Warren

No registered freehold parcel touches this townland in the file of Tailte Éireann.

No zone of a development plan covers Warren 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.

No planning application touches the townland of Warren in the national file, which goes back to 2010.

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: Lough Ree SAC 000440
• Special Protection Area: Lough Ree SPA 004064
• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Lough Ree 000440

Recorded monuments

• RO046-004 Historic town
  Description

  On a NW-SE peninsula (max. dims c. 1.3 km NW-SE; c. 600m NE-SW) enclosing c. 54 ha on the W shore of Lough Ree, at a central and narrow point of the lake. There may have been pre-Anglo-Norman settlement on the peninsula represented by the promontory fort (RO046-004001-), a church at the graveyard (RO046-004023-), the rath (RO046-004035-). The O'Conor kings may have used Safe Harbour and its nausts (RO046-004040-) on the NE shore in the 1150s when they maintained a fleet on Lough Ree, although there are no references to this. In 1200 John de Courcy used the peninsula as a base in Connaught, but the development of the town, which never had a charter, began in 1227 when Turlough O'Conor and Geoffry Marshall commenced building the castle (RO046-004002-) of Rindown. The only reference to murage is in 1251, and burgesses from 1244 to 1310 when the rent amounted to £5, suggesting that there were about 100 families resident. The town suffered a number of attacks until 1342 when it was described as being in Irish hands, after which references cease until 1544 when the castle may have been in ruins as only the Crutched friary (RO046-004005-) is mentioned and continued to be described into the 17th century. The town wall (RO046-004004-) was built c. 1250 and the principal thoroughfare probably led from its gate to the castle. A hillshade aerial survey of Rindoon conducted in 2015 by Simon Dowling shows a street running NW from the castle towards the shore at the S end of the wall with what may be some property divisions running N from it, but the entire area between the castle and the town wall is overlain by NE-SW furrows that are parallel with the current field walls. There are numerous references to ships at Rindown, utilising a port at Safe Harbour just N of the castle, where a slipway (RO046-004031-) survives. Apart from the promontory fort (RO046-004001-) the other visible remains consist of the Castle (RO046-004002-), the parish church (RO046-004003-), a windmill (RO046-004006-), the town wall (RO046-004004-), the friary of the Fratres Crucifere (RO046-004005-), and four house sites (RO046-004007-; RO046-004008-; RO046-004009-; RO046-004010-). (FitzPatrick 1935, 177-80; Thomas 1992, vol. 2, 185-6; Doran 2005, 392-3) Since 2009 a conservation programme has been developed by the St. John’s Parish Heritage Group and Roscommon County Council, with Blackwood Associates as the conservation architects. It aims to make the area more accessible to visitors and to stabilize the principal architectural monuments. The work is funded largely through grants but there have been significant private donations. Work concentrated on the church of the Crutched Friars in 2009. An early achievement was the establishment of a 4.5km walk that was opened in 2010. Since then work has concentrated on conserving the town wall, the parish church, and the windmill. (Collins 2013) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010 Amended: 20 April, 2015

• RO046-004001 Promontory fort - inland
  Description

  At a point where the bay of Safe Harbour (RO046-004011-) impinges on the NE shore of Rindown peninsula. A bank and fosse extend NE-SW across the peninsula to a pond close to the SW shore (L c. 200m). Its N end is incorporated into the defences of the castle (RO046-004002-), but its S end consists of a broad bank (L c. 100m; Wth 8.5m; int. H at SE 1.1m; ext. H 2m) and a flat-bottomed fosse (Wth of top 18m; Wth of base 11.5m; D 1.5m). The bank declines towards the SW end (Wth 4m; int. H 0.5m; ext. H 1.3m), but the defences enclose c. 20 ha to the SE. The wall (RO046-004018-) is built just to the SE of the bank and parallel with it. The fosse and bank are interpreted by O’Conor et al. (2014, 315-6) as possibly representing the SE edge of the town and providing a boundary with demesne land associated with the castle (RO046-004002-) at the tip of the peninsula. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 29 April 2015

• RO046-004002 Castle - Anglo-Norman masonry castle
  Description

  Situated on a knoll on the NE shore of the Rindown peninsula, just SE of the bay called Safe Harbour. Rindown castle is a Registered Monument but it is in a badly overgrown state and a report of February 2017 highlights the inherently unsafe nature of the monument. The castle was begun in 1227 by Turlough, son of Ruraí O'Conor, and Geoffry de Marisco, the ward was probably not completed until the 1230s. O’Conor et al. (2014, 317) postulate that it is on the site of an earlier earthwork fortification, which would account for its sub-triangular shape. The castle was attacked by Felim, son of Cathal Crovderg for the cattle of Brian, grandson of Ruaraí O'Conor. The castle was attacked in 1270 and 1272, when it was severely damaged but repaired in 1273-8 which included work on the fosse. In 1299-1302 the hall was built, but the last reference to a constable is in 1327. By 1342-3 it was in Irish hands, after which it is not mentioned again until the 16th century and probably went into disrepair rapidly. The careers of many of the Constables are known (O'Brien 2009). In 1578 it was granted to George Goodman who made the repairs evident in the curtain wall. (FitzPatrick 1935, 177-80; Bradley and Dunne 1985, 70-4; Harbison 1995; Claffey 1978; Claffey 2004a; O'Conor 2007, 193-4) Only the NW part of the keep (ext. dims. 19.1m NE-SW; c. 14.5m NW-SE) survives, consisting of one barrel-vaulted chamber (int. dims. 13.9m NE-SW; 3.6m NW-SE; H 3.9m) of an original two on the ground floor, with a plank-centred flat-arch (Wth 1.7m) leading to the destroyed SE chamber. A mural stairs (Wth 1m) in the NE wall gave access from the first floor hall in the keep, but only the NW wall with two robbed embrasures and a fragment of the SW wall survive. The castle has a triangular ward (dims. 63.6m NE-SW; 34.2m NW-SE) with the keep on its longest (NW) side. The curtain wall (Wth 1.2-1.8m) survives almost complete at S with five inserted gun-loops at ground level. About 4m over ground level the wall was heightened and there are four relieving arches and three long arrow-loops identified on the outer face of the wall associated with the earlier phase. Two rows of putlog holes, at the top of the original wall and in its heightened section are interpreted as supporting hourds or projecting timber defences, which would obviate the need for corner towers (O’Conor et al. 2014, 318). When the walls were repaired in the 16th century four or five gun-loops were provided on the NW wall and five gun-loops were placed on the NE wall. A hall (RO046-004017-), perhaps the 'new hall' built in 1299-1302, is attached to the outer face of the S ward wall at the W end. It is a rectangular structure (int. dims. 14.45m NE-SW; 5.6m NW-SE) of two floors which was entered at the first floor from the wall-walk level of the ward of the castle, although this wall is destroyed apart from a single chamfered doorjamb. The N end of the SE wall is rebuilt with three gun-loops at the ground floor, and there are four inserted gun-loops elsewhere at the ground floor, including one in a blocked round-headed doorway (Wth 0.8m; H 2.05m) at the S end of the NW wall. The first floor has a fireplace in the SE wall, and evidence of five embrasures, two in each long wall including one with a lancet window in the NW wall. This floor also has a round-headed doorway (Wth 0.7m; H 2.2m) with a long draw-bar socket (L 2m plus) in the N jamb at the S end of the NW wall. This doorway, which is above a similar blocked one on the ground floor is interpreted by O’Conor (et al. 2014, 320) as leading to a timber garderobe tower, and they point out that there is a platform beneath in the fosse to provide its foundation. Aligned with the NW wall of the hall (RO046-004017-) is a wall or bank (RO046-004018-) (Wth of base 3m; Wth of top 1.5m; H 0.2m) that runs SW from outside the fosse of the castle and inside the bank of the promontory fort. This may be the wall breached in 1236 by Phelim O Conchobair when he failed to capture the castle, and it may represent an inner defence of the peninsula similar to the outer town wall (RO046-004004-). The ward was entered by a gatehouse (RO046-002015-) towards the S end of the NW side. The gatehouse (ext. dims. 5.2m NE-SW; 3.5m NW-SE) projects outside the wall and has a complete outer rounded limestone arch (Wth 2.3m; H 3.3m) dressed with diagonal tooling. The outer pier has a portcullis niche, but the upper floor of the gatehouse which does not survive would have been accessible from the first floor of the keep which is just to the N by means of a pointed doorway from the keep, and also from the hall (RO046-004017-). A drawbridge crossed the fosse (Wth of top 13.9m; D 3m) where there is now a secondary causeway (Wth 4m), and the foundations of an outer barbican survive as two grass covered cairns, that at N (dims. 10.6m; N-S; 9.7m E-W; H 0.5-1m) being clearest. See the attached aerial images from SE (001) and N (002) and the plan after Bradley and Dunne (1988, Fig. 35) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 27 February 2017

• RO046-004003 Church
  Description

  The parish church of Rindown, listed as Randon in the ecclesiastical taxation of Elphin in 1306 (Cal. doc. Ire., vol. 5, 224). Situated at the S end of the promontory fort ditch (RO046-004001-), but outside it on its NW side. The church consists of a nave (int. dims 19.8m E-W; 8.1m N-S) and later chancel (int. dims 9.7m E-W; 5.9m N-S). The nave walls are almost complete but featureless, although there are robbed doorways towards the W end of the N and S walls. The N wall has one robbed window, and the S wall two, of which only the bottom courses survive. The chancel, of which only the W end of the long walls survive together with the chancel arch, had a window at the E end of the N wall, and the E wall had a window of two lights, probably lancet windows with a central pier. About 18-21m to the W and N of the church is an earthen bank (RO046-004034-) (Wth 3m; H 0.5m) which may have delimited the church precinct, but there is no evidence of burial. The chancel arch, which had been repaired at some stage, probably in the 15th century, was conserved in 2010, and has survived the harsh winters since then (Collins 2013, 28-9). (Bradley and Dunne 1988a, 75) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010 Amended: 30 July, 2013

• RO046-004006 Windmill
  Description

  A mill was built in 1273 and the windmill is depicted on the Strafford maps of c. 1636 (Simington 1949). Situated on a hillock at the S end of Rindown peninsula. Circular tower (ext. diam. 6.9m; int. diam. 4.5m N-S; H 6.2-6.45m) surviving to its original height of three floors with doorways which have plank-centered flat arches at E and W (Wth 1.6m; H 2.1m). The ground floor has simple lights at N and S and sets of putlogs, presumably to brace machinery. The first floor, supported on 8 joists set directly into the wall has four lights. The second floor was supported on two large beams and had no lights, but the top of the wall has 16 vertical slots (H 1.3m; Wth ) arranged in pairs on the inside and the outside of the wall, and connected by a putlog. This must have provided the houseing for the rotating cap. The mill is built on a mound with stone revetting (RO046-004032-) (diam. of base 17.55m N-S; diam. of top 13.25m N-S; H 2.8m) surrounded by a fosse (Wth of top 4-5m; ext. D 0.2-0.4m), and an outer bank (Wth c. 4-5m; ext. H 0.2m) which has been removed NW-ENE. A stone-lined causeway Wth 3.3-3.65m) crosses the fosse at ENE. The mill structure was conserved during 2011 by the St. John's Parish Heritage Group with assistance from the Heritage Council and Roscommon County Council under the direction of Kevin Blackwood, conservation architect (Collins 2011; 2013, 30). (Claffey 1980; Bradley and Dunne 1985, 67; Claffey 2004b) See the attached images taken from the NE Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 10 January 2012

• RO046-004007 House - indeterminate date
  Description

  On the spine of Rindown peninsula within the town and c. 250m from the gatehouse in the town wall (RO046-004005-). There are no visible features but there is local information about the removal of the remains of a house at this location c. 1975 (Bradley and Dunne 1988a, 66, House 4). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004008 House - indeterminate date
  Description

  On the spine of Rindown peninsula within the town and c. 230m NW of the gatehouse (RO046-004015-) in the castle (RO046-004002-). This is described as a D-shaped grass-covered cairn (dims 20.6m NW-SE; 11.5m NE-SW; H c. 0.5m) with a fragment of a wall (L 3.8m; T 0.9m) protruding through it. The cairn is truncated by a NW-SE field wall at SW. House (RO046-004007-) is c. 200m to the NW, and house (RO046-004009-) is c. 70m to the SE. (Bradley and Dunne 1988a, 66, House 3) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004009 House - indeterminate date
  Description

  On the spine of Rindown peninsula within the town and c. 150m NW of the gatehouse (RO046-004015-) in the castle (RO046-004002-). Rectangular structure (ext. dims 16.2m NE-SW; 7.4m NW-SE) defined by a wall footing (Wth 0.85-0.95m) which is best preserved (Wth 0.85m; max. H 0.75m) at SW. There is a possible entrance towards the E end of the SE wall, and a fragment of a rotary quern was found at the monument. A second house structure (RO046-004033-) (ext. dims 9,.3m NE-SW; 4.55m) defined by a grass-covered wall footing (Wth c. 0.8m) is attached to the NE wall. This has an entrance (Wth 1m) in the SE wall. House (RO046-004008-) is c. 70m to the NW and house (RO046-004010-) is c. 60m to the SE. (Bradley and Dunne 1988a, 66, House 3) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004010 House - indeterminate date
  Description

  On the spine of Rindown peninsula within the town and c. 80m NW of the gatehouse (RO046-004015-) in the castle (RO046-004002-). One wall (L 6.8m NW-SE; T 0.8m; H 0.4m) survives with a grass-covered quarry (dims c. 10m x c. 10m; D 0.5m) to the SW. House (RO045-004009-) is c. 70m to the NW, and rath (RO046-004035-) is immediately to the NE. (Bradley and Dunne 1988a, 65, House 1) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004012 Field boundary
  Description

  On the peninsula of Rindown, c. 40m NW of house (RO046-004008-). It is described as being visible as a grass-covered rise (L 11.5m). (Bradley and Dunne 1988a, 66) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004015 Gatehouse
  Description

  The ward of Rindown Castle (RO046-004002-) was entered by a gatehouse towards the S end of the NW side. The gatehouse (ext. dims 5.2m NE-SW; 3.5m NW-SE) projects outside the wall and has a complete outer rounded limestone arch (Wth 2.3m; H 3.3m) dressed with diagonal tooling. The outer pier has a portcullis niche, but the upper floor of the gatehouse, which does not survive, would have been accessible from the first floor of the keep which is just to the N by means of a pointed doorway from the keep, and from the first floor of the hall (RO046-004017-), just to the S. See the attached view taken from the NW. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004017 Building
  Description

  A hall, perhaps the 'new hall' built in 1299-1302, is attached to the outer face of the S ward wall of the castle ward at the W end. It is a rectangular structure (int. dims 14.45m NE-SW; 5.6m NW-SE) of two floors which was entered at the first floor from the wall-walk level of the ward of the castle, although this wall is destroyed apart from a single chamfered doorjamb. The N end of the SE wall is rebuilt with three gun-loops at the ground floor, and there are four inserted gun-loops elsewhere at the ground floor, including one in a blocked round-headed doorway (Wth 0.8m; H 2.05m) at the S end of the NW wall. The first floor has a fireplace in the SE wall, and evidence of five embrasures, two in each long wall including one with a lancet window in the NW wall. This floor also has a round-headed doorway (Wth 0.7m; H 2.2m) with a long draw-bar socket (L 2m plus) in the N jamb at the S end of the NW wall. This doorway, which is above a similar blocked one on the ground floor is interpreted by O’Conor (et al. 2014, 320) as leading to a timber garderobe tower, and they point out that there is a platform beneath in the fosse to provide its foundation. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 29 April, 2015

• RO046-004018 Linear earthwork
  Description

  The ward of Rindown Castle (RO046-004002-) is surrounded by a fosse which on the NW side incorporates the fosse of the promontory fort (RO046-004001-). Aligned with the NW wall of the hall (RO046-004017-) a wall or bank (Wth of base 3m; Wth of top 1.5m; H 0.2m) runs SW from the fosse of the castle and inside the bank of the promontory fort. This may be the wall breached in 1236 by Phelim O Conchobair when he failed to capture the castle, and may represent an inner defence of the peninsula similar to the outer town wall (RO046-004004-). If so it might have incorporated the early features of the hall. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004031 Slipway
  Description

  Located on the NE shore of Rindown peninsula, and on the NW shore and inner edge of Safe Harbour, a subrectangular bay (dims c. 150m NE-SW; c 80m NW-SE at SW to c. 180m at NE) open to the NE. Ships are frequently mentioned in relation to Rindown, and there are references to a ferry connecting the town with Co. Westmeath in 1302-03 and 1315-16. There is a slipway on the NW shore of Safe Harbour that may show evidence of two periods of construction necessitated by a sudden drop in the level of the lake. A slipway is visible as a grass-covered raised stoney surface (Wth 4.2m; H 0.2m at NE to 0.9m at SW) aligned NW-SE and sloping down to the harbour (L 39m) where it extends into the water with kerbstones (dims c. 0.8m x c. 0.6m) at either edge. The SW edge is overlain by the remnants of a drystone wall and immediately to the SW is a trench (Wth 4.2m; L 27.7m NW-SE) bordered by kerbstone boulders on the SW. The trench could serve as a naust where the prows of boats could be docked. Subsequently a second slipway (Wth 3m; L 8m NW-SE) was placed immediately to the SW of the original slipway at a lower level, which does not extend as far inland. It is at the water’s edge and blocks off the docking space associated with the longer slipway. This lower slipway is provided with a second slipway (Wth 2-2.8m; L c. 8m) 3.4m to the SW, creating a new docking space at a lower level in the water. These lower slipways are now almost entirely under the normal level of the lake. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 15 September, 2015

• RO046-004032 Mound
  Description

  The windmill (RO046-004006-) is built on a mound with stone revetting (diam. of base 17.55m N-S; diam. of top 13.25m N-S; H 2.8m) surrounded by a fosse (Wth of top 4-5m; ext. D 0.2-0.4m), and an outer bank (Wth c. 4-5m; ext. H 0.2m), which has been removed NW-ENE. A stone-lined causeway Wth 3.3-3.65m) crosses the fosse at ENE. It could be a bowl barrow. (Claffey 1980; 2004b; Bradley and Dunne 1988a, 67) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004033 House - indeterminate date
  Description

  On the spine of Rindown peninsula within the town and c. 150m NW of the gatehouse (RO046-004015-) of the castle (RO046-004002-). A house structure (ext. dims 9.3m NE-SW; 4.55m) defined by a grass-covered wall footing (Wth c. 0.8m) is attached to the NE wall of house (RO046-004009-). This has an entrance (Wth 1m) in the SE wall. House (RO046-004008-) is c. 80m to the NW and house (RO046-004010-) is c. 70m to the SE. (Bradley and Dunne 1988a, 66) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004034 Churchyard
  Description

  On Rindown peninsula close to the SW shore. About 18-21m to the W and N of the parish church of Rindown (RO046-004003-) is an earthen bank (Wth 3m; H 0.5m) which may have delimited the church precinct (dims c. 80m NW-SE: c. 60m NE-SW), defined also by a stone field wall at SW and a pond (dims c. 70nm N-S; c. 25m E-W) formed in the fosse of the promontory fort (RO046-004001-) at SE, but there is no evidence of burial. (Bradley and Dunne 1988a, 75) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004035 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  On a S-facing slope at the W edge of Safe Harbour on the NE side of the Rindoon peninsula. Subcircular or oval grass-covered area (dims 47m NE-SW; 37.5m NW-SE) that slopes down to the SE (H c. 3m). It is defined by a scarp (H 0.6m at SE) NE-S, a slight earthen bank (Wth 4m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 0.2m) S-SW, and a scarp down to the interior (H 0.5m at NW) elsewhere. The house (RO046-004010-) is immediately to the W. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

• RO046-004040 Naust
  Description

  Located on the NE shore of Rindown peninsula, and on the SE shore and inner edge of Safe Harbour, a subrectangular bay (dims c. 150m NE-SW; c 80m NW-SE at SW to c. 180m at NE) open to the NE. According to an information plaque lines of boulders on the SE shore of the harbour beneath the castle (RO046-004002-) are aligned generally N-S and run down the shore and into the lake. The lines are c. 10m long and placed c. 5m apart and could have been used as nausts or landing places where the prows of boats were nudged between the lines until they lodged and could then be secured. These probably relate to the 13th century and the early use of the castle. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 15 September, 2015

Architectural heritage

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

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 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

Susceptibility low, low (inferred), on the 1:50,000 map; parts are water.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of the townland of Warren.

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 Warren with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Roscommon.

Name

Warren · An Coinicéar

Area

530,308 m² (53.03 ha, 131.04 acres)

Civil parish

St. Johns, and its townlands

Barony

Athlone South

Electoral division

Lecarrow, the unit of the census

Census 2022

Lecarrow electoral division: 333 people in 124 households; 93% of households own their home; 35% of homes were built since 2001; 10% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 1% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Rinnagan

Placenames

Warren 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.