urban Archaeological Survey of County Limerick' compiled by John Bradley, Andrew Halpin and Heather A. King (Office of Public Works, 1985). "Blossom's Gate This consists of a three-floored tower with a round arch (partly modernised) spanning the road on the west side of the town. It is built of coursed limestone with long and short quoins. A pointed door on the north west side of the arch provides access to a stairs which is lit by narrow flat lintelled windows. The first floor is lit from the west by a large pointed light with modern surrounds. There is also a small pointed single light with a similar one in the east wall. The second floor or roof level is missing. Compiled by: Matt Kelleher Date of upload/revision: 5 March 2015

• LI047-022008 Castle - tower house
  Description

  National monument No. 173. Annotated 'The Queen's Castle' on a map of Kilmallock town dating from c. 1600 (TCD, MS 1209/62). Later renamed 'King's Castle' and annotated 'King John's Castle' on the latest OSI 5k map. Described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 158-9) as following; 'The remains, which spanned St John' St., consist of a three-floored structure with base batter and protruding rectangular stair turret, lit by small rectangular slits, on the north-east. It is built of coursed limestone with long and short quoins and a pointed arch over the street. The modern street is diverted around the tower. There is a chamber to the west of the arch at ground floor level which was lit from north and south by rectangular windows with rectangular hoodmoulds (possibly inserted and now blocked) while the first floor was lit from the north by a small single light pointed window and from the south by two wide pointed openings. A similar arrangement occurs on the floor above although there is a large rectangular opening in the south wall. A drainage course occurs above this floor and the tower had stepped merlons'. This castle was described by Thomas (1992, 135) as following; 'The Queen's Castle (now King's) is one of the features named on the 1600 map and survives astride the middle of the main street rather as a gate; it has been dated to the 15th—16th century (Bradley 1985, 452); it may be the 'main guard' of the Elizabethan period, a successor to the original castle first referred to in 1204—6 (Cal. doc. Ire. I 289; Westropp 1906), or even the original north gate (Nat. Mon. Irel. 30 suggests a late 15th century gate-tower). Excavations within the walled town of Kilmallock (LI047-022---) by John O'Connor under licence No. 99E0215 on the 'King's Castle' as part of the Urban Renewal Scheme's monitoring work was described by the excavator as following; 'Advance test pits were dug under the archway of the King's Castle to determine the presence of archaeological deposits ahead of the insertion of ground lights. A cobbled surface (F275) was revealed extending south east of the arch at King's Castle. The cobbles were all c. 0.3m long and c. 0.1m wide. The surface was roughly in line with the entrance archway of the castle and measured c. 16m long by 4m wide. The lower layer of cobbles is a well made road consistent with surfaces found elsewhere in the town. An area of a field measuring 53m NE-SW by 60m NW-SE was to be stripped for the construction of a carpark. From it position, size and orientation the ditch (F60) would appear to be a defensive feature pre-dating the enclosure of the enlarged town by a stone wall. This supports the suggestion that King's Castle is sited on the original northern line of the town. No evidence exists for the presence of a defensive bank neither is there any indication of a trench which may have supported a wooden palisade or a wall foundation' (O'Connor 1999, 30). See attached elevation and plan of castle taken from the Urban Survey of Kilmallock Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 30 September 2019

• LI047-022009 Church
  Description

  National monument No. 408. Described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 159-62) as following: 'Westropp (1904-5, 419-21) has listed all of the important early references to this church. It is sufficient to observe here that it appears to have replaced a pre-Norman church (as the round tower fragment indicates) and that the dedication to SS Peter & Paul is recorded from the thirteenth century. The church consists of a thirteenth century nave and chancel with wide aisles, possibly additions of the fifteenth century, a thirteenth century south transept and a fifteenth century south porch (now gone) and pointed south doorway with ogee-headed hood mould (Leask 1955-60, iii, 83). It is built of roughly coursed limestone; the stonework in the east wall and below the windows of the chancel is of dressed masonry. The east gable has a five-light window of slender graduated lancets and the chancel is lit from the south by three twin-light cusped pointed windows. A similar window occurs in the south wall of the aisle with a rectangular hood mould and there is a large triple-light window with switch-line tracery close to the west end. The west wall of the south aisle has a twin-light window with rectangular hood mould while the west wall of the nave has three graduated lancets over a pointed doorway. Close to the junction of the nave with the north aisle is the earliest building on the site. This is the base of a round tower which is incorporated into the west wall and protrudes from it to the west. Only the lower 3m appear to be original, the remainder is a construction of the 13th century when the nave was built (Barrow 1979, 146). The north aisle is lit by three twin-light and one single-light narrow windows. The transept has two widely spaced lancets in the south wall and blocked windows in the east and west walls.'

• LI047-022010 Graveyard
  Description

  Situated in N quadrant of the historic town of Kilmallock (LI047-022001-) overlooking the River Loobagh. Medieval ruins of Kilmallock Church (LI047-022009-) dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul stands in centre of graveyard which consists of a sub-rectangular shaped area (approx. dims. 63m N-S x 78m E-W) enclosed by post-1700 stone wall with entrance gate at S. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 30 July 2019

And 57 more.

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands on this parcel.

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).

Ground and risks

Radon

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

Landslides

Susceptibility low, on the 1:50,000 map.

Terrain model

LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_1003 (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.

Download this parcel: DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its neighbours and buildings, for a drawing program; GeoJSON, in WGS 84, for a map; KML, for Google Earth.

Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee.