Castle Eve

30 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Castle Eve, from 190 m² to 507,926 m² (50.79 ha, 125.51 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 24 neighbouring parcels touch it.

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

No zone of a development plan covers Castle Eve in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply to each application.

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

• 4 Mar 2026Conditional

  to construct an over-ground slurry tank, and permission to construct an 8-span shed to house farm machinery and for dry storage and all associated site works

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 2660129

• 12 Feb 2025N/a

  to construct an over-ground slurry tank and all associated site works

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 2560053

• 13 Nov 2024Conditional

  to construct a 4-span shed to house farm machinery and all associated site works on lands

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 2460540

• 14 Jun 2022N/a

  for bank protection and stabilization works on both sides of the Kings River over a length of approximately 210 metres. An Appropriate Assessment Screening Report will be submitted with this planning application

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 22383

• 9 Dec 2021N/a

  for bank protection and stabilization works in the townland of Rathculbin on both sides of the Kings River over a length of approximately 250 metres. An Appropriate Assessment screening Report will be submitted with this planning application

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 211008

• 29 Apr 2021Conditional

  to demolish an existing stone shed and replace with a new slatted unit for the housing of cattle. To extend an existing 4 span hay barn by an additional 5 spans to be used for dry storage of hay, straw and farm machinery and all associated site works

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 21355

• 16 May 2019Conditional

  for the revision of extensions and alterations to a residence permitted under Planning Reference 17/631. The revisions include reduction of the size of the originally proposed western extension including garage and associated works

  Retention · Kilkenny County Council, 19321

• 26 Sept 2017Conditional

  for extensions and alterations to existing residence to include first floor conversion with garage and replacement wastewater treatment system, landscaping and associated services

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 17631

• 30 Jun 2017Conditional

  for the construction of a new calf shed and underground soiled water tank along with all associated site works

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 17429

• 4 May 2017Conditional

  to construct a new unroofed cow collecting yard with underground slatted slurry storage along with all associated works

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 17288

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

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: River Barrow and River Nore SAC 002162
• Special Protection Area: River Nore SPA 004233

Recorded monuments

• KK027-023 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Located c. 10m E of a meandering stream, in rough grazing. The OS Letters (1839) describe this holy well as, 'Tobar na nGiobog, i.e., the Well of the Rags, from the quantity of rags left there formerly and still by its votaries' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 58 (19)). Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 330) also mentions the 'well of the Rags, from the ex-votos of linen and cloth &c. which used formerly to be hung on a tree growing over it'. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 11 May 2022

• KK027-024001 House - fortified house
  Description

  On a spur of high ground at the E end of a low ridge, N of the Kings River. The site commands good views of the countryside to W, NW and S. Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 330) identified this as the location of the early 14th-century castle of the D’Erleys, mentioned in the Red Book of Ossory c. 1300 and 1320 respectively as, ‘Curia de Erleyestoun’ and the ‘Castrum Erleye’. In 1367 John D’Erley joined the army of Edward, the Black Prince, the eldest son of Edward III in Spain where he was taken prisoner (Walsh 1958, 43). The ransom for his release was so costly that the family were forced to sell the Manor of Earleston (ibid.). Thus, towards the end of the 14th century, the Sweetmans succeeded the D’Erleys in both their property of Earlstown, and the title of Baron of Erley (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 330). The Register of Kells Priory mentions that in 1478, John Sweetman was chief lord of all the Barony of Erley (ibid.). Carrigan is confident that this is the same John Sweetman who, in the Pat. Rolls, is mentioned as, ‘son and heir of Nicholas Sweetman of Castellyse [i.e. Castellyfe, or Castle Eve] in the Co. Kilkenny, gent.’, who received a royal pardon for treasons etc. in 1482 (ibid.). In 1543, James Sweetman was Sheriff of Co. Kilkenny and in 1549, ‘James Sweteman, of Castelliff’ receives a pardon (ibid. 331). He was succeeded by William Sweetman, who was the largest freeholder in the Barony of Kells c. 1560 and was the Sheriff of Co. Kilkenny in 1564 (ibid.). He was succeeded by John Sweetman, probably his son, and it is John’s coat of arms [KK027-024004-], with the date 1580, which had been on display, ‘Fixed into the side of one of the windows, in the more ancient part of the ruins’, until 1886 (ibid. 329). He died in 1605 and was succeed by his son William, who became of age in January 1615-16 (ibid. 331). William fought in the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-52) which resulted in his lands being forfeit under Cromwell and his transplantation to Connaught in 1654 (ibid. 332). There is a local tradition that Castle Eve castle was battered by Cromwell’s troops and that all the defenders, save one, were killed (Walsh 1958, 45). Seemingly large quantities of human bones were unearthed during attempts to cultivate a field adjoining the castle (ibid.). Following the confiscation, the manor was divided, the largest portion going to Captain Henry Baker, ‘in satisfaction of £479 13s. 4d. for his service in England promiscuously with the arrears of his service in Ireland in the town and lands of Castleiff and Newtown, etc.’ (Walsh 1958, 44). He was elected M.P. for Callan in the post-Reformation Parliament of 1661 and died the following year (ibid.). His inheritance was divided between his children, resulting in the further fragmentation of the original manor (ibid.). William Sweetman’s will, dated from ‘Castle Ife’ in 1672, suggests that he was able to returned to Castle Eve following the Restoration in 1660, and probably after the death of Henry Baker in 1662 (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 332). Sweetman’s only child, a daughter, succeeded him and through her marriage to Hugh Conway, it passed into the Conway family (ibid. 333). The Conway-Sweetmans, ‘held on in the neighbourhood of their old Castles till about 1845, when the last of them emigrated’ (ibid.). The Down Survey (1655-6) barony map of Shillelogher, County Kilkenny shows a large stylised house, with pitched roof and central chimney, in the SE portion of the townland, which is likely to be a depiction of the fortified house at Castle Eve (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin) The multi-period castle complex is defined by a bawn with external moat (KK027-024002-), with a fortified house in the SW angle and a substantial mural tower (KK027-024003-) on the NW angle. The E portion of the bawn does not survive. The fortified house consisted of a three-storey rectangular building (dims. 20m N-S x 7m E-W), constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble, heavily ivy-clad along its W face when visited in 1994. The N portion the house was remodelled for use in the 19th century. Carrigan (ibid. 329) describes it as, ‘the more modern or west portion of the buildings has Elizabethan windows, was never stone-vaulted, and has been lowered and converted into a farmer’s dwelling house and out-offices; the remainder is a crumbling ruin’. Two corbels project externally at first-floor level from the N wall of the house, suggesting there was another structure at this end, possibly a gatehouse in the bawn which would correspond with the location of a stone bridge over the moat. At the S end of the W wall, at first-floor level, there are large, rectangular cut-stone windows with glazing-bar holes. A slightly misaligned photograph, taken c. 1900 by Rev. William Carrigan (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 331), shows the external W face with three blocked-up windows with hood-mouldings at first-floor level. Internally there is a fine cut limestone fireplace at the S end of the W wall at first-floor level, part of the lintel is missing. This missing portion, which is now in Rothe House, Kilkenny, was carved with the initials W.S. and I.W., which refer to William Sweetman and his wife, Joan Walsh, accompanied by the date 1628 (ibid. 330-31). According to Salter (2004, 64), ‘As a result of demolition in the 1990s only stumps remain of the end walls of a house along the west side, part of which was occupied until the 1950s. There was a second tower at the south end of the house’. It is possible that rather than being a new-build in the 17th century, this was an older building which was remodelled in 1628. Reference: Walsh, F.R. 1958 Castle Eve. Old Kilkenny Review 10, 42-6 See attached: KK027-024001-_01 Photograph from Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 331 KK027-024001-_02 N gable with projecting corbels KK027-024001-_03 Extract from Down Survey (1655-6) barony map of Shillelogher, County Kilkenny (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin) Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 28 March 2023

• KK027-024002 Bawn
  Description

  On a spur of high ground at the E end of a low ridge, N of the Kings River. The site commands good views of the countryside to W, NW and S. A bawn (dims. c. 50m N-S; c. 62m E-W based on enclosed area on 1st (1839 ed. OS 6-inch map) associated with Castle Eve, a multi-period castle complex is defined by a with a fortified house in the SW angle and a substantial mural tower (KK027-024003-) on the NW angle. The E portion of the bawn does not survive. It is constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble (max. H c. 6.5m; T including base-batter 1.6m; T above base-batter 1.2m). Stretches of the bawn wall are upstanding on the W and N sides, and at the W end of the S side. The best preserved portion is at the W end of the N side (L 26m), which has a pronounced base-batter. A wall-walk runs along the top of the bawn wall and from this the mural tower in the NW angle can be accessed through a first-floor doorway. Outside the bawn, on its W side, there is a broad deep moat which was crossed by a narrow stone-built bridge (Wth 3.5m; L 11.5m) positioned midway along this side. The bridge is flanked on its S side by the N wall of the fortified house. Corbels projecting out from this wall suggest that there may have been a small gate-house building over the bridge. The 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map, as well as the 1948 revision and 25-inch OS map, show a ‘Tower (in ruins)’ at the S end of the W wall of the bawn, which on the 25-inch map is drawn as being flush with the external W wall of the bawn but appears to project beyond the S wall, which suggests it was a mural tower. The fortified house in the SW angle may have been built up against it. See attached: KK027-024002-_01 View from NW KK027-024002-_02 From NE, exterior where bawn meets tower KK027-024002-_03 E end of internal N wall of bawn Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 28 March 2023

• KK027-024003 Building
  Description

  On a spur of high ground at the E end of a low ridge, N of the Kings River. The site commands good views of the countryside to W, NW and S. Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 330) identified this as the location of the early 14th-century castle of the D’Erleys, mentioned in the Red Book of Ossory c. 1300 and 1320 respectively as, ‘Curia de Erleyestoun’ and the ‘Castrum Erleye’. In 1367 John D’Erley joined the army of Edward, the Black Prince, the eldest son of Edward III in Spain where he was taken prisoner (Walsh 1958, 43). The ransom for his release was so costly that the family were forced to sell the Manor of Earleston (ibid.). Thus, towards the end of the 14th century, the Sweetmans succeeded the D’Erleys in both their property of Earlstown, and the title of Baron of Erley (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 330). The Register of Kells Priory mentions that in 1478, John Sweetman was chief lord of all the Barony of Erley (ibid.). Carrigan is confident that this is the same John Sweetman who, in the Pat. Rolls, is mentioned as, ‘son and heir of Nicholas Sweetman of Castellyse [i.e. Castellyfe, or Castle Eve] in the Co. Kilkenny, gent.’, who received a royal pardon for treasons etc. in 1482 (ibid.). In 1543, James Sweetman was Sheriff of Co. Kilkenny and in 1549, ‘James Sweteman, of Castelliff’ receives a pardon (ibid. 331). He was succeeded by William Sweetman, who was the largest freeholder in the Barony of Kells c. 1560 and was the Sheriff of Co. Kilkenny in 1564 (ibid.). He was succeeded by John Sweetman, probably his son, and it is John’s coat of arms [KK027-024004-], with the date 1580, which had been on display, ‘Fixed into the side of one of the windows, in the more ancient part of the ruins’, until 1886 (ibid. 329). He died in 1605 and was succeed by his son William, who became of age in January 1615-16 (ibid. 331). William fought in the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-52) which resulted in his lands being forfeit under Cromwell and his transplantation to Connaught in 1654 (ibid. 332). There is a local tradition that Castle Eve castle was battered by Cromwell’s troops and that all the defenders, save one, were killed (Walsh 1958, 45). Seemingly large quantities of human bones were unearthed during attempts to cultivate a field adjoining the castle (ibid.). Following the confiscation, the manor was divided, the largest portion going to Captain Henry Baker, ‘in satisfaction of £479 13s. 4d. for his service in England promiscuously with the arrears of his service in Ireland in the town and lands of Castleiff and Newtown, etc.’ (Walsh 1958, 44). He was elected M.P. for Callan in the post-Reformation Parliament of 1661 and died the following year (ibid.). His inheritance was divided between his children, resulting in the further fragmentation of the original manor (ibid.). William Sweetman’s will, dated from ‘Castle Ife’ in 1672, suggests that he was able to returned to Castle Eve following the Restoration in 1660, and probably after the death of Henry Baker in 1662 (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 332). Sweetman’s only child, a daughter, succeeded him and through her marriage to Hugh Conway, it passed into the Conway family (ibid. 333). The Conway-Sweetmans, ‘held on in the neighbourhood of their old Castles till about 1845, when the last of them emigrated’ (ibid.). The multi-period castle complex is defined by a bawn with external moat (KK027-024002-), with a fortified house (KK027-024001-) in the SW angle and a substantial mural tower (KK027-024003-) on the NW angle. The E portion of the bawn does not survive. A two-storey mural tower (int. dims. c. 7m x 4.65m), constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble with a base-batter and aligned NE-SW, occupies the NW angle of the bawn. The internal ground level of the bawn is c. 3-4m higher than the external level, so externally the tower appears higher. There is a broken-out opening at the E end of the SE wall, which seems to have been the original entrance, and another large broken-out opening towards the S end of the wall, probably where there had been a window at ground-floor level. The tower could also be entered at first-floor level from the wall-walk of the bawn. There is a pointed vault over the ground floor and the walls carry the remains of plaster rendering and a plaster cornice moulding. There is a cross-loop in the NW wall at ground-floor level and a blocked-up loop in the NE wall. Internally at first-floor level there is heavy ivy growth which obscures any features. A photograph from the NW, taken c. 1900 by Rev. William Carrigan (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 331), shows the external NW and SW walls of the tower, with a pointed gable, which has since collapsed, surmounting the SW wall. Carrigan (ibid. 329), describes this as the oldest part of the castle and that, ‘Fixed into the side of one of the windows, in the most ancient part of the ruins, there was, till 1886, a slab [KK027-024004-] bearing the coat of arms of John Sweetman, exactly as they are to be seen on his monument in Newtown church, viz.: party per pale; dexter, ermine, a fesse, in base a chevron, for Sweetman; sinister, also divided per pale, fretty, an eagle displayed. Towards the top of the shield are the initials I.S. for John Sweetman, and the date 1580’. This coat of arms is currently in Rothe House, Kilkenny (Salter 2004, 64). Reference: Walsh, F.R. 1958 Castle Eve. Old Kilkenny Review 10, 42-6 See attached: KK027-024003-_01 Exterior of tower from NW KK027-024003-_02 From NE, exterior where bawn meets tower KK027-024003-_03 E end of internal N wall of bawn KK027-024003-_04 Photograph from Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 329

• KK027-024004 Armorial plaque
  Description

  Originally incorporated in a mural tower (KK027-024003-) at Castle Eve. Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 329), describes how, ‘Fixed into the side of one of the windows, in the most ancient part of the ruins, there was, till 1886, a slab bearing the coat of arms of John Sweetman, exactly as they are to be seen on his monument in Newtown church, viz.: party per pale; dexter, ermine, a fesse, in base a chevron, for Sweetman; sinister, also divided per pale, fretty, an eagle displayed. Towards the top of the shield are the initials I.S. for John Sweetman, and the date 1580’. This coat of arms is currently in Rothe House, Kilkenny (Salter 2004, 64). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 28 March 2023

• KK027-086 Enclosure
  Description

  A circular enclosure (diam. c. 30-40m) defined by a fosse, visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs (ASIAP (22) 19-21, August 1996). It is located c. 590m SW of 'Highrath' which is the name given to a settlement cluster on the 1st ed. OS 6-inch map and is also on the 1948 revision and the 25-inch OS map. It is possible that this is the unlocated enclosure (KK027-055----) which Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 330) refers to as being in, 'High Rath, a sub-division of Castle Eve, is so called from an ancient fort long since levelled'. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 1 September 2015

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Castle Eve.

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

At the centre of the townland of Castle Eve, about 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as low, partly inferred.

Terrain model

LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_3410 (ZIP).

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under 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 Castle Eve with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Kilkenny.

Name

Castle Eve · Caisleán Ífe

Area

2,328,183 m² (232.82 ha, 575.31 acres)

Civil parish

Earlstown, and its townlands

Barony

Shillelogher

Electoral division

Earlstown, the unit of the census

Census 2022

235 people lived in 78 households in the Earlstown electoral division. 92% of households owned their home. 24% of homes were built since 2001. 6% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 1% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Kilbrickan, Mallardstown Lower, Newtown (Baker), Rathculbin

Placenames

Castle Eve 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.