Ardnurcher

13 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Ardnurcher, from 1,031 m² to 265,075 m² (26.51 ha, 65.5 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 26 neighbouring parcels touch it.

No zone of a development plan covers Ardnurcher 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 Ardnurcher 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

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

Recorded monuments

• WM031-085 Standing stone
  Description

  Situated in undulating pasture. Not depicted or named on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Annotated 'Cloghstucka' on the 1910 ed. OS 25-inch map and shown located adjacent to a roadside field boundary running NW-SE. It is possible that this monument is still preserved in the roadside boundary. Monument is not visible today on Digital Globe aerial photography as its location is obscured by the tree-line field boundary.

• WM031-096 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Situated on flat poorly drained land, there are no surface remains visible of filled-in holy well dedicated to St. Bridget and marked on all editions of the OS 6-inch maps as 'Brides Well'. Holy well located 40m N of a stream and 680m WNW of St. David's Church, Ardnurcher. In 1422 the Annals of Connacht recorded the following event which occurred at St. Bridget's Holy Well. In this year the Annals recorded that 'The sons of O Mailsechlainn made an attack on Ardnurcher (WM031-104----). Mag Eochacan was in the castle (WM031-099----) with a few men at that time, having with him also Cosnamach Oc [Óg] Mac Aedacain, law-ollav of the Cenel Fiachach and the Ui Failgi. The brehon mounted his horse and rode after them, thinking them to be the sons of Muirchertach Oc [Óg] Mac Eochacain, who were in rebellion against Mac Eochacain at the time, he himself having come [to the castle] to make settlement between the parties. He followed the band westwards out of the town to Topar Brigte [St. Brigid's Well]. Here the sons of O Mailsechlainn were waiting and at the noise of the rider they discharged the arrows which were ready in their bows and Cosnamach Oc [Óg] was killed without delays by an arrow-shot' (Ann. Conn., 461). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 13 August 2014

• WM031-097 Standing stone
  Description

  Situated in undulating pasture, with extensive views in all directions. St Brigid’s Well (WM031-096----) lies c. 58m to SW. Depicted on the 1837 OS Fair Plan map as a standing stone to E of Brides Well. Levelled monument described in 1982 as no surface remains visible. There is no local memory of a standing stone near the well. Monument is not visible today on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien. Date of upload: 22 November 2019

• WM031-098 Church
  Description

  Only a short portion of the upstanding remains of the E gable (L. 3.2m; H 2m; T 1.5m) of the medieval parish church of Ardnurcher dedicated to St. David can be seen standing in the graveyard (WM031-098001-), 12m E of the 19th century Church of Ireland church. This section of wall contains the N splay of the E window embrasure of the medieval church of Ardnurcher. On the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map a building (dims. 10.3m E-W by 5.2m N-S; wall T -.5m) depicted as ‘Abbey’ is shown standing 30m E of the Church of Ireland church where it is running off the E wall of the graveyard. It has been suggested that this ‘Abbey’ building represents the remains of the medieval parish church (Bradley et. al. 1985, 16), however it is likely that this structure of which only the grass covered wall footings survives, represents the remains of a post-medieval family burial enclosure as its walls only measure 0.5m thick. The medieval church of Ardnurcher is located on top of high ground with good views in all directions, with motte and bailey castle (WM031-099---) 175m to E. Medieval borough (WM031-104----) in the fields adjoining the church, this settlement was defended by a town wall (WM031-107---) the remains of which can be seen 160m to SE and 185m to W. The church and stone castle of Ardnurcher are depicted on the 1656 Down Survey map of Ardnurcher parish (NLI MS 723-4). According to the Urban Survey of Westmeath (Bradley et. al. 1985, 16), the earliest reference to the existence of a church at Ardnurcher is in 1259/60 when William de Geinville [Geneville] is mentioned as rector of the church of ‘Arthinurchir’ [Ardnurcher] (Cal. doc. Ire., 105). In 1306 the ‘Church de Ardnurcher’ is valued at 26 marks (Cal doc. Ire., 266). In 1400 the parishioners of Fercall complained that ‘by reason of the distance of their said country, eight English miles, as well as of wars, access to their parish church of St. David, Achanurcayr [Ardnurcher], in the said diocese, for divine offices and the sacraments, baptisms and burials, is very difficult, especially in the winter and rainy season’ (Cal. papal letters, 314). As a result of these difficulties the parishioners of Fercall requested that ‘the chapel of St. Colman, Lyndela [Lynally / OF016-031001-], in the said country, were subjected the chapels, in the same country, of Rachayn [Rahan / OF016-015001-], Kylleacy [Killoughy / OF032-005001-], Ralyfey [Rathlihen / OF024-036----], Athalvy [Ballyboy / OF031-044----], Drumeulynd [Drumcullen / OF036-028001-] and Eglays [Eglish / OF030-016----] all daughters chapels of and annexed to St David’s, it would be fit for erection into a parish church’ (ibid.). The following year in 1401 a petition was sent to the Pope by ‘king Henry, Edmund earl of March, and Nicholas Wattonhull, rector of St. David’s, Achnurhir [Ardnurcher]’ (Cal. papal letters, 406). This petitions stated that ‘the patronage of St. David’s, a mother church, and all of its chapels or daughter churches, belongs by ancient custom to the earl of March when of lawful age, and, by right the crown, belongs to the king when the earl is a minor’ (ibid.) . In 1563 it was granted ‘with its member and chapels’ to Sir Edmund Butler of Cloghrennan, Co. Carlow (Curtis 1945, 65). In Bishop Dopping’s visitation of 1682-5 the nave is described as ‘in bad repair but the parishioners are mending it’ (Ellison 1975, 3). He further notes that the chancel was ruined, the windows are unglazed and the floor was of earth. In 1682 Sir Henry Piers wrote that in Ardnurcher there was ‘a late built church, but on old foundations, the roof whereof is a most curious frame, and according to the new model of architecture; this is a mother church to sixteen or more churches and chapels in this and the King’s County [Offaly]’ (Vallancey 1786, 84-5). The Urban Survey of Westmeath (Bradley et. al. 1985, 16) recorded that the ‘remains survive in two sections, a rectangular building marked ‘Abbey’ on the OS 6-inch map on the graveyard perimeter wall, and a masonry fragment east of the 19th century C of I parish church. The rectangular structure has max. dims. of 10.3m by 5.2m and only its foundations, which are about 25cm high by 50cm wide, survive. The masonry fragment 12m east of the church is of roughly coursed limestone with a rubble core. It is 1.55m high, 3.5m long and 1.5m wide. The remains of a window splay are present at the south end’. The present Church of Ireland building was described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as a ‘Freestanding Church of Ireland church, built c.1810, comprising three-bay hall with attached three-stage tower on square-plan to the west with a raised parapet with Irish-style crenellations’ (www.buildingsofireland.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 18 August 2014

• WM031-098001 Graveyard
  Description

  In pasture, on top of high ground with good extensive views in all directions. Motte and bailey castle (WM031-099----) 160m to E, the medieval borough (WM031-104----) of Ardnurcher was located in the fields to the S and W of the church and graveyard. This settlement was defended by a town wall (WM031-107----) the remains of which can be seen 140m to the SE and 100m to W. A large rectangular area (c. 105m NE-SW; 70m NW-SE) enclosed by a post-medieval stone wall with entrance gate at NE. Ruins of medieval church of Ardnurcher (WM031-098----) can be seen in S quadrant of graveyard. Abbey building depicted built up against the inner face of the E wall of the graveyard may be the remains of a post-medieval burial enclosure. The graveyard is in occasional use, disused 19th century Church of Ireland church stands in SW quadrant of graveyard. Memorials date from the 18th century onwards. Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 18 August 2014

• WM031-098002 Ecclesiastical enclosure
  Description

  Possible ecclesiastical enclosure identified by Swan (1988, 14-15) who recorded that there was evidence of a possible enclosure in the quadrantal form of the boundary wall of the graveyard (WM031-098001-). Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 25 August 2015

• WM031-098003 Burial Vault
  Description

  Burial vault of uncertain date in Ardnurcher graveyard (WM031-098001-) located off centre to W approx. 3m N of the N wall of Ardnurcher C of I church. Present remains consist of a displaced boulder located 8m from the NW corner of the C of I church and 3m out which revealed a cavity in the surface of the graveyard. The hole in the graveyard is formed by a collapse in a section of the stone vaulted roof of a burial vault of uncertain date. The rise in the surface of the graveyard in this area is formed by the stone vaulted roof of the burial chamber. The rectangular-shaped vault was accessed from beneath the floor of the present church. A blocked doorway is visible in the S wall of the chamber which leads into an area beneath the floor of the present church. The segmental arch of this doorway is formed from chamfered cut limestone of late medieval appearance. It is not clear if the dressed stone has been reused from the medieval church or if it is contemporaneous with the burial vault. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 26 June 2017

• WM031-099 Castle - motte and bailey
  Description

  In 1192 the Annals of Loch Cé recorded that the ‘castle of Ath-in-urchair [Ardnurcher], and the castle of Cill-Bixsighe [Kilbixy (WM011-039----)], were erected in this year’ (ALC, 187). This may have replaced an earlier structure put up in the 1170s. It was built by Meiler FitzHenry but it passed into the hands of Walter de Lacy sometime between 1207 and 1211 (Orpen 1911-20, ii, 214; Otway-Ruthven 1968, 80). In 1207 a war broke out in Leinster between Meiler FitzHenry and Geffrey de Marisco and during this war ‘the sons of Hugh Delacie [de Lacy] with the forces of the English of Meath lay siege to the castle of Ardnurcher, and the same continued for the space of five weeks, until they forsed Meyler to abandon and forsake all the cantred of Kinaleagh from Burr [Birr] to Killare’ (Ann. Clon., 221-2). In 1214 the castle was raided by Cormac son of Art Ua MaelSechlainn (Orpen 1911-20, ii, 303). After the death of Walter de Lacy in 1241 Ardnurcher passed to Geoffrey de Geneville (Otway-Ruthven 1968, 410). In 1308 de Geneville surrendered his portion of Meath to his grand-daughter Joan and Roger de Mortimer her husband. Ardnurcher presumably remained nominally in Mortimer hands until 1424 when it would have passed to Richard, Duke of York, before finally reverting to the crown, in the person of Edward IV, in 1461 (Orpen 1911-20, iii, 286-7). By 1422, as mentioned above, the castle was in Irish hands and seems to have been of little military importance in the later Middle Ages. Old accounts suggest that there was a stone castle on the site. A tower house type castle depicted on the 1656 Down Survey map of Ardnurcher parish may have been a depiction of a stone castle standing on the summit of the motte (NLI MS 723-4). Piers (1981, 84) writing in 1682, records that there was still an ‘antient stately structure, as the ruins thereof this day shew’. The site was described by the antiquary John Brownrigg in 1788 and he noted a round keep-like structure on top of the motte and some rectangular buildings in the bailey. He also noted ‘caves’ in the bailey (Brownrigg 1788, 46). These may be the remains of a souterrain (WM031-106----) which would suggest that the motte was constructed on top of an earlier ringfort. Described by the Urban Survey of Westmeath as following ; ‘The motte and bailey is shown on the first edition O.S. map (1836) but it is omitted from subsequent maps. It is situated on a ridge running north-east south-west. The east end of the ridge was separated from the remainder by cutting a deep ditch and the interior was heightened to form the motte. The motte consists of a conical mound with a basal diameter of 51m tapering to a flat sub-rectangular top measuring about 27m east-west by 11.5m North-south. It is 11.7m high. There is a semi-circular shaped hollow at the west end which may be the remains of a building while there are grass covered rectangular foundations on the east side measuring 8.5m by 4.5m. A triangular-shaped bailey with max. dims. of 38m by 25m is located on the south side. The perimeter has wall foundations, some 1.2m wide, on the west, south and east. There is a steep scarp on the east side towards the railway cutting. The site was planned in 1788 by Brownrigg who showed two rectangular structures on the south side of the bailey adjacent to the perimeter wall but no trace of these are visible. The motte and bailey are protected on the south by a deep ditch, 18m wide, with an external bank 1m high. Brownrigg (1788, 48) describes a well at the west end of this ditch. The external bank may have functioned as part of the borough defences. The bank is penetrated by a roadway, 6.4m wide, which leads to the site of a drawbridge in the south-eastern portion of the ditch. The two supporting piers of the drawbridge are present. These are of roughly coursed limestone and stand to a height of roughly 4.5m. The northern pier, adjoining the bailey, is 9.1m by 3.1m while the southern example, which has lost some of its facing stones, is 8.5m by 3.1m. There was a second entrance to the bailey on the south-west side which would appear to have been approached beneath the drawbridge along the bottom of the external ditch. The west side of the motte was further protected by a second bank and ditch cut across the ridge. The bank of crescentic plan, is almost as high as the motte but the ditch is shallower than the external ditch of the bailey. Brownrigg noted two ditches cut across the ridge further to the west but these appear to be field divisions rather than defences. A stone wall runs north-west along the crest of the ridge from the motte to the road. Only its foundation survive and these are about 1.5m wide’ (Bradley et. al. 1985, 14-15). The E side of the motte has been cut into by the construction of a railway line now disused running NNE-SSW. A modern farm access road has been cut through the esker ridge damaging the NW side of the motte. The motte and bailey castle at Ardnurcher was described in 1788 as ‘a high truncated cone, though not quite circular or insulated, as it is part of a long narrow ridge. It is surrounded with a trench and an outer mound of earth, having very rude caves (WM031-106----) down through its centre, which were open lately, and may be examined at any time by the curious, their entrance being known to everyone in the neighbourhood. It is defended on the north by a long morass, through which a rivulet passes to the outer mound of the fort, where another stream falls into it running from the west close by the foot of the ridge, of which Ardnorcher is a part, as above mentioned. On the east, it is strengthened by a deep valley, that separates it from the high grounds. It was weakest on the western side, because the ridge on which it stands continues to rise and run on westward from the fort; but De Lacy’s military knowledge taught him to improve this situation, so as to render it a most formidable and almost impregnable fortress, before the use of firearms. He cut the ridge across with two intrenchments, at a small distance from each other: these are not very large, but he seems to have raised and strengthened the outer mounds of the old fort, and to have made the trench deeper. On the western part of the high mount [motte] are the remains of a small round tower [stone castle], built of lime and stone, which I suppose was high enough to overlook and command the ridge; and a stone wall, whose fragments are still visible, surrounded the remainder of the platform of this high mount, and not only overlooked the lower works of the fort, but commanded the circumjacent country. The next lower area [bailey], on the south-east side, was defended by a sweeping wall, in which was the great gate into the body of the place, accessible only by a draw-bridge, over a very deep valley or fosse, supported by two piers of stone work, one communicating with the gate of the fort, and the other joined to the high land on the south side of the fosse, the wall continuing round the east side of the fort till it closed with the high mount in the north-east point, where, I apprehend, the communication between the higher and lower areas to have been. All the walls, that surrounded these works, are demolished, and tumbled over into the lower area, where they lie scattered in large fragments, but they have left in some spots visible traces of their foundations, and also of the foundations of some partition walls on the upper fort, and of some square buildings on the next lower area near the great gate. The only stone work, that has escaped the ravages of war and time, are the two piers of the draw-bridge and lower gate, now some vulgarly called the Horseleap, these were not only piers of the draw-bridge into the fort, but served also, as sides to a gateway, which shut up the lowest area or deep fosse of the fort, wherein I conceive, that, in time of danger, they kept their cattle and fuel, and

• WM031-104 Settlement deserted - medieval
  Description

  The deserted borough of Ardnurcher is located on a ridge of elevated pasture in an area of undulating countryside about 500m north of the present village of Horseleap with good views in all directions. The settlement was located in the fields between the medieval church (WM031-098----) and the Anglo-Norman motte and bailey castle (WM031-099----). The town of Ardnurcher was defended by a stone wall (WM031-107----) traces of which still survive in the surrounding fields. The placename is a corruption of Ath an Urchair, the ford of the cast or throw (Joyce 1902, 9). The origin of the name is uncertain, although there is a tradition connecting it with the wounding of Conchobhar MacNeasa (Joyce 1871, 161). Apart from its traditional association with Conchobar MacNeasa the only evidence for activity on the site prior to the coming of the Normans is a somewhat doubtful reference to a souterrain (WM031-106----) in the castle (WM031-099----) bailey (Brownrigg 1788, 46). In the early 1170's, however, the cantred of Ardnurcher was granted to Meiler FitzHenry by Hugh de Lacy (Orpen 1892, 229). The manor was an important one and was defended from an early date. A settlement existed at Ardnurcher before the year 1200 when the Annals of Clonmacnoise recorded that ‘some of Meyler Bermingham’s people tooke the spoyle of the castle (WM031-099----) of Ardnurcher and burnt all the houses of the markett’ (Ann. Clon., 217). In 1213 the Annals recorded that ‘Cormack Mc Art O’Melaghlin tooke a great prey from the Towne of Ardnurcher, and the next morrow after tooke the spoyles of the castle of Ardnurcher, and market of the same, he tooke many other small preys and booties’ (Ann. Clon. , 226). The settlement had attained borough status by about 1235 when a burgage in Ardnurcher is mentioned in a charter of Walter de Lacy (Mac Niocaill 1977, 55). The Anglo-Norman settlers of Ardnurcher were often described in the Annals as the ‘Englishmen of Ardnurcher’ (Ann. Clon., 232). The settlement was in a frontier situation, and exposed to attacks from the native Irish such as that recorded in the Annals of Clonmacnoise for 1234 when Ardnurcher and Ballyloughloe (WM030-047----) was burned by Fedlimid O Conchobhair, King of Connacht (Ann. Clon., 234). Almost nothing is known of Ardnurcher in the Later Middle Ages but like much of the Anglo-Norman colony it seems to have passed out of Anglo-Norman control in the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The castle, and probably the borough, were in Irish hands by 1422 when the sons of O Mailsechlainn attacked Ardnurcher which at the time was held by MacEochagain (Ann. Conn., 461). In 1568 Ardnurcher was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Gerald, Earl of Kildare, and this may indicate the re-establishment of some form of English control. The 1656 Down Survey of Ardnurcher parish list Callagh Geoghagen [Geoghegan] as the owner of the lands of 'Ardnorcher and Firemore' which at that time consisted of 191 acres of land (NLI MS 723-4). According to the Urban Survey of Westmeath the borough site was located to the west of the motte (WM031-099----) and was bounded on the north-east and south-east by a defensive wall which represents the town defences (WM031-107----). It must have extended westwards at least as far as the parish church (WM031-098----) but the precise line of its western boundary is unknown (Bradley et. al. 1985, 14). The medieval settlement was protected on the north-east by the external bank of the bailey ditch. This continues northwards as far as the road. A similar bank is present south-west of the motte (WM031-099----) where the outline of at least two rectangular projecting bastions can be distinguished. This wall foundation terminates at a distance of about 160m from the motte, from which a cross bank runs to the north-west (Bradley et. al. 1985, 15-16). The faintest traces of small rectangular enclosures can be seen on Bing Maps aerial photographs taken in 2011 which may represent sub-surface remains of this medieval settlement. Today there are no surface remains visible of these earthworks in this field. Brownrigg's plan of the motte and bailey castle from 1788 shows clearly that the drawbridge also acted as a gateway into the motte and bailey castle from a roadway which crossed the stream to the SE. This roadway traversed the stream and before coming to the gateway divided into two sections, one of which leads directly into the motte and bailey castle and a second branch which turned W leading up the slope of the ridge and into the historic town of Ardnurcher (WM031-104----) from there onwards towards Ardnurcher church (WM031-098----) and graveyard. On the 1788 plan this roadway is shown running roughly SE-NW across the centre of the settlement of Ardnurcher and is annotated by Brownrigg as 'Ancient road from the Borders into the English Pale'. See attached Bing Maps aerial photograph of the field showing the faintest traces of possible settlement earthworks in the field immediately W of the motte and bailey castle. Taken from www.bing.com/maps Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 August 2014

• WM031-105 House - medieval
  Description

  Nothing is known of the form or extent of the domestic housing within the borough of Ardnurcher (WM031-104----) but a stone house is specifically referred to in a grant of c.1280 (Bradley et. al. 1985, 14; Brooks 1936, 162). An irregular shaped poorly preserved earth and stone mound in the field 90m WSW of Ardnurcher Church (WM031-098----) and graveyard represents the grass covered remains of a possible medieval stone structure which may have been the stone building referred to in the 13th century. This stone building is located on on the W edge of the ridge of high ground running across the medieval settlement of Ardnurcher. The building appears to have been standing along the town wall (WM031-107----) of Ardnurcher or just inside the enclosing element of the town defences of Ardnurcher which follows the natural contour of the ridge on which it is situated. The poorly preserved remains makes it impossible to be certain that these are the remains of a building. It is possible that they may be the remains of the town wall or of a mural tower/gatehouse standing along the route of the destroyed wall of Ardnurcher town. The grass covered wall footings of a short section of the town wall along with a possible mural tower can be seen 75m to the NW which area alos located on the W edge of the ridge of high ground and appear to represent the town wall and mural tower of Ardnurcher town. The wall footings of the mural tower are similar in size to the mural towers visible in the field 360m to the SE which also run along the edge of the ridge of high ground on which the historic settlement of Ardnurcher was located. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 August 2014

• WM031-107 Town defences
  Description

  The deserted borough of Ardnurcher is located on a ridge about 500m north of the present village of Horseleap. The settlement was located in the fields labelled by Brownrigg in 1788 as 'high arable land' situated between the medieval church (WM031-098----) (WM031-098001-) and the Anglo-Norman motte and bailey castle (WM031-099----). In the early 1170's, however, the cantred of Ardnurcher was granted to Meiler FitzHenry by Hugh de Lacy (Orpen 1892, 229). The manor was an important one and was defended from an early date. A settlement existed at Ardnurcher before the year 1200 when the Annals of Clonmacnoise recorded that ‘some of Meyler Bermingham’s people tooke the spoyle of the castle (WM031-099----) of Ardnurcher and burnt all the houses of the markett’ (Ann. Clon., 217). In 1213 the Annals recorded that ‘Cormack Mc Art O’Melaghlin tooke a great prey from the Towne of Ardnurcher, and the next morrow after tooke the spoyles of the castle of Ardnurcher, and market of the same, he tooke many other small preys and booties’ (Ann. Clon. , 226). The settlement had attained borough status by about 1235 when a burgage in Ardnurcher is mentioned in a charter of Walter de Lacy (Mac Niocaill 1977, 55). The Anglo-Norman settlers of Ardnurcher were often described in the Annals as the ‘Englishmen of Ardnurcher’ (Ann. Clon., 232). The settlement was in a frontier situation, and exposed to attacks from the native Irish such as that recorded in the Annals of Clonmacnoise for 1234 when Ardnurcher and Ballyloughloe (WM030-047----) was burned by Fedlimid O Conchobhair, King of Connacht (Ann. Clon., 234). The motte and bailey castle (WM031-099----) stands on on the NE coner of the town walls of Ardnurcher. The deserted medieval settlement (WM031-104----) was protected by a stone wall running along the base of the high esker ridge from the public road at N to NE which ran onto the defences of the motte and bailey castle at NE which was located at the SE end of the high esker ridge overlooking a stream and marshy area to the SE. A stone drawbridge which gave access from the settlement onto the bailey of the castle also acted as a gateway into the historic town of Ardnurcher from an old roadway which traversed the stream to the SE as shown on a plan of the castle dating from 1788. This gateway/drawbridge stands in the bottom of the enclosing fosse of the motte and bailey castle on the SW side of the motte. The wall footings of the town wall run southwards off the SW face of this drawbridge feature as depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. This wall (L. 130m) ran along the SE edge of the high ground overlooking the river valley to the SE. Today the grass-covered footings of the wall can be traced along the SE side of the deserted medieval settlement. The wall footings of two small square-shaped mural towers projecting outwards from the town wall on the SE as depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map can be still be seen. The foundations of the town wall on the SE side terminates at a distance of about 160m from the motte, from which an earth and stone bank runs to the NW (Bradley et. al. 1985, 16). These earthen field banks are depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map and they appear to post-date the town wall. There are no visible remains of the town wall from S to SW. On the W side of the church (WM031-098---) and graveyard are the remains of a stone structure (WM031-105---) located 75m to the W of the church. This stone structure appears to be related to the town wall of Ardnurcher and may have been a gatehouse or stone building standing on the wall of the town. The grass-covered footings of the town wall and of a small square shaped mural tower (ext. dims. 6m NE-SW; Wall T 0.9m) can be seen 75m NW of this structure. This section of town wall on the W side of the deserted medieval settlement is 360m W of the drawbridge/gateway into the historic town of Ardnurcher. The town wall of Ardnurcher appears to encompass an irregular-shaped area measuring 360m from east to west. No surface remains of the town wall could be traced in the surrounding fields from W-N. Brownrigg's plan of the motte and bailey castle from 1788 shows clearly that the drawbridge also acted as a gateway into the motte and bailey castle from a roadway which crossed the stream to the SE. This roadway traversed the stream and before coming to the gateway divided into two sections, one of which leads directly into the motte and bailey castle and a second branch which turned W leading up the slope of the ridge and into the historic town of Ardnurcher (WM031-104----) from there onwards towards Ardnurcher church (WM031-098----) and graveyard. On the 1788 plan this roadway is shown running roughly SE-NW across the centre of the settlement of Ardnurcher and is annotated by Brownrigg as 'Ancient road from the Borders into the English Pale'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 August 2014

• WM031-108 Wall monument - effigial
  Description

  Described by the Urban Survey of Westmeath (Bradley et. al. 1985, 16-17) as following: Peyton wall memorial (dims. H 4m; Wth 2.04m). 17th century. Mounted on south wall of the church porch with demi-effigies on the east and west walls. It consists of two rectangular stone tablets set within an architectural frame. The upper tablet is flanked by two pilasters supporting a moulded shelf. The pilasters are decorated with rows of beaded mouldings and the shelf supports a typanum flanked on two pinnacles. The lower tablet is in five sections and is flanked by both sugar-barley and undecorated pilasters. The sugar barley pilasters have floriated capitals with bead moulding. The typanum has an open book incised THE BIBLE and along the base THE HOSPITALL OF THE SOULE. The upper tablet is carved in low relief and carries an elaborate achievement of arms. Heater shaped shield with dexter: sable a cross engrailed or, in the first quarter a mullet argent, for Peyton; sinister : ermine, three fusils conjoined in fess sable, the centre one charged with a crescent or, for Piggott. Above the inscription on the lower tablet is an angel's head with two trumpets emerging from flanking clouds and the words THE TRUMPET SHAL SOUND THE DEAD ARISE. Incised Roman inscription: HERE LYETH THE BODY OF GEORGE PEYTON LATE OF STR/EASESTOUNE ESQR WHO DYED MARCH THE 15 1698 IN THE / 68 YEARE OF HIS AGE BY WHOM THIS MONUMENT AND VAULT WERE/DESINED & CONTRIVED IN HIS LIFETIME FOR Ye BURIALL PLAC/ OF HIMSELFE & HIS PIOUS & VERTUOUS WIFE M. THOMAZEN PEYTON/ ALIAS PIGGOT ONE OF THE DAUGHTERS OF Ye HONrd Sr ROBERT / PIGGOT LATE OF DISART IN THE QUEENS COUNTY KNIGHT / WHICH MONUMENT AFTER HIS DEATH WAS MADE & ERR/ECTED AT THE COSTS & CHARGES OF ONE OF HIS EXECUTORS THE HONble ROBERT ROCHFORD ESQr SPEAKER OF THE HOUS/ OF COMMONS & HIS MAties ATTORNY GENLL OF IRELAND. Beneath the inscription is a skull, crossed bones and a winged hourglass in relief. The flanking demi-effigies have round faces and their arms are crossed in front. The male figure has shoulder length curled wig and a full pleated coat over a shirt with small cravat. His right hand rests over his heart and he may be holding a small book. The female effigy has curled hair and wears a flat head-dress with a veil falling to her shoulders. She wears a cloak or cape over a square cut bodice with a diamond shaped brooch on her bosom. She may hold a book in her right hand (Fuller 1904-6, Upton 1921-5). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 11 August 2014

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. 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).

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

Name

Ardnurcher

Area

1,197,088 m² (119.71 ha, 295.81 acres)

Civil parish

Ardnurcher Or Horseleap, and its townlands

Barony

Moycashel

Electoral division

Streamstown, the unit of the census

Neighbouring townlands

Cappydonnell Little (Co. Offaly), Cloncraff (Co. Offaly), Coolalough, Dunard (Co. Offaly), Kilbeg, Killeenycallaghan, Spittaltown, Syonan, Teermore, Templemacateer

Placenames

Ardnurcher on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, 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.