Emper

137 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Emper, from 30 m² to 292,219 m² (29.22 ha, 72.21 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 20 neighbouring parcels touch it.

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

No zone of a development plan covers Emper 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.

• 23 May 2025Conditional

  to construct a four bay slatted shed, concrete apron, slurry storage facilities and all ancillary site works.

  Permission · Westmeath County Council, 2518

• 7 Sept 2023Conditional

  proposed construction of a storey & a half extension to the rear as per accompanying drawings. The demolition of a single storey porch to front elevation, flat roof utility area to the rear of the existing dwelling inclusive of fuel storage sheds as per accompanying drawings. Decommissioning of existing septic tank & percolation area as located on submitted site layout plan, to be replaced with a proprietary treatment system & percolation area as per submitted drawings to EPA & local authority recommendations inclusive of all ancillary site works

  Permission, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 2360292

• 23 Jan 2023Refused

  to construct a dwelling house & detached garage with septic tank & percolation area with all ancillary site works

  Permission, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 2360011

• 3 Aug 2022Conditional

  to retain the storey and a half extension (85.3sqm) and associated site works.

  Retention, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 22397

• 7 Jun 2022Refused

  construct a dwelling house and detached garage with septic tank & percolation area with all ancillary site works

  Permission · Westmeath County Council, 22306

• 21 Oct 2020Refused

  Permission for a new agricultural entrance and all ancillary site works

  Permission · Westmeath County Council, 206288

• 29 Mar 2017Conditional

  construct a bungalow and domestic garage in place of the existing cottage proposed to be demolished, install a septic tank and percolation area, close existing site access with the construction of a proposed new relocated domestic site entrance and all associated site works.

  Permission, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 176093

• 16 Feb 2017Conditional

  construct an extension to the side and rear of existing dwelling house to include at the side 2 no. bedrooms, 1 with en-suite and walk-in-wardrobe, a corridor and bathroom with 1 no. velux window and at rear a utility and w.c. and garage with all ancillary site works.

  Permission, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 176042

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 Emper.

Recorded monuments

• WM010-001 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on a slight WSW facing slope, surrounded by gently undulating pasture-land with excellent views to the W. Tower house (WM010-002---) 310m to NE. A sub-circular shaped area (approx. diam. 29m N-S; 28m E-W) enclosed by a poorly preserved wide earthen bank. The site has been partially levelled, and the bank is only visible from SW-W-N as visible on Digital Globe aerial photograph taken November 2011. A field fence running NW-SE intersects the monument at E. The interior slopes slightly from ENE-WSW and has traces of low broad cultivation ridges which run E-W. See attached profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 6 June 2017

• WM010-002 Castle - tower house
  Description

  Situated on low natural hillock in pasture with ringfort (WM010-001----) and area marked as 'Old Town' on OS 6-inch map 300m to SSW. Inny River marking boundary with County Longford 800m to N. According to Woods (1907, 5) Emper Castle was once the seat of the Dalton family. The 1654-57 Down Survey map of Kilmacknevan parish recorded in 1641 that Emper Castle and its lands then belonged to Sir Oliver Tuite who was described as an 'Irish papist' (NLI MS 723-4). The terrier of this parish map recorded that 'there are three Castles in this parrish lately ruinous vizt. in Emper one' (ibid.). The Down Survey map of Moygoish Barony depicted Emper Castle as a rectangular shaped tower house with possible angle tower standing on top of a natural hillock (ibid.). The place-name 'Old Town' marked on the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map may mark the location of the medieval manor of Emper which is referred to in a patent dated September 15, 1338, when Theobald De Verdon was granted the right to hold one fair on Wednesday in Whitsun week and for seven following days. Empor Manor is mentioned in this fair patent (Anon. 1853, 115). In 1837 the castle ruins were described in the Ordnance Survey Memoranda by John O'Donovan as 'nearly a square building being about 40 feet [12.2m] long and 36 feet [10.9m] broad, and so high that I could scarcely throw a stone over it. a fair is annually held close to it, but I could not learn whether this fair was established while the castle was inhabited or since it fell to ruin. That this was one of the Daltons' castles, though not in the barony of Rathconrath, we learn from Mac Firbhisigh' (Walsh 1957, 103-4). Emper Castle was described in the Schools' Collection (1937-39) as following; 'When this castle was built it was four storey high and now there are only two walls left standing. Around the castle there still remains some of the fortifications also a cave and outside that again an immense graveyard where some bishops are buried. Adjoining the castle is an old fort which is of Danish origin' (The Schools' Collection, Volume 0740, page 003). According to the Schools' Collection the local folklore recorded that the castle was built in 1170 by the Anglo-Normans for D'Alton family who were of French descent (ibid.). However the annals recorded that in 1405 'The castle of Imper was built by Andrew son of Henry son of Nicholas Dalton' (Ó hInnse 1947, 175). In 1610 Sir Hamond Le Strange of Hunstanton in Norfolk, heir of Thomas Le Straunge of Ballymore-Loughseudy, Co. Westmeath sold 'half of Imper castle' to John Jay or Gay of Holveston in Norfolk (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Jas I, 252). Poorly preserved remains of a rectangular tower (ext. dims. 13.3m NW-SE x 11.7m NE-SW; int. dims. 9m NW-SE x 7.4m NE-SW; wall T c. 2.1m; wall T above batter c. 0.9m) standing two storeys high (max. H c. 13m), built with roughly coursed rubble with high base-batter visible on E face. The NW wall is the best preserved with large breaches in the NE, SE and SW walls. The NW wall is featureless at ground floor level with no openings visible. A straight sided opening located off centre to S in the SW wall may be the remains of a possible ground floor entrance into the tower. The springers of a stone vault covering the ground floor are visible in the NW and NE walls. According to Salter (2004, 149) the ground floor of the castle was divided with a cross-wall running NW-SE which supported the stone vaulting. A small rectangular shaped window is visible at first floor level in the NW wall. The low wall footings of a levelled rectangular structure built onto the SE side of the castle are also visible. Earthworks consisting of low linear banks and ditches to the NW, N, E and SE of the castle which are visible on Digital Globe aerial photograph taken November 2011 probably represents the remains of a levelled bawn (WM010-002001-). Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 6 June 2017

• WM010-002001 Bawn
  Description

  Situated on low natural hillock in pasture with ringfort (WM010-001----) and area marked as 'Old Town' on OS 6-inch map 300m to SSW. Inny River marking boundary with County Longford 800m to N. Low earthworks belonging to the levelled bawn of Emper Castle (WM010-002----) were described in the Schools' Collection (1937-39) as following; 'Around the castle there still remains some of the fortifications also a cave and outside that again an immense graveyard where some bishops are buried. Adjoining the castle is an old fort which is of Danish origin' (The Schools' Collection, Volume 0740, page 003). The fragmentary remains of Emper Castle (WM010-002---) stand on the SW side of a rectangular shaped enclosure or bawn which is defined by the remains of a low earthen bank visible from NNW-N-E-S with a shallow external fosse at. Low wall footings overlie the perimeter of the enclosure on the SE sides. The remains of a small rectangular building can be distinguished on the line of the fosse. There appears to have been a building immediately to the SE of the castle, however, the remains of this are very fragmentary. To the SE of the main circular enclosure is a smaller rectangular enclosure with possible traces of a second small rectangular enclosure to the NE of it. To the NW of the main enclosure is a circular area bounded from S-W-WNW by a low bank of earth & stones with a shallow external fosse. These earthworks to the NW, N, E and SE of the castle are clearly visible on Digital Globe aerial photograph taken November 2011 and probably represents the remains of a levelled bawn. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 6 June 2017

• WM010-003 Barrow - mound barrow
  Description

  Situated on a low rise with good views in all directions. Ringfort (WM010-006----) 130m to NW. Ringfort (WM010-007----) 330m to ESE. A flat-topped, steep sided oval-shaped mound of earth and stone (H 1.5m; base diam. 10m SSW-NNE; 13m WNW-ESE; top diam. 6m N-S; 7m E-W). A trigonometrical station marking the spot height 263 ft. is depicted here on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map in an area annotated as the ‘Fair Green’. Possible mound barrow. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 6 June 2017

• WM010-004 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on gently undulating grassland with poorly drained rushy land in the vicinity. Ringfort (WM010-005---) 120m to SE. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a circular shaped enclosure. Present remains consist of a slightly raised circular shaped area (diam. 26m N-S) enclosed by a poorly preserved bank and slight external fosse. The site has been partially levelled. The bank is visible only as a smooth scarp from N-E-SSW and the external fosse is visible from ENE-E-ESE only. The interior slopes from W-E and has traces of low broad cultivation ridges which run WNW-ESE. A possible standing stone (WM010-004001-) is visible in the S quadrant of the interior. Outline of levelled enclosure visible on Digital Globe aerial photograph taken November 2011. See attached profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 7 June 2017

• WM010-004001 Standing stone
  Description

  Situated on gently undulating grassland with poorly drained rushy land in the vicinity. Ringfort (WM010-005---) 120m to SE. A possible standing stone (H 1.1m) which may have been re-used as a scratching post is visible standing in the S quadrant of the interior of a ringfort (WM010-004---). Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 7 June 2017

• WM010-005 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on a slight rise in flat grassland with good views to the S. Ringfort (WM010-004---) 120m to NW. Poorly preserved much denuded monument consisting of a circular shaped area (approx. diam. 30m) enclosed by a low bank only visible from W-N, elsewhere it has been levelled. Outline of levelled monument visible on Digital Globe aerial photograph taken November 2011. See attached profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 7 June 2017

• WM010-006 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on a gentle NW facing slope in pasture-land with extensive views to the W, N & SE. A large circular shaped area (approx. diam 67m N-S; 60m E-W) enclosed by a substantial earth and stone bank and slight external fosse. The bank has several disturbance gaps and is best preserved from ESE-SSE and from S-SSW. Externally the bank has been steepened and faced with dry-stone walling from SSW-W-N-NNE. Traces of cultivation ridges are visible running NE-SW across the interior. A roadway running NW-SE cuts through the SW quadrant of the monument as depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Two field fences intersect the site at N & NNE. The depiction of the monument on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map would suggest that this was originally a bivallate ringfort, with oval-shaped interior measuring approx. diam. 30m E-W. The internal enclosing feature has been levelled just leaving the large outer enclosing bank that is depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 6 June 2017

• WM010-007 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on a slight SSW facing slope in gently undulating grassland with excellent views from E-S-SW. Large ringfort (WM010-006---), possible mound barrow (WM010-003----) and Emper Fair Green 456 and 330m to WSW respectively. Depicted as a raised circular-shaped platform defined by a bank with fosse and external bank on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. On the revised 192 ed. OS 25-inch map only the outer enclosing element of the monument is depicted, with no depiction of the raised central platform. Described in 1976 as a large circular-shaped enclosure (approx. diam. 55m NE-SW) enclosed by an earthen bank with wide shallow external fosse. From SW-W-N-NE the perimeter of the site is formed by a field fence as depicted on the 1912 ed. OS 6-inch. Today the enclosing element of the monument from NE-E-S-SW has been levelled and is now visible on Digital Globe aerial photograph a crop mark. Its depiction on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map suggests that this was originally a bivallate ringfort, with a raised circular-shaped platform (approx. diam. 25m NW-SE). See attached profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 23 August 2018

• WM010-008 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated in grassland on the SE face of a gently rising hill with good views from E-S–SW. Flat cemetery (WM010-009----) 25m to SE. A slightly raised circular area (approx. diam. 25m. NW-SE) sloping slightly from N-S, enclosed by a poorly preserved earthen bank. The bank has been levelled from NE-SSE. At SSE three stones set on edge to form a revetment to the inside of the bank and a large upright flagstone may represent one side of an entrance feature. There is an entrance to a souterrain (WM010-008001-) in the N side of the interior. Built into the souterrain wall is a long stone decorated with prehistoric rock art (WM010-008002-). Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 6 June 2017

• WM010-008001 Souterrain
  Description

  This souterrain is described by O’Reilly in his artice on rock art in Co. Westmeath (2010, 79-80) as follows: ‘The souterrain is accessed through an entrance on the north side of the ringfort interior. This leads to a well-constructed stone-built chamber with two passages leading away from it. Built into the souterrain wall on the right-hand side of the right passage is a long stone decorated with prehistoric rock art.' (WM010-008002-). Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 30 August 2013

• WM010-008002 Rock art
  Description

  Situated on flat pasture land with ringfort (WM010-008----) marked on OS maps as ‘Rathduff’ containing a souterrain (WM010-008001-) decorated with a panel of rock art and Bronze Age flat cemetery (WM010-009----) in adjoining field to SE (Weir 1938, 146-7). This stone has been described by O’Reilly (2010, 79-80) as follows: ‘The stone from Rathduff, Emper, was reported by Hugh Weir in 1938. It is located in a souterrain (WM010-008001-) beneath a ringfort (WM010-008----) called Rathduff in the townland of the same name. This ringfort is on a private farm with no admittance to the public. The souterrain is accessed through an entrance on the north side of the ringfort interior. This leads to a well-constructed stone-built chamber with two passages leading away from it. Built into the souterrain wall on the right-hand side of the right passage is a long stone decorated with prehistoric rock art. The visible portion of the stone measures approximately 85 x 28cm. It is decorated with irregular linear grooves as well as a cup-mark, four cup-and-ring motifs and a concentric circle motif. The concentric circle motif measures approximately 14cm in diameter and consists of two encircling rings and traces of a third. Unusually these rings enclose not a cup-mark, but a raised circular area approximately 5cm in diameter. Radiating out from the centre and cutting through the lower part of the concentric circles is a radial groove measuring 8cm long. Another interesting feature of the Rathduff rock art is the presence of a meandering linear 'tail' that emerges from the right side terminus of the second concentric ring and runs to the lower right edge of the stone, a distance of about 20cm.’ See attached photograph of rock art taken from Emper National School website at http://emperns.ie/index.php/photo-gallery/ Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of revised upload: 1 November 2016

• WM010-009 Flat cemetery
  Description

  Situated on flat pasture land with ringfort (WM010-008----) marked on OS maps as ‘Rathduff’ containing a souterrain (WM010-008001-) decorated with a panel of rock art (WM010-008002-) immediately to NW. No surface remains visible of prehistoric flat cemetery (Waddell 1970, 134). In 1938 the site was described as following; ‘in a piece of tillage ground just beside the fort (WM010-008----) over a dozen stone lined cists have been dug up from time to time, but nothing was found except a few bones and traces of ashes. The cists were about two feet (0.6m) below the surface of the field, and I am told that other stone slabs are located deeper down and that they remain undisturbed’ (Weir 1938, 146-7). No monument indicated in this area on the 1914 ed. OS 6-inch map. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 1 November 2016

• WM010-043 Ford
  Description

  A fording point over the Inny River in the barony of Ardagh is described in the Civil Survey (1654-6) as ‘the foord of Ballahemper’ (Simington 1961, vol. 10, 46). Emper Castle (WM010-002----) is 980m to the SW. It was located along the stretch of the Inny River that forms the boundary with the townland of Newport, Co. Longford (LF024-011----). A ford and eel weir is indicated on the Inny River between the townland of Emper and Newport, Co. Longford on the 1st ed. (1836) OS 6-inch map. Compiled by Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 13 April 2012

Architectural heritage

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

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.

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.

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

Name

Emper · Impir

Area

6,560,014 m² (656 ha, 1,621.01 acres)

Civil parish

Kilmacnevan, and its townlands

Barony

Moygoish

Electoral division

Emper, the unit of the census

Census 2022

Emper electoral division: 217 people in 82 households; 84% of households own their home; 23% of homes were built since 2001; 19% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 1% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Aghnavealoge (Co. Longford), Ballallen, Ballynacarrow, Bardanstown, Churchtown, Conlanstown, Curristeen, Kinard (Co. Longford), Lissawarriff (Co. Longford), Newport (Co. Longford)

Placenames

Emper 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.