Baronstown

Area

99,612 m² (9.96 ha, 24.61 acres)

Buildings

2 buildings touch it, 253 m² on the ground

Zoning

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

Townland

Baronstown

Planning applications on this parcel

No planning application touches this parcel 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 this parcel.

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 13 recorded monuments.

• WM011-037 Settlement deserted - medieval
  Description

  Aerial photographs taken by Cambridge University in 1966 clearly show the extensive remains of medieval settlement earthworks associated with 'Kilbixy Town' (WM011-155----) in the fields to the W and SW of the 19th century Church of Ireland church (CUCAP APH006/007/008/009; ATF079/080/081/082; BDV066). The earthworks represent the remains of the deserted settlement (WM011-155----) indicated on the 1837 OS 6-inch map as the 'Site of Kilbixy Town' and which is marked in a field located 300m E of the field containing the earthworks. A motte and bailey (WM011-039----) is located 200m to the N, the site of a medieval church (WM011-040002-), a medieval hospital (WM011-040001-) and graveyard (WM011-040005-) are located 100m to the E. The earthworks were described in 1972 as 'In the large field where St. Brigid's well (WM011-038----) is situated there is an extensive complex of banks, scarp and depressions, including two parallel banks, which may represent part at least of the old town of Kilbixy' (SMR file 1972). These earthworks are clearly visible on Digital Globe aerial photographs taken November 2011. On this aerial photograph there are no visible earthworks associated with a settlement in the field depicted as the ''Site of Kilbixy Town' and which is also annotated as 'Burgess Land'. Same site as WM011-155----. See WM011-155---- entry for more details. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 4 October 2010

• WM011-038 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Site was visited and described in 1982 as 'All that remains of this well is a small rectangular shaped grassy depression. No trace of stone lining although some rough boulders are visible defining edges of well (dims. 2.5m by 3.1m). The surrounding land is low lying and covered with earthworks of Kilbixy borough (WM011-151----). Rush covered area surrounding well is probably fed from it' (SMR file 1982). A motte and bailey (WM011-039----) is located 370m to the N, the site of a medieval church (WM011-040002-), a medieval hospital (WM011-040001-) and graveyard (WM011-040005-) are located 220m to the NE. Site of holy well described by Bradley (1985, 110) as; 'Marked by the O.S. and shown within the borough. There is now no trace of it'. A hollow depression now marks the site of 'Bridget's Well'. It is possible that this may have been the town well for the deserted medieval settlement of Kilbixy. In 1938 the following folklore from Rathowen School was recorded by Nuala Cregg, pupil of the school, then aged 12 who collected the story below from her Grandfather James Killean, then aged 85 of Joanstown, Co. Westmeath; ‘In ancient times there was a spring well in the glebe grounds of Kilbixy near Ballynacarrigy. Tradition states that St. Brigid in her wanderings through Westmeath blessed the well - it was therefore called St. Brigid's Well. The well accommodated the people of the locality which was then thickly populated. There was a trout in the well but it was never known how it came there. The people taking water from the well used to feed the trout with crumbs of bread which made it quite a pet. A man from the locality named Friel caught the trout killed, cooked, and ate it. Next morning he was a cripple and that day twelve months he died. A new parson was appointed to the district. His wife objected to the people trespassing on the land and had the well closed. Next morning it was functioning with full force on the rocky slope of an adjoining farm [WM011-047----?]. The parson and his wife soon afterwards left the district’ (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0741, Page 161;https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5009102/4986814/5121645) Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 20 October 2022

• WM011-039 Castle - motte and bailey
  Description

  Kilbixy is situated to the south-west of Lough Iron, about eight miles north-west of Mullingar. As its name Cill Bigsighe [Cill Bhiscí], Bigseach’s church (WM011-040002-), indicates it was the site of an early church founded by St. Bigseach. Kilbixy was granted to Geoffrey de Costentin by Hugh de Lacy (Orpen 1911-20 ii, 88) and it was probably de Costentin who was responsible for the construction of the motte here in 1192 (ALC). A borough (WM011-155----) seems to have been established at an early date. Burgages beside the Carton’s ditch are mentioned in one of the "foundation charters" of Tristernagh priory, granted by Geoffrey de Costentin between 1200 and 1224 (Clarke 1941, 5). The Tristernagh charters provide much topographical information on Kilbixy including references to the church, the castle, the mill, the cross of St Columba, the bridge and the house of the old Irish chaplain (Bradley et. al. 1985, 106). The site of a medieval parish church (WM011-040002-) and graveyard (WM011-040005-) with medieval hospital known as the Leper House (WM011-040001-) are located 170m to the SE. The earthworks (WM011-037----) of a deserted medieval settement (WM011-041----/155-) indicated on the OS six inch map as 'Kilbixy Town (site of)' can be seen in the fields to the W, N, E and SE of the motte (CUCAP APH005/010). According to the Urban Survey of Ireland (Bradley et. al. 1985, 108) ‘the construction of a motte at Kilbixy is recorded in 1192 (ALC) and it is evident from the Irish pipe roll 14 John that the fortifications were being strengthened in 1211-12 (Davies and Quinn 1941, 39). The castle was the centre of the De Costentin manor of Kilbixy and presumably stayed in their hands until about the middle of the fifteenth century when the last of the De Costentins died. Subsequently little is recorded of it. In 1692 Piers (1981, 77) refers "a large piece of an old square castle called the Burgage-castle" adjoining the burgage land which is probably to be identified with the motte. Situated on a rock outcrop affording commanding views in all directions. It consists of a conical mound 11 m high, 32.5 m in diameter at the base tapering to an oval flat summit 19 x 17m across. The summit was enclosed by a stone wall whose foundations survive to a height of 30 cm on the south, east and part of the north sides. Within this wall are the foundations of two rectangular buildings. The eastern building which was built on a plinth is the smaller. It measures 2.7 by 2.5m and the walls, which are 55cm thick stand to a max. height of 55cm. The western building measures 6.6 by 2.8m. The motte is built of earth and boulders, material which appears to have been quarried from two deep hollows on the north and south-east of the site. The motte was surrounded by a ditch, 6m wide, with a counterscarp bank, 3 m high and 1.7 m wide. A bailey appears to have been located south-west of the motte where a rectangular area was enclosed by a ditch 4.5 m wide’. The site was visited and recorded in 1972 when the monument was described as 'A very high steep circular mound of stony earth surrounded by a wide deep fosse and bank, with remains of a bailey outside the bank on the W. The surrounding bank is not concentric with the motte so that there is a small, lunate inner bailey between the fosse at the foot of the motte and the bank on the W. This hints at a possibility that there may have been a large rath on the site before the motte and that the centre of the motte proper was built to the E of the centre of the rath whose bank would have been made more substantial. The fosse at the foot of the motte is wider inside the inner baily on the W than elsewhere. There are remains of a fosse outside the bank also and this is most conspicuous between the bank and the outer bailey. The foundations of at least two structures are visible on the top of the motte. Much of this is occupied by the grass-covered wall of a rectangular structure (int. dims. 9.75m NW-SE by 6.3m NE-SW). This is well defined on the SW and SE sides. On the NW side there is a long depression with upcast mounds. It is impossible to be certain without excavations if this depression occupies the side of the wall there, or whether the grass-covered bank along its NW side, and at the upper edge of the motte represents the wall. The wall is largely demolished on the NE side. Some masonry is visible in the SW side. No mortar is visible but so little of the wall is exposed that it is uncertain whether it is mortared or not. Inside the larger rectangular structure, another, square structure (int. dims. 2.7m NW-SE by 2.85m NE-SW'; wall T 0.7m) is represented by a low mortared wall of small irregular-shaped stones. No doorway is visible in either structure. The surrounding bank has several gaps due to disturbance. It incorporates some large stones but none appears to be formally set. It rises but slightly above the top of the inner bailey. Elsewhere it is high, steep and has a narrow crest. There is no visible trace of a structure on the surface of the inner, lunate bailey. The outer fosse is visible from NNW-W-WSW. The outer bailey is almost completely demolished. The E side of it (i.e. the outer side of the outer fosse) is much denuded and disturbed by the planting of trees. Part of the N side os represented by a curving steep scarp with possible remains of a bank on its upper edge. The W end is now replaced by a modern road and the S side is completely denuded away and replaced by a small modern square enclosure and shed. Sited on a gentle S outcropping slope. Extensive views from the top of the motte' (SMR file 1972). See attached plan of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 27 May 2014

• WM011-040 Ecclesiastical enclosure
  Description

  Kilbixy or Ceall Bhigsighe was founded by St Bigseach who was connected to St. Brigid of Kildare (Ó Riain 2011, 106). Cogan (1870,577) recorded that Kilbixy derives its name from Cill Bigseach or Cill-Bigsighe, the Church of St. Bigseach, whose festival was celebrated on the 28th of June and on the 4th of October. According to Swan (1988, 13) the remains of a large outer enclosure (approx. diam. 145m NNE-SSW) surrounding the church site (WM011-040002-) and graveyard (WM011-040005-) was the remains of an Early Christian enclosure belonging to the monastery founded by St. Bicsech [Bigseach] (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 388). In the field 60m to the NNW of the 18th century C of I church and graveyard are the remains of a curving ditch which is stone faced. This is the large outer enclosure identified by Swan as the remains of an Early Christian ecclesiastical enclosure. This feature is clearly visible on Bing Maps aerial photograph taken November 2011. This feature represents the remains of a post-medieval fosse dug as a landscape feature such as a ha-ha associated with the 18th century C of I church building. The construction of this feature was described in the 1793 edition of Anthologia Hibernica (Anon. 1793, 316). In 1980 an Early Christian sandstone cross-slab (WM011-040007-) was discovered in the graveyard during a clean up scheme and is now on display inside the C of I church. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 10 July 2015

• WM011-040001 Leper hospital
  Description

  According to the Urban Survey of Ireland (Bradley et. al. 1985, 109-10) ‘the foundation of this hospital has been attributed by Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 351) and Lee (1974-5, 226) to de Lacy on the assumption that he was responsible for the construction of the motte (WM011-039----) in 1192. There is no evidence, however, to support this association of de Lacy with either the motte or the hospital and their suggestion that it was established in the 1198’s is without foundation. There are no references to the hospital in the Register of Tristernagh which records grants to that priory from its foundation until the early fourteenth century. The earliest direct reference to the 'Leper House of St. Brigid' is in 1409 when the register of Archbishop Fleming of Armagh recorded a 'Letter on behalf of the leper house (domu[s] seu casella) of St. Brigid, April 1409. Kylbyxy, in the diocese of Meath. Exorts the faithful in the deaneries of fauoria, Molynger, Lox, and Arnurchyr to give to the proctor of the house when he comes to them, and grants an indulgence of 40 days to contributors throughout the whole diocese' (Lawlor 1912, 131). Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 351) suggest that the hospital was suppressed along with Tristernagh Priory (WM011-053----) in 1540 but it is not mentioned in the priory extents. In 1837 John O’Donovan visited Kilbixy where he found the following; ‘1. The Leper-house (WM011-040001-), a mere ruin; 2. The site of the castle (WM011-040006-), but no remains whatever of its walls; 3. A moat (WM011-039----), surrounded by one circular fosse; 4. Site of the gallows. A holy well (WM011-038----) near the church called the well of St. Bigseach’ (Cogan 1870, 577). Situated within the graveyard (WM011-040005-), south-east of St. Bigseach’s church (WM011-040002-). Rectangular, three-storeyed building with walls averaging 1.3m in thickness. The masonry consists of roughly coursed mixed stone with a rubble core. External dims. 14.5 by 9.45 m. The north, west and south walls stand to a height of 8-10m and are covered with ivy to a depth of 68-78cm. A 2.5m stretch of the east wall survives to a height of 78cm. The ground floor is filled with rubble but there are signs that it was divided into two barrel vaulted rooms, along the short axis of the building. There is a flat lintelled door with internal splay in the south-east wall and an opening in the north-west wall indicates either a window or a door. Immediately east of the opening in the north wall is a curved and lintelled recess, now blocked. The first floor has a large rectangular window, with internal splay and round rear arch in the north wall. The west wall has a possible door splayed internally with flattened arch and a bar hole on the south side. There is an opening in the south wall, which was probably a window. Projecting masonry on the south-west corner may indicate a small chamber here but it was not possible to determine it with certainty. The second floor rested upon a floor ledge but the thickness of the ivy obscures features above this level’. The 1656 Down Survey map of Kilbixy parish depicts a small tower standing to the S of Kilbixy fortified church (WM011-040002-) which appears to be the remains of Bridget's Hospital (NLI, MS 723-4). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 27 May 2014

• WM011-040002 Church
  Description

  Kilbixy Church (Ceall Bhigsighe) dedicated to St. Bigseach who had connections with St. Brigid and her church was also known as Tristernagh (Ó Riain 2011, 106). Her feast day fell on the 28th of June. According to 17th century sources Bigseach was the daughter of Breasal of the Uí Fhiachrach tribe of Connacht (ibid., 106). The terrier of the 1656 Down Survey map of Kilbixy parish recorded that in Kilbixy there 'also standeth the parish church and an abby (WM011-053----) in Tristernagh' (NLI, MS 723-4). Anglo-Norman motte and bailey castle (WM011-039----) located 200m NNW of church and graveyard (WM040005-), leper hospital (WM011-040001-) in SW quadrant of graveyard and deserted medieval settlement earthworks (WM011-155----) in field to W and N of church. Bridget's Well (WM011-038----) located 250m to SW. This parish church belonged to the monastic estate of Tristernagh Augustinian abbey (WM011-053----) located 1.9km to the SE. In 1837 John O’Donovan visited Kilbixy where he found the following; ‘1. The Leper-house (WM011-040001-), a mere ruin; 2. The site of the castle (WM011-040006-), but no remains whatever of its walls; 3. A moat (WM011-039----), surrounded by one circular fosse; 4. Site of the gallows. A holy well (WM011-038----) near the church called the well of St. Bigseach’ (Cogan 1870, 577). According to the Urban Survey of Ireland (Bradley et. al. 1985, 108-09) ‘the church of Kilbixy granted by Geoffrey de Costentin to Ralph Petit, archdeacon of Meath, in a charter of 1192/1218 is to be identified with this church, established before the coming of the Normans (Clarke 1941, 90). Shortly after the foundation of the priory (WM011-053----) at Tristernagh it was granted to the Augustinian canons there (Clarke 1941, 91). The parish church of Kilbixy is specifically mentioned in 1259 (Clarke 1941, 122), 1492 (Cal. papal letters 1978, 430) and 1540 (White 1943, 277). In 1682 Piers (1981, 77) described it as ‘the remains of an ancient and well built church, the mother of many churches and chapels about it, which had at the west end a very well built high tower or steeple’. The present church, which is in ruins, was constructed c.1800. No medieval fabric survives above ground. The semi-circular enclosing ditch north-east of the church represents the remains of a post-medieval fosse dug as a landscape feature associated with the 18th century C of I church building. The construction of this feature was described in the 1793 edition of Anthologia Hibernica (Anon. 1793, 316). This enclosing ditch is visible on Bing Maps aerial photograph taken November 2011. Octagonal shaped limestone font (WM011-040004-) located to north-east of the church. Chamfered limestone fragment (dims. H 0.46m; Wth. 0.27m; T 0.26m) of an arch of medieval date used as a grave-marker’. The present C of I church ruins were probably built on the site of the medieval parish church. On the 1656 Down Survey map of the parish of Kilbixy the medieval parish church is depicted as a fortified building with battlemented tower at W end of church similar to fortified churches at Taghmon (WM012-076----) and Kilpatrick (WM013-002----). The depiction of the church on the Down Survey map matches the description given by Piers in 1682. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 27 May 2014

• WM011-040003 Souterrain
  Description

  The precise location of a possible souterrain discovered in 1793 at Kilbixy graveyard (WM011-040005-) has not been identified. The following account was given of the discovery; '‘A few days ago the labourers in throwing up a fosse round the new church of Kilbery [Kilbixy], in the Co. Westmeath, now building by the Right Hon. Lord Sunderland, discovered a subterraneous passage, and on following it by his Lordship’s directions, they came to a number of cells, some oval and others circular, from 18 to 6 feet [5.5m-1.8m] diameter, with small arched entrance from one to another. These cells are of rude masonry, with small horizontal funnels from each, supposed to admit air; the use of these we are at a loss to judge of; they now cover over a quarter of an acre of ground, and new discoveries are making every day’ (Anon. 1793, 316). The above account suggests that the fosse to the NE of the graveyard cut across the souterrain which is located in this general area or somewhere along the line of the enclosing fosse. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 12 July 2018

• WM011-040004 Font
  Description

  Post-reformation octagonal-shaped limestone font, partially broken, lying on the surface of the graveyard between C of I church and Malone family mausoleum to the ESE of church. According to the Urban Survey of Ireland (Bradley et. al. 1985, 108-09) ‘the church (WM011-040002-) of Kilbixy granted by Geoffrey de Costentin to Ralph Petit, archdeacon of Meath, in a charter of 1192/1218 is to be identified with this church, established before the coming of the Normans (Clarke 1941, 90). The parish church of Kilbixy is specifically mentioned in 1259 (Clarke 1941, 122), 1492 (Cal. papal letters 1978, 430) and 1540 (White 1943, 277). In 1682 Piers (1981, 77) described it as ‘the remains of an ancient and well built church, the mother of many churches and chapels about it, which had at the west end a very well built high tower or steeple’. The present church, which is in ruins, was constructed c.1800. Octagonal limestone font (dims. H 0.48m; ext. diam. 0.55m; int. diam. 0.42m), north-east of the church. Less than half of the basin survives but it appears to lack a drainage hole. There were four wide and four narrow panels. The lower panels are chamfered inwards. Roe (1968, 123) regarded it as of post-Reformation date'. To see a 3D model of the font visit; https://skfb.ly/ozrzN Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 17 June 2015

• WM011-040005 Graveyard
  Description

  Kilbixy Church (WM011-040002-) dedicated to St. Bigseach standing in centre of small graveyard. Motte and bailey castle (WM011-039----) located 200m NNW of church and graveyard (WM040005-), leper hospital (WM011-040001-) immediately to S of graveyard and deserted medieval settlement earthworks (WM011-155----) in field to W and N. Bridget's Well (WM011-038----) located 250m to SW. According to the Urban Survey of Ireland (Bradley et. al. 1985, 108-09) ‘the church of Kilbixy granted by Geoffrey de Costentin to Ralph Petit, archdeacon of Meath, in a charter of 1192/1218 is to be identified with this church, established before the coming of the Normans (Clarke 1941, 90). Shortly after the foundation of priory at Tristernagh it was granted to the Augustinian canons there (Clarke 1941, 91). The parish church of Kilbixy is specifically mentioned in 1259 (Clarke 1941, 122), 1492 (Cal. papal letters 1978, 430) and 1540 (White 1943, 277). In 1682 Piers (1981, 77) described it as ‘the remains of an ancient and well built church, the mother of many churches and chapels about it, which had at the west end a very well built high tower or steeple’. The present church, which is in ruins, was constructed in the late 1700s. No medieval fabric survives above ground. The semi-circular enclosing ditch north-east of the church represents the remains of a post-medieval fosse dug as a landscape feature such as a ha-ha associated with the 18th century C of I church building. The construction of this feature was described in the 1793 edition of Anthologia Hibernica (Anon. 1793, 316). In 1980 an Early Christian sandstone cross-slab (WM011-040007-) was discovered in the graveyard during a clean up scheme and is now on display inside the C of I church. This enclosing ditch is visible on Bing Maps aerial photograph taken November 2011. Octagonal limestone font (WM011-040004-) north-east of the church. Chamfered limestone fragment (dims. H 0.46m; Wth. 0.27m; T 0.26m) of an arch of medieval date used as a grave-marker’. The present C of I church ruins were probably built on the site of the medieval parish church. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 27 May 2014

• WM011-040007 Cross-slab (present location)
  Description

  Kilbixy or Ceall Bhigsighe was founded by St Bigseach who was connected to St. Brigid of Kildare (Ó Riain 2011, 106). Early Christian cross-inscribed stone consisting of an incomplete sandstone slab (H 0.78m x Wth 0.45m x T 0.09m) decorated with an incised or pocked marked triple line cross with triangular-shaped terminals framing broad interlaced ribbons. The lower terminal of the cross is missing as this part of the slab is broken. Cross-inscribed slab found by local parishioner in Kilbixy graveyard (WM011-04005-) and now mounted onto the internal face of the S wall located off centre to E inside the C of I church at Kilbixy. This type of expansional cross with ribbon interlaced terminals may date from the 10th/11th century based on comparisons with comparable slabs bearing inscriptions (Lionard 1960-1, 131-6). To see a 3D model of the cross-slab visit https://skfb.ly/oF7Qp Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 22 June 2018

And 3 more.

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).

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.