Portloman

39 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Portloman, from 14 m² to 196,578 m² (19.66 ha, 48.58 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 9 neighbouring parcels touch it.

No zone of a development plan covers Portloman 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 Portloman in the national file, which goes back to 2010.

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: Lough Owel SAC 000688
• Special Protection Area: Lough Owel SPA 004047
• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Lough Owel 000688

Recorded monuments

• WM011-143 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on ENE facing slope of a prominent hill in grassland, overlooking Lough Owel to the E, NE & SE, with excellent views in other directions also. Penitential station (WM011-142----) 100m to NW. A large circular shaped area (approx. diam. 37m E-W) enclosed by a low broad well preserved earthen bank and slight external fosse. Traces of cultivation ridges are visible running WSW-ENE across the interior of the monument. A field fence running NW-SE intersects the perimeter of the site from N-E. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 30 August 2017

• WM011-144 Barrow - bowl-barrow
  Description

  Monument placed on the Register of Historic Monuments on the 17/02/1977. Extract from Iris Oifigiúil 25th February 1977. Portloman Abbey (WM011-145----) and Lough Owel 200m to E, standing stone (WM011-146----) 170m to SSW, bowl-barrow (WM011-139----) 300m to NNW. In 1912 it was recorded that a medieval graveslab (WM011-145002-) was excavated out of the mound located in the field beside Portloman Church (WM011-145----) and graveyard (WM011-145001-) (Tuite 1912, 69). The slab 'was found in the centre of the earthwork, on a level with the surrounding land, but there is no tradition that any human remains were underneath. Almost ever since this beautiful old stone has served the ignoble purpose of an improvised footway across the boundary-ditch which separates the farm on which it was found from the adjoining graveyard of Portloman' (Tuite 1912, 69). This mound was described by James Tuite (1912, 69) as following; 'The greater part of the mound still exists, and from examination it would appear that the work of excavation was carefully carried out. At present it stands about 18 feet (5.5m) in height; originally it was probably not more than 22 feet (6.7m). It is of the usual type we see scattered over the country, and in which Westmeath is particularly rich, especially this west shore of Lough Owel. In the immediate neighbourhood, and quite near the lake, is the mound of Forraidh, where Fiachra, brother of Nial of the Nine Hostages, was interred (Silva Gadelica); the mounds at Slanemore, associated with the ancient tale, Táin Bó Cuailgne; and the celebrated hill of Fremhain (Frewin); while Portloman itself occupies a very prominent place in Irish ecclesiastical history. I may also add that the Slige Assail, one of the great roads from Tara, runs through the above-named townlands, and its course can be distinctly traced in several places'. The presence of a medieval graveslab underneth the mound suggests that either the mound dates from the medieval period or that it was a prehistoric burial mound reused in the medieval period. Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 31-2) as following: ‘Enormous circular mound (Diam. 34.5m N-S x 35.5m E-W) with rounded, almost conical profile and flat-topped, irregular-shaped summit (Diam. 4.5m N-S x 4.5m E-W), surrounded by relatively shallow ditch, up to 0.3m in depth below external ground level, that is best preserved at SE and running from S to SW. Height of mound above ditch ranges from 3.06m on S side to 4.04m on N side. It is possible that apex of mound may be stepped, as at Slane More (WM018-078----) this effect is most pronounced at S and SW, where there is a clear drop of O.5m. On SE side, the well-defined ditch has what appears to be a counterscarp bank, but this effect seems to be created by a falling off of natural ground-surface just beyond ditch to SE, a topographical feature that can be traced running off from the barrow in a NE direction. Width of ditch ranges from 2.5m at ESE to 5.5m at N, where it is broad, shallow and indistinct, so that overall diameter of monument is 44m N-S x 44m E-W. Even allowing for erosion, size of ditch is completely insufficient to account for the mass of earth in the mound, which might possibly represent a modified kame or other sort of glacial hillock common in this area. Profile of mound is irregular on E and NE sides, as if material has been removed, and it has suffered recent erosion in places due to grazing sheep. There are two mature deciduous trees on E and S edges of mound and others close by, all probably planted in the 18th century. Monument is situated in low-lying pasture c. 250m to SW of Lough Owel. Beginning 20m to WNW of the barrow is a broad, sunken channel 12m in width and 0.5m in depth, which runs off in a WNW direction. Mr Dermot Bannon, a local landowner, identified this as the ancient road known as the Slighe Asail. The ancient, embanked curvilinear enclosure surrounding the ruined medieval church (WM011-145----) of Portloman, site of an early foundation (WM011-145005-) (Swan 1988, 10), lies 190m to ENE on shore of Lough Owel; the church may itself be situated on a stepped barrow or tumulus. The RMP documents two standing stones in the vicinity of the barrow: one less than 200m to SW (WM011-146----), now apparently removed but modern according to a local landowner Mr Dermot Bannon; the other stands fixed in cement over 300m to SE (WM011-147----), and comprises a narrow, angular pillar rubbed smooth by animals, which Mr Bannon also plausibly regards as recent’. See attached profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of revised upload: 30 August 2017

• WM011-145 Church
  Description

  Lomán of Lough Owel (Lough Uair) was the son of Oireannan and was associated with a church (WM012-167----) on Church Island (Inis Mor) and with a church at Portloman (Teach/Port Lomáin) also possibly known as Teach Mic Luim (Ó Riain 1992, 401-02). According to Ó Riain (1992, 402) Lomán's church stood on the ancient roadway known as the Slighe Asail. According to local tradition a sacred song of Colum Cille called the Amhra was sung on a route or station performed between the church and the cross (WM011-145003-) and the penitential station Leac Lomán (WM011-142----) located 800m to SW (ibid.). His feastday fell on the 7th of February or possibly on the 3rd of February (ibid.). The church ruins were described in 1876 as measuring 'seventy-seven feet [23.5m], by twenty feet four inches [6.2m]. A stone [WM011-145002-], deeply embedded in the clay, was disinterred some years ago. It was shaped like a coffin-lid, and it had a cross inscribed. Probably, it marked the grave of some ecclesiastic, in former times' (O'Hanlon 1875-1903, 384). Described in 1980 as 'The ruin of a long rectangular building aligned ESE-WNW. The building is 8m wide by at least 25m long. The SSW wall, part of the WNW wall and part of the NNE wall survive. The ESE wall is missing so the exact length cannot be determined. There is a rect.[angular] doorway of roughly shaped stones near the W end of the SSW wall. There is the remains of the northern end of a crossing wall which seemingly divided the building into a nave and chancel. There are no decorated stones visible. The east end of the NNE wall is a cross wall. This area is very ruined but there appears to have been a mural stair here and there is a small garderobe near the cross wall between the nave and chancel. The surviving walls are very ruined and rise at their highest to 2.5m. The church ruin is set within a subcircular enclosure bounded by a low scarp which is well preserved from SE through E through NW to SW and poorly preserved from SW through S to SE. Beyond the foot of the scarp is a low earth and stone bank which now forms the perimeter of the graveyard (WM011-145004-). There is a modern stone wall built against the outer face of this from NW through N to east. The churchyard contains some 18th and 19th century tombstones. There are no earthworks visible in the surrounding field' (SMR file). A bowl-barrow (WM011-144----) lies 230m to W and a cross (WM011-145003-) lies 6m W of the church. The church and graveyard are located on the W shoreline of Lough Owel. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 June 2010

• WM011-145001 Cross-inscribed stone
  Description

  Described in 1980 as 'a flat sandstone slab (L 0.67m; Wth 0.28m) with an incised cross in the centre surrounded by a lightly incised pattern of rectangles. This stone lies on the ground about 2m west of the west end of the church (WM011-145----)' (SMR file, 15/10/1980). See attached rough sketch of graveslab drawn in 1980. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 June 2010

• WM011-145002 Graveslab
  Description

  In 1912 it was recorded that this graveslab was excavated out of the mound or possible bowl-barrow (WM011-144----) located in the field beside Portloman Church (WM011-145----) and graveyard (WM011-145001-) (Tuite 1912, 69). The slab 'was found in the centre of the earthwork, on a level with the surrounding land, but there is no tradition that any human remains were underneath. Almost ever since this beautiful old stone has served the ignoble purpose of an improvised footway across the boundary-ditch which separates the farm on which it was found from the adjoining graveyard of Portloman' (Tuite 1912, 69). This mound was described by Tuite (1912, 69) as following; 'The greater part of the mound still exists, and from examination it would appear that the work of excavation was carefully carried out. At present it stands about 18 feet (5.5m) in height; originally it was probably not more than 22 feet (6.7m). It is of the usual type we see scattered over the country, and in which Westmeath is particularly rich, especially this west shore of Lough Owel'. The graveslab was described a measuring 'about 6 feet (1.8m) long, 2 feet (0.6m) wide at the top, 18 inches (0.45m) at the bottom, and 5 inches (0.12m) thick. It is in a remarkably good state of preservation, due of course to the fact that it was for such a long period protected by the clay of the mound (ibid.). The graveslab was described as a 'tapering coffin-shape, but the ornamental carving is unusual. The ordinary floreated cross is absent, and in its place there is an axial line dividing the decorated surface longitudinally into two halves. Each of these halves is ornamented with a series of devices, similar but not sym¬metrically disposed. At the head of each side is a cross pattée with interlacing lines, below which is a sexfoil in a circle. Beneath this again is another cross pattée, differing from the first in having the limbs voided. The rest of the decoration consists of Greek fret, returned on the dexter side, and a continuous pattern, partly floral, partly geometrical, of fairly common type, which on the sinister side runs up to touch the upper cross' (ibid.) In 1980 the graveslab was described in 'a tapering limestone flag (Top Wth 0.67m; base Wth 0.3m; L 0.67m) approx. 0.17m thick now set on a modern concrete base inside the graveyard (WM011-145004-) gate. The slab is divided by a double line down the centre and decorated with a fret and marigold. Another fret and a double line of a key pattern and a chain of recessed S-shaped loops' (SMR file). See attached drawing of graveslab taken from JRSAI 1912. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 30 August 2017

• WM011-145003 Cross
  Description

  Described in 1980 as 'Almost 6m west of the west wall of the ruin (WM011-145----) is a small broken cross (H 0.9m; Wth c. 0.22m; T 0.12m) with a solid ring. The cross is of limestone and bears no inscription. The workmanship suggests a late medieval date at the earliest' (SMR file) the cross is located to the W of a medieval church ruins (WM011-145----) standing inside a ciruclar shaped graveyard (WM011-145004-) with bowl-barrow (WM011-144----) 220m to W. See attached rough sketch of cross drawn in 1980. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 June 2010

• WM011-145004 Graveyard
  Description

  Lomán of Lough Owel (Lough Uair) was the son of Oireannan and was associated with a church (WM012-167----) on Church Island (Inis Mor) and with a church at Portloman (Teach/Port Lomáin) also possibly known as Teach Mic Luim (Ó Riain 1992, 401-02). According to Ó Riain (1992, 402) Lomán's church stood on the ancient roadway known as the Slighe Asail. According to local tradition a sacred song of Colum Cille called the Amhra was sung on a route or station performed between the church and a cross and the penitential station Leac Lomán (WM011-142----) located 800m to SW (ibid.). His feastday fell on the 7th of February or possibly on the 3rd of February (ibid.). Described in 1980 as 'The church ruin (WM011-145----) is set within a subcircular enclosure bounded by a low scarp which is well preserved from SE through E through NW to SW and poorly preserved from SW through S to SE. Beyond the foot of the scarp is a low earth and stone bank which now forms the perimeter of the graveyard. There is a modern stone wall built against the outer face of this from NW through N to east. The churchyard (int. dims. 60m N-S; 60m E-W) contains some 18th and 19th century tombstones. There are no earthworks visible in the surrounding field' (SMR file). A bowl-barrow (WM011-144----) lies 230m to W and a cross (WM011-145003-) lies 6m to W of the church. Inside the graveyard are the remains of two medieval graveslabs (WM011-145002-/003-) and a burial vault located to the E of the medieval church ruins. The church and graveyard are located on the W shoreline of Lough Owel. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 June 2010

• WM011-145005 Ecclesiastical enclosure
  Description

  Lomán of Lough Owel (Lough Uair) was the son of Oireannan and was associated with a church (WM012-167----) on Church Island (Inis Mor) and with a church at Portloman (Teach/Port Lomáin) also possibly known as Teach Mic Luim (Ó Riain 1992, 401-02). According to Ó Riain (1992, 402) Lomán's church stood on the ancient roadway known as the Slighe Asail. According to local tradition a sacred song of Colum Cille called the Amhra was sung on a route or station performed between the church and the cross (WM011-145003-) and the penitential station Leac Lomán (WM011-142----) located 800m to SW (ibid.). His feastday fell on the 7th of February or possibly on the 3rd of February (ibid.). Possible ecclesiastical enclosure identified by Swan (1988, 10) who recorded that there was evidence of a possible enclosure in the segmental form of the boundary wall of Portloman graveyard (WM011-145004-). Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 18 August 2015

• WM011-146 Standing stone
  Description

  Situated on a slight ridge in grassland, 125m S of a bowl-barrow (WM011-144----) and 200m SW of Portloman Church (WM011-145----). Standing stone marked at this location on 1837 OS Fair Plan map but not depicted on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. No trace of a standing stone at this location. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 30 August 2017

• WM011-147 Standing stone
  Description

  Situated on a slight ridge in grassland 60m from the W shore of Lough Owel, Portloman Church (WM011-145----) 150m to N and standing stone (WM011-146----) lies 220m to W. A limestone slab (H 1.75m; dims. 0.3m x 0.25m) set in concrete with a benchmark (347ft.) at the base of the stone. The stone is broken and would originally have been higher. The lower portion is polished by cattle due to its use as a scratching stone. Marked as 'Standing stone' on 1837 OS Fair Plan map. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 30 August 2017

• WM018-022 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated at the N end of a prominent ridge, in wet pasture, with extensive views to N, S and towards Lough Owel to E. On the demesne lands of Portloman House which lies c. 240m to NE. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as an oval-shaped, tree-plantation. Depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map as an oval-shaped, partially tree-planted feature. Not depicted as an antiquity on an y edition of the OS 6-inch maps but shown as a landscape feature on all editions of the OS 6-inch maps. Visible as an oval-shaped cropmark on oblique aerial photograph taken 17/07/1971 (CUCAP, BGH106). Levelled monument described in 1981 as an oval-shaped area (28m E-W; 24m N-S) defined by very faint traces of an inner and possibly an outer bank with a narrow, shallow intervening fosse. No visible remains of an entrance feature. The interior has a gentle E-facing slope. Levelled monument visible today as an oval-shaped cropmark defined by an area of differential growth, on Digital Globe aerial photography. Possibly a ringfort landscaped as a tree-plantation on the demesne lands of Portloman House in the post-1700 period. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 11 January 2019

• WM018-023 Castle - unclassified
  Description

  Situated on a low rise, in pasture, 40m W of the W shoreline of Lough Owel, with landing place for boat to E. Portloman House 130m to NW. Motte (WM018-024----) castle lies c. 130m to S. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a rectangular-shaped building aligned NE-SW. Only a section of the NW wall of this castle is depicted on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map with a short stretch of wall running parallel to SE, annotated ‘Nugent’s Castle (in ruins)’. No castle is depicted at this location on the 1657 Down Survey map of Portloman parish or Corkaree barony (NLI, MS 723-4). Castle described in 1980 as the very poorly preserved remains of a rectangular-shaped stone-built structure (dims. 16.3m NNE-SSW; 7.3m ESE-WNW) defined by traces of masonry walls (T 0.9m; H 0.75m) to ESE, SSW and NNE, having relatively modern repairs. The walls are built of undressed limestone laid in fairly regular courses with a rubble core and bonded with mortar. The best preserved portion of wall (H 0.75m) at ESE, which is gapped and has a rough buttress erected against the external face. A possible door jamb is visible at the southern end of the ESE wall. A poorly preserved portion of wall survives at the N and S corners, with a buttress visible at N corner. Repairs are evident where the walls have been rebuilt and repointed in the vicinity of the buttresses. Some potential wall footings define the NNE wall, where steadfast stones protrude above the ground surface. The remains of an internal partition wall may run to W from the ESE wall. There is some fallen masonry around the site particularly just outside the ESE wall. No recognisable architectural features visible. Earthworks visible to the NW of the castle are visible on Digital Globe aerial photography. Monument is visible today as an irregular-shaped tree-planted area on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 11 January 2019

• WM018-024 Castle - motte
  Description

  Situated on high ground with extensive views, particularly over Lough Owel, c. 80m to E. Nugent’s Castle (WM018-023----) lies c. 130m to N and Portloman House c. 200m to NW. Depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a roughly oval-shaped tree-planted earthwork. Annotated ‘Mote’ on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map and depicted as a steep-sided mound which is partially enclosed by a fosse. Described in 1983 as a high steep-sided flat-topped earthen mound (diam. 20m; approx. H 7m) the base of which is enclosed by a fosse (Wth 4.5m) and external bank. The outer bank rises c. 0.5-1m high above the fosse. The fosse and outer bank are best preserved from SE-SW, although they are visible from SW-N. According to Salter (2004, 158) two fragments of a masonry structure possibly a castle, were visible on the summit of the motte. Earthworks to E of mound visible on aerial photographs may indicate location of a bailey. Monument is visible today as a substantial tree-lined mound enclosed by a fosse, on Digital Globe aerial photography. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 11 January 2019

• WM018-025 Standing stone
  Description

  Situated on NW shoulder of a flat, raised area, in pasture. Nugent’s Castle (WM018-023----) c. 130m to N and a second possible standing stone (WM018-026----) lies 195m to SE. Not depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map or on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map. No antiquity depicted at this location on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. Described in 1983 as an upright stone (approx. H 1m) which is worn smooth on the sides by livestock rubbing against it. They have also worn a hollow area around the base of the stone. This stone may be relatively modern, being erected as a scratching post. Doubtful antiquity. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 11 January 2019

• WM018-026 Standing stone
  Description

  Situated on a slight rise, in generally level pasture. Not depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map or on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map. A possible standing stone (WM018-026----) lies c. 195m to NW. No antiquity marked at this location on any edition of the OS 6-inch map. Described in 1983 as an upright stone (approx. H 1.5m) which is rectangular in plan (approx. dims. 0.07m x 0.05m) worn smooth on the sides by livestock rubbing against it. There is a slight groove cut into the top of the stone. Cattle have worn a hollow area around the base of the stone. This stone may be relatively modern, being erected as a scratching post. Of doubtful antiquity. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 11 January 2019

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 Portloman with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Westmeath.

Name

Portloman · Port Lomáin

Area

1,059,613 m² (105.96 ha, 261.84 acres)

Civil parish

Portloman, and its townlands

Barony

Corkaree

Electoral division

Portloman, the unit of the census

Neighbouring townlands

Ballard, Monroe, Scurlockstown, Wattstown

Placenames

Portloman 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.