Wattstown

37 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Wattstown, from 140 m² to 174,625 m² (17.46 ha, 43.15 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 25 neighbouring parcels touch it.

No zone of a development plan covers Wattstown 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.

• 21 Aug 2025Conditional

  to construct a storey & half dwelling (238.5sqm), a domestic garage (60.4sqm) and domestic entrance onto the public roadway. Permission is also sought to install a secondary treatment system and polishing filter and all associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 2560415

• 11 Jul 2025Conditional

  to renovate & extend existing cottage, alter existing entrance onto road, new wastewater treatment system and percolation area and all associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 2560353

• 17 Apr 2025Conditional

  permission to construct a storey & half dwelling (291.8sqm), a domestic garage (36sqm) and upgrade the existing agricultural entrance to facilitate a shared agricultural and domestic entrance onto the public roadway. Permission is also sought to install a septic tank and percolation area and all associated site works.

  Permission, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 2560186

• 25 Nov 2022Conditional

  to renovate & extend existing cottage, alter existing entrance onto road, new waste water treatment system and percolation area and all associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 2260020

• 18 Nov 2022Conditional

  permission to construct a two-storey dwelling (267.9 sq m) and domestic garage (50 sq m). Permission is also sought for the installation of a domestic well, a wastewater treatment system and polishing filter, together with converting the existing agricultural entrance to a domestic entrance and all associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Westmeath County Council, 2260011

• 22 Jan 2018Conditional

  construction of new water treatment facilities on the site adjacent to and within the existing Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Portloman. These works will operate in conjunction with the existing WTP and are considered an upgrade of the existing treatment facilities. The development will comprise of the following: 2 Nr Inlet Contact Tanks less than or equal to 4.5m h (h=height); Main Treatment Building less than or equal to 9.03m (h); 2 Nr Chemical Storage Tanks equal to 5m (h); 2 Nr Chemical Storage Tanks equal to 3.5m (h); 4 Nr Filters equal to 5m (h); Pipework Gallery equal to 6.86m (h); Backwash Tank (underground) equal to 5m (deep); Contact Tank (underground) equal to 5m (deep); 2 Nr Used Washwater Tanks (partially below ground) equal to 5 m (deep); Washwater Clarifier equal to 7m (h); Thickened Sludge Tank equal to 3.8m (h). The development will also include on-site roadways, parking and hardstanding areas, landscaping, external lighting, security fencing, drainage and all associated ancillary works and other enabling civil works. A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been furnished for the proposed development given its proximity to designated Lough Owel SAC (Site code 000688) and SPA (Site code 004047) and the potential for significant effects.

  Permission · Westmeath County Council, 186013

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

• WM011-130 Barrow - ring-barrow
  Description

  National Monument No. 606. Described in 1978 as following: ‘The low earthen mound roughly circular in plan is surrounded by a rather wide fairly shallow fosse. These is turn are enclosed by a low earthen bank. The mound has been gapped and partly defaced on its eastern side. Located directly SW of the barrow No. 4 (WM011-131----)’ (SMR File 13/06/1978). A second report in 1979 described as the monument as ‘a fairly well preserved circular flat platform surrounded by a wide fosse. The fosse has been disturbed on the eastern side and part of the platform has been cut away and the spoil deposited on the eastern edge of the platform, creating a bank like situation. The fosse is surrounded by a wide low earthen bank. An old field bank runs into the bank on the NE side. This barrow is on sloping ground on the NW side of Frewin Hill, below the summit with panoramic views to North and West’ (SMR File 02/05/1979). A third report from April 1979 recorded that ‘On the S and W the bank is partly denuded and leveled by the old cultivation ridges running W/E up the slope of the hill’ (SMR File). Monument surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 33-4) as following: ‘Fairly well preserved, roughly circular ring-barrow (diam. 32m N-S) on ground sloping markedly down to W; W side of monument is heavily overgrown. Monument comprised a low central platform (basal diam. 17.6m N-S) surrounded by a broad flat-bottomed ditch, 2.5-4m in width, and an outer bank, 4-4.5m width from base of ditch to ground level outside. Platform rises from 0.48m above base of ditch on E side up to 0.94m above base of ditch on SW side. E side of platform appears flattened as if partly shorn off, and the adjacent ditch is wider here; this alteration appears to be related to a semicircular earthwork that adjoins NE side. Where bank is well-preserved on NNE side it rises up to 1.3m above base of ditch, although on SW side, where it is fairly well preserved, it rises only 0.6m above base of ditch; where bank is very low on E side, it nonetheless rises up to 1.7m above base of ditch. Maximum height of bank above external ground level reaches 1m on WSW side. Maximum depth of ditch below and perpendicular to a line joining top of bank to upper surface of platform ranges from 0.57m at SSE side to 0.96m at E side. There is a bowl-barrow (WM011-131----) in adjacent field 27m to ENE. Running approximately in a semicircle from NE side of the present monument around N side of the bow-barrow, at a distance of no less than 10m from the latter, is a complex earthwork that appears to have been intended to link both monuments together. This earthwork is closely connected with the ring-barrow and either forms part of its original design or, when constructed, necessitated significant alterations to the pre-existing barrow. Bank of ring-barrow has been cut through on NE side by a low, V-shaped ditch, 7-7.5m wide, which joins onto ditch of ring-barrow 0.8m above its base. Where this broad ditch joins onto ditch of barrow, the latter continues its curve and appears to have been widened at the expense of the central platform, which has had its E side shorn off and flattened. On N side of ditch of semicircular earthwork is a low, flat-topped bank 2.5m in width and 0.45m in height, which runs for 40m into the next field, where it ends 12m to NW of the bowl-barrow (WM011-131----); opposite side of the ditch appears to be formed by scarping the slightly higher ground to SE. At point where bank ends to NW of bowl-barrow (WM011-131----) it curves in towards scarp, gently narrowing the ditch. From this point onwards, ditch below scarp is far narrower, being 4.5m across and 1m deep to N of bowl-barrow (WM011-131----), and there are only slight traces of a counterscarp bank beyond it; it runs in an ESE direction for 35m, where, about 16m ENE of the bowl-barrow, it ends, while the scarp itself kinks to E, running for another 17m before swerving to SSE and blending into the natural slope. Ground falls away sharply immediately to NE of this semicircular earthwork and, just beyond end of ditch and scarp, falls away quite steeply to E. Distance from start of earthwork at ring-barrow to E end is c. 75m and, with the ring-barrow at one end, its appearance in aerial photographs is not unlike the profile of an Iron Age brooch’. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 25 January 2016

• WM011-131 Barrow - bowl-barrow
  Description

  National Monument No. 606. Described in 1979 as following: ‘The low earth and stone mound is of circular plan with a slightly conical point. Its sides have been gravelled and disturbed showing its stoney core. On the E and NE there are very slight traces of a shallow fosse with even fainter indications of a bank outside. This ‘bank’ is not present in the S and W where however there are very clear traces of old cultivation ridges. An old earth and stone field bank separates this side on the W from Site 5 (WM011-130---)’ (SMR File 18/04/1979). A seonc field report from the same year describes the monument as ‘a small low bowl barrow, now quite denuded by cattle. There is a very shallow fosse at the foot of the barrow on west, north and east with a very low outer bank of earth on northeast & west. A field fence runs close to the perimeter of the barrow on the north & NNE sides. The barrow is on top of a rise on the NW shoulder of the hill’ (SMR File 02/05/1979). Monument surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 34) as following: ‘Roughly circular mound (diam. 9m N-S x 9.4m E-W) with shapely rounded profile, surrounded by shallow ditch, situated on flattish, gently N-sloping summit of spur of Frewin Hill. Where best preserved in NE quadrant, ditch is up to 3.2m in width with a depth of 0.1m below external ground level; mound rises up to 1.34m above ditch on this side. If ditch were well-preserved all round, overall diameter of monument would be somewhere in the vicinity of 15m. Ring-barrow (WM011-130----) lies on sloping ground 27m to WSW, on opposite side of a recently constructed double-fence, over 4m in width, with trees planted in the middle. Running approximately in a semicircle from NE side of ring-barrow around the present monument is an earthwork comprising a scarp, ditch and outer bank. Large cairn or tumulus (WM011-133----) on summit of Frewin Hill is prominent to E, and ring-barrows at Balrath (WM011-103----; WM011-104----) would be visible to N but for trees’. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 25 January 2016

• WM011-132 Barrow - bowl-barrow
  Description

  Described in 1979 'as a very small earthwork to the SW of Barrow 6 (WM011-133----). It consists of a small circular mound which appears to have been disturbed as there is a slight hollow in the centre. The mound is surrounded by a narrow ledge, which forms a fosse on the south side, presumably the fosse extended all the way around originally. Outside there is a very low bank on the South and SE. On North, NE & West the bank continues as a low scarp' (ASI Survey Files). Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 35) as following: ‘Small, low, roughly circular mound (Diam. 4.Sm N-S x 4.4m E-W) with traces of shallow ditch, 1.5m wide, around base on S and SE sides, situated on flattish summit of Frewin Hill. Ground slopes down sharply immediately to SW and more gradually to SE, so that mound reaches a maximum height of 0.4m on SW side. Large cairn or tumulus (WM011-133----) lies 8m to NE, and 10m to WNW of this is a second tiny barrow (WM011-160----). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 22 April 2016 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 2/2009).

• WM011-133 Barrow - mound barrow
  Description

  Large burial mound situated on top of Frewin Hill with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside in all directions. The burial mound (approx. diam. 32m; approx. H3-4m) has disturbed by the construction of an Ordnance Survey trig station (OD 569 ft.) on top of the mound and is bisected by a post-1837 field boundary running NE-SW which is not depicted on the first ed. OS 6-inch map but is indicated on the revised 1911 ed. OS maps. The S and E side of the mound appears to have been disturbed by this later activity. A telecoms mast has been built at the base of the mound on the E side. The original well preserved profile of the burial mound is visible on the N side which is mainly undisturbed. A small ring-barrow (WM011-132----) 7m to the SW is visible on the W shoulder of the hill. From the summit of the barrow there are commanding views of Lough Owel from NNE-E-SE, the E shoreline of which is 1km to the E and of Lough Iron 3km to the NNW. Bowl-barrow (WM011-131----) visible on shoulder of hill 210m WNW. Described in 1979 as 'On the summit of Frewin Hill is a large roughly circular shaped mound. The sides are fairly regular while the area around the base is uneven & disturbed. A field bank & ditch run across the mound in a ENE-WSW direction. This may be a large bowl barrow. However it is possible that only the top part of the mound is man made, in which case this is a small barrow on top of a natural mound. There are wide panoramic views, with the barrow at Croghan, Co. Offaly, Ushnagh & Loughcrew visible on the horizon' (ASI Survey files 1979). An earlier survey report from 1978 states that 'There is no trace of a Trig. Station which is marked on the maps along the line of this fence' (ASI Survey Files 1978). Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 34-5) as following: ‘Enormous, roughly circular mound (Diam. 33m NNW-SSE x 32m ENE-WSW) capped by trigonometrical station on flat-topped summit of Frewin Hill overlooking Lough Owel to E. Mound appears to have had a flattened top (Diam. 9.6m N-S), though only the SE and particularly the NW ends of this are preserved on either side of a later field-fence, comprising a bank flanked by ditches, which runs over and cuts into the mound from WSW to ENE; large number of stones taken from ditches to form this bank suggests that the mound may be either a cairn or a very stony tumulus, and probing through the sod would appear to confirm this. Height of mound above surrounding ground ranges from 3.3m on W side to 4.1m on E side. Given its size and location, this may be a passage-tomb, although it is uncertain whether it is composed primarily of earth or stone, and no kerbstones or other diagnostic features are visible. ENE edge of mound appears to have been disturbed when an enclosure surrounding a recent mobile-phone mast was constructed. Two other tiny, satellite barrows lie 8m to SW (WM011-132----) and 10m to WNW (WM011-160----) respectively. Nearby bowl-barrow (WM011-121----) is clearly visible on spur of Frewin Hill to NW, though ring-barrow (WM011-130----) on W-facing slope 27m to W of bowl-barrow is not visible. Ring-barrow at Monroe (WM011-137----) is visible to S and ring-barrows at Balrath to N (WM011-104----; WM011-103----) would be visible but for trees. Farther afield, barrows at Slane More (WM018-078----) are clearly visible to S. Knockdrin (WM012-183----) is visible on horizon to E, and barrows at Rathbennett (WM011-156----) on hilltop to N and Clanhugh Demesne (WM011-150----) on far shore of Lough Owel to NE would be visible but for trees. The Loughcrew hills in Co. Meath, site of an important Passage-tomb cemetery, are clearly visible to NE. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 22 April 2016 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 2/2009).

• WM011-139 Barrow - bowl-barrow
  Description

  Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 35-6) as following: ‘Steep-sided, roughly circular earthen and stone mound (Diam. 11m N-S x 11m E-W) with domed or slightly pointed profile, up to 2.2m high at highest, ENE side. Mound composed of large amounts of stone mixed with earth, but this is not a cairn per se, as some thick (c. 0.4m) layers of soil are exposed where cattle have eroded edge of mound on E side. There are very faint traces of what may be a broad, shallow ditch around base of mound on SE side. Mound is situated in low-lying pastureland c. 300m W of shore of Lough Owel. It has not been positioned on highest local elevation: there is a more prominent rise to SSW in same field and a N-S running ridge immediately NE of mound. Knockdrin (WM012-183----) is visible to E and Frewin Hill (WM011-133----) would he visible to W if there were no trees to obstruct the view. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 22 April 2016

• WM011-141 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on a natural rise surrounded by gently undulating grassland with good views of Lough Owel to the NE and SE. A raised circular shaped area (approx. diam 34m NE-SW) enclosed by a low earthen bank and external fosse. This fragmentary bank is visible from S-W-WNW and reduced to a scarp elsewhere. The interior has an appreciable slope from SW-NE and has traces of cultivation ridges which run in the same direction. A field fence with mature trees curves around the perimeter of the monument from W-N-NE. See attached profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 30 August 2017

• WM011-160 Barrow - bowl-barrow
  Description

  Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 35) as following: 'Small, low, roughly circular mound (Diam. 3.4m N-­S x 3.5m E-­W) with traces of shallow ditch, 1.5m wide, most clearly visible on SSW side, situated on flattish summit of Frewin Hill. Site was overgrown with nettles when examined, apparently following line of ditch but making this low-­relief monument difficult to see; as such, height of mound could not be ascertained. Large cairn or tumulus (WM011-133----) lies 10m to ESE and 8m to SW of this is a second tiny barrow (WM011-132----). Barrow appears to lie on line between large tumulus (WM011-133----) and bowl-­barrow (WM011-131----) to ENE. As with nearby WM011-132---- to S, ground slopes down sharply immediately to W. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 23 February 2015

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

Name

Wattstown

Area

1,142,698 m² (114.27 ha, 282.37 acres)

Civil parish

Portloman, and its townlands

Barony

Corkaree

Electoral division

Portloman, the unit of the census

Neighbouring townlands

Ballyedward, Balrath, Johnstown, Monroe, Monroe Or Johnstown (nugent), Piercefield Or Templeoran, Portloman

Placenames

Wattstown 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.