Millcastle
Townland in the civil parish of Rathgarve, barony of Fore, Co. Westmeath
Parcel 108667
- Area
- 175,246 m² (17.52 ha, 43.3 acres)
- Buildings
- No building touches it.
- 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
- Millcastle
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 5 recorded monuments.
- WM003-068 Church
Description
Situated atop hillock with good views of surrounding countryside. Rathgarve church ruins stand in the centre of a D-shaped graveyard (WM003-068001-) with possible medieval roadway running N-S forming E boundary of graveyard. A tower house (WM003-066----) and mill (WM003-066002-) stands 430m to the S with a wayside cross (WM003-044----) 490m to the NNW, a 17th century wayside cross (WM003-069----) lies 100m to S with motte and bailey (WM003-070----) 115m to SSE. Described in 1980 as 'The church is a plain rectangular almost featureless ruin of a stone built structure (int. dims. 15.3m E-W ; 5.7m N-S; wall T 0.9m) with its long axis lying E-W. Only the W gable survives to near the original height while the N, S & E walls only survive to a max. height of 1.75m. The walls are built of small blocks of rough undressed stone laid in fairly regular courses and bonded with mortar. There is a plain rectangular window ope in the W gable, this has a flat, roughly built arch across its top. Opposing gaps in the N & S walls W of their midpoints may represent the sites of doorways but this is uncertain. The E half of the church is filled with burials of 19th and 20th century & the W end also seems disturbed. The graveyard (WM003-068001-) is a roughly D-shaped enclosure bounded by a post-1700 stone wall with entrance gate and stile NE. The site is on a rise on the summit of a large N-S ridge in undulating pasture with very good views all round.' (SMR file 1980). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 19 July 2010
- WM003-068001 Graveyard
Description
Situated atop hillock with good views of surrounding countryside. Rathgarve church (WM003-068----) ruins stand in the centre of a D-shaped graveyard with possible medieval roadway running N-S forming E boundary of graveyard. A tower house (WM003-066----) and mill (WM003-066002-) stands 430m to the S with a wayside cross (WM003-044----) 490m to the NNW, a 17th century wayside cross (WM003-069----) lies 100m to S with motte and bailey (WM003-070----) 115m to SSE. Described in 1980 as 'The graveyard (WM003-068001-) is a roughly D-shaped enclosure (approx. dims. 66m N-S by 42m E-W) bounded by a post-1700 stone wall, the straight side of the D is along a N-S laneway on the E, there are no indications of a larger enclosure extending to the E of this laneway. The ground there slopes down away from the lane. Inside the wall and at varying distances from it there is a steep but fairly low scarp in places which may mark the outline of an earlier & smaller enclosure. The ground outside the wall is at a lower level than inside it as if the wall was built against a scarp. The graveyard contains a large no. of gravestones mainly 19th and 20th century, but possibly also some later 18th century, difficult to decipher the inscriptions. The monument is on a rise on the summit of a large N-S ridge in undulating pasture with very good views all round' (SMR file 1980). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 19 July 2010
- WM003-068002 Ecclesiastical enclosure
Description
The semi-oval form of the graveyard (WM003-068001-) boundary wall possibly indicates the presence of an Early Christian ecclesiastical enclosure (Swan 1988, 21). No evidence of earlier enclosure visible on aerial photograph. Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 12 October 2015
- WM003-069 Cross - Wayside cross
Description
A loose pile of stones marks the site of a 17th century wayside cross now lying on the ground located on W side of a possible medieval road, 80m S of Rathgarve Church (WM003-068----) and graveyard (WM003-068001-) with motte and bailey (WM003-070----) 40m to the W and a castle (WM003-066----) 350m to the S. Unable to locate the base and shaft of the cross which may be located amongst the stones now incorporated into field boundary of the old roadway. The cross stood on a rise of ground with good views in all directions. Cross recorded in 1874 by the Ordnance Survey as 'a portion of a cross. The upper portion is nearly perfect and there is an inscription on it but much defaced. I would read ….. The socket stands on a raised mound, the head is seperated from it' (OS Field Name Book 1874, 10). The cross was shown standing in a triangular-shaped base when it was sketched by George Du Noyer in 1864 (George Victor Du Noyer, “Calvary cross from the road side near the old church of Rathgarve Co. W Meath. Sheet 3/4.,” Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, accessed January 24, 2020, http://rsai.locloudhosting.net/items/show/23479). Described in 1928 as 'The fragments of a cross with solid recessed ring 1ft. 5in. (0.4m) in diameter. The head is 2ft. 3in. (0.67m) across the arms, and has in the centre a narrow panel containing several initial letters and date 1604. The head is placed on the base to which it belongs, and part of the shaft 2ft. 6in. (0.75m) long lies beside it. It is situated in the field W of the lane and S of the church (WM003-068----)'(Crawford 1928, 58, no. 6). Described in 1980 as 'The head of a solid ringed cross (H 0.58m; Wth 0.7m; T 0.14m). This is set in a small mound of grass covered stones in the W side of a N-S field fence on W side of laneway S of Rathgarve Church (WM003-068----) and NW of a motte and bailey (WM003-070----). There is now a barbed wire fence running along the field bank and the wire has been trained across the face of the cross so that I am unable to move it to examine both faces, with assistance it should be possible to move the cross without damaging it or the fence. The edges of the arms and ring are bevelled and there are 4 shallow depressions or cusps on the face of the ring near the edge. The arms have suffered damage in the past with sections of the surface having flaked off so that the ring appears to be raised at the junctions with these arms, but this is purely due to the damage as the surface is level at the junction with the other arm. It is not possible to see what if anything remains of the shaft without moving the cross. The hidden face appears to have the cusps and possibly also a figure carving or an inscription' (SMR file). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 23 June 2010
- WM003-070 Castle - motte and bailey
Description
Situated on top of a high steep ridge in grassland, with commanding views of the surrounding countryside. Tower house (WM003-066----) 280m to S, 17th century wayside cross (WM003-069---) 50m to W, Rathgarve church (WM003-068----) and graveyard (WM003-068001-) 120m to NNW. Stream which forms the townland boundary with Stonestown is 150m to E. The remains of a narrow roadway flanked on either side by a low stone wall 50m W of motte and bailey could be medieval in date. Present remains consist of a high steep, flat topped earthen mound (top diam. 18m E-W; base diam. 30m E-W) now covered in scrub vegetation which is enclosed by a wide, deep fosse and earthen bank, with a narrow causeway across the fosse at N. To N of the motte is a rectangular bailey (approx. dims. 32m N-S x 29m E-W) enclosed by an earthen bank and fosse. The enclosing bank is visible only at N. Traces of cultivation ridges are visible running WSW-ESE across the interior of the bailey. See attached plan of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 22 May 2017
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.
- Area
- 92.7 ha
- 229 acres
- Land parcels
- 21
- registered freehold, median 7,355 m² (0.74 ha, 1.82 acres)
- Zoning
- —
- not in a zoned settlement
- Planning
- 0
- applications since 2010
Land parcels
Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann
21 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Millcastle, from 822 m² to 280,465 m² (28.05 ha, 69.3 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 23 neighbouring parcels touch it.
Zoning
Development plans, national zoning
No zone of a development plan covers Millcastle 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.
Planning applications
Sites that touch the townland, newest first
No planning application touches the townland of Millcastle 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.
Nature and heritage
Designated sites and recorded monuments
Designated sites
No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Millcastle.
Recorded monuments
- WM003-065 Ringfort - rath
Description
Situated on gently rising grassland with good views to the N. The E half of this ringfort has been levelled. All that remains is a slightly raised area (approx. diam. 40m) sloping slightly from WNW-ESE, enclosed by an arc of earth and stone bank visible from S-W-N (max. H 1m; max. Wth 3.6m). See attached profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 22 May 2017
- WM003-066 Castle - tower house
Description
Situated on at N end of low ridge with River Glore 70m to N and possible mill race now dried up 40m to N as depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Motte and bailey castle (WM003-070----) and wayside cross (WM003-069---) 290m to N, building (WM006-066001-) annotated as ‘Tower’ in gothic script on 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map 90m to SSE. Depicted as a multi-storey tower with two storey house with gable chimney stack built onto one side of the tower on the 1657 Down Survey map of Fore barony (NLI, MS 723-4). The terrier of the 1657 Down Survey map of Rathgarve parish lists Richard Nugent, Earl of Westmeath, as the owner of the lands of Millcastle in 1641 (ibid.). In 1837 the Ordnance Survey Letters recorded that in Millcastle there was ‘to be seen in good preservation the ruins of a castle which gave name to the townland. It is situated on the south side of the River Glore, and near stood originally a mill (WM003-066002-) which gave it name, but of that not even the site can now be pointed out. Not far from the ruin of Millcastle is a square tower (WM003-066001-) evidently of the same age and style with the castle itself’ (O’Flanagan 1931, 103). Poorly preserved remains of a rectangular-shaped tower house (approx. ext. dims. 10.65m E-W; wall T 1.25m) of which only the NW wall (ext. L 10.65m) and approximately half of the NE & SW walls (ext. L of W wall 5.6m) survive. Built of rough undressed limestone blocks, laid in irregular courses. The corners of the tower are rounded externally and the walls are battered at the base. The NW wall stands two storeys high with springers of a stone vault visible at first floor level. There are a number of irregular openings in the walls which probably mark the location of windows. One small plain rectangular ope survives in the NW wall near the N corner. What may be the remains of a chimney flue can be seen in the SW corner. There are the remains of a narrow mural stairs in the NW corner now blocked up. To the E & SE of the castle old banks extend across the field forming a number of enclosures (WM003-066002-). Some of these earthworks are quite irregular and are very poorly preserved. An old roadway runs along the W & NW sides of the castle. The roadway crosses a dried up water-channel possibly an old mill-race via an old bridge. This water channel running from E-W was diverted from the River Glore via a cut in the SW side of the river 100m NE of the castle. The water-channel or millrace is clearly visible on Digital Globe aerial photographs taken November 2011. Compiled by: Frank Coyne & Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 December 2016
- WM003-066001 Bawn
Description
Situated on flat pasture-land with tower house (WM003-006----) 90m to NNW, River Glore 130m to N and possible mill race now dried up 105m to N as depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Motte and bailey castle (WM003-070----) and wayside cross (WM003-069---) 290m to N. In 1837 the Ordnance Survey Letters recorded that in Millcastle there was ‘to be seen in good preservation the ruins of a castle (wm003-066----) which gave name to the townland. It is situated on the south side of the River Glore, and near stood originally a mill (WM003-066002-) which gave it name, but of that not even the site can now be pointed out. Not far from the ruin of Millcastle is a square tower evidently of the same age and style with the castle itself’ (O’Flanagan 1931, 103). Depicted as 'Tower' on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Only the grass covered remains of a small rectangular-shaped tower (dims. 7m N-S; 5m E-W) survives. The building was rectangular in plan with its long axis aligned N-S and with gaps visible on E, W & NE sides. The wall footings this tower are now grassed over. The interior is lower than the surrounding field level. This may be possibly due to digging within tower where some loose stones are visible. There is very little indication of stone facing. At NE there is considerable mounding, and the ground falls away due to possible collapse. Wall footings are best preserved at S. To the NE of the tower is a large rectangular enclosure enclosed by an earthen bank with an external fosse at on the W. This bank is best preserved on the W & N, and is faint on the E & S. There are further earthworks or enclosures and banks visible between the tower and castle which are visible on Digital Globe aerial photographs. Some of these earthworks are quite irregular and are very poorly preserved. It is possible that this tower which was described in the OS Letters as being contemporaneous in date with the nearby tower house represents the angle tower on a bawn associated with Millcastle (WM003-006----). A water channel running from E-W was diverted from the River Glore via a cut in the SW side of the river 100m NNE of the tower. The water-channel or millrace is clearly visible on Digital Globe aerial photographs taken November 2011. Compiled by: Frank Coyne & Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 December 2016
- WM003-066002 Mill - unclassified
Description
Situated on flat pasture-land with Millcastle (WM003-006----) 40m S of mill-race, River Glore 30m to N of possible mill race now dried as depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Motte and bailey castle (WM003-070----) and wayside cross (WM003-069---) 290m to N. A water channel running from E-W was diverted from the River Glore via a cut in the SW side of the river 100m NNE of the castle (WM003-006---). The water-channel or millrace is clearly visible on Digital Globe aerial photographs taken November 2011. The precise location of the watermill operating off this millrace has not been identified however the earthworks visible on Digital Globe aerial photographs may be related to the mill or the adjoining tower house. In 1837 the Ordnance Survey Letters recorded that in Millcastle there was ‘to be seen in good preservation the ruins of a castle (WM003-066----) which gave name to the townland. It is situated on the south side of the River Glore, and near stood originally a mill which gave it name, but of that not even the site can now be pointed out. Not far from the ruin of Millcastle is a square tower (WM003-066001-) evidently of the same age and style with the castle itself’ (O’Flanagan 1931, 103). Compiled by: Frank Coyne & Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 December 2016
- WM003-067 Mound
Description
Situated on top of a small hill in grassland with excellent views of Lough Glore to E. Tower house (WM003-066----) and bawn (WM003-066001-) 300m to NW, respectively. An irregular shaped mound of stones, now grass-covered with no clearly defined kerb features. Possibly the result of field clearance. Not marked as any antiquity on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. Doubtful antiquity, may be the remains of a post-1700 field clearance cairn. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 22 May 2017
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).
Homes sold
Property Price Register
No address of the register names Millcastle with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Westmeath.
The townland
- Name
- Millcastle
- Area
- 926,509 m² (92.65 ha, 228.95 acres)
- Civil parish
- Rathgarve, and its townlands
- Barony
- Fore
- Electoral division
- Fore West, the unit of the census
- Neighbouring townlands
- Freaghmore, Gilbertstown, Knockroe, Martinstown, Rathgarve, Stonestown
- Placenames
- Millcastle 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.