Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer
At a glance
- TypeCastle - tower house
- Date or period mentioned1737
- Recorded size 8.6m x 8m
What to look for
- Vaulted floor
Picked out from the Archaeological Survey description below.
Can you visit?
- No source says it is open to the public.Most monuments in Ireland stand on private farmland.
- Ask the landowner before crossing fields, close gates, leave the stones as you find them.Visiting responsibly
History and description
Located to the N of the stable yard which is associated with Bonnetstown House. The house, built in 1737, which lies c. 100m to the S. There is a artificial lake, associated with the designed landscape of Bonnetstown House, immediately NW of the tower house.
Full archaeological record 151 words
Located to the N of the stable yard which is associated with Bonnetstown House. The house, built in 1737, which lies c. 100m to the S. There is a artificial lake, associated with the designed landscape of Bonnetstown House, immediately NW of the tower house. According to O'Kelly (1969, 21) this castle, ‘belonged to Robert Shee in 1559, but was Ormonde property previously’.
A ruinous tower house (dims. 8.6m x 8m), with the W angle, which contained the stair, and much of the NW wall missing (Salter 2004, 61). The ground floor was vaulted over and no floor level above the vault survives. Only one jamb of the entrance doorway survives (ibid.). At ground-floor level there is a loop in the NE wall, with its embrasure splaying internally and externally and another window in the SE wall. An opening at the S end of the SE wall has been broken through.
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Compiled by Jean Farrelly · Updated 15 September 2020. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
More castles nearby
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Castle - unclassified · Lacken (Crannagh By.) · Kilkenny · 1.4 km away
Holdensrath Castle
Castle - tower house · Holdensrath · Kilkenny · 1.5 km away
Keatingstown Castle
Castle - unclassified · Troyswood · Kilkenny · 2.6 km away
Kilcreen Castle
Castle - unclassified · Kilcreen (Shillelogher By.) · Kilkenny · 2.9 km away
Booleyshea Castle
Castle - tower house · Boolyshea · Kilkenny · 2.9 km away
Drakeland Castle
Castle - tower house · Drakeland Lower · Kilkenny · 3.0 km away
Also recorded nearby
Named sites within 5 km with only a short entry in the Archaeological Survey.
- Angel's WellRitual site - holy well · Gardens (Kilkenny City By., St. Canice Par.) · 3.8 km · official record
- St. Francis's WellRitual site - holy well · Gardens (Kilkenny City By., St. Mary’S Par.) · 4.0 km · official record
- Mary's WellRitual site - holy well · Gardens (Kilkenny City By., St. Mary’S Par.) · 4.3 km · official record
- Maudlin CastleCastle - tower house · Gardens (Kilkenny City By., St. John'S Par.) · 4.7 km · official record
Visitors' notes
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Around Bonnetstown Castle
Other heritage nearby
- St. Brendan's WellHoly well · 2.6 km
- Kenny's WellHoly well · 3.6 km
- Kilkenny Round TowerRound tower · 3.7 km
- Black AbbeyAbbey or friary · 3.8 km
- Kilkenny Grey FriaryAbbey or friary · 4.0 km
- St Rioch's WellHoly well · 4.1 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 23 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 17 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 8 holy wellsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 7 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 monastic sitesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 abbeys & friariesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 round towerArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- North Kilkenny Cycle LoopRoad Cycling Trail · 24.0 km · nearest point 3.7 km
- Coille an Fhaltaigh Millennium Park - Red TrailWalking Trail · 3.3 km · nearest point 4.9 km
- Coille an Fhaltaigh Millennium Park - Green TrailWalking Trail · 2.5 km · nearest point 4.9 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- Coill an FhaltaighForests · 4.9 km
- JenkinstownForests · 7.1 km
- Ballykeefe Nature ReserveNature reserves · 8.6 km
- Kyleadohir Nature ReserveNature reserves · 18 km
- KilkennyWalled towns · 4.3 km
- CallanWalled towns · 15 km
- Clomanatagh CastleHistoric stays · 13 km
Other attractions nearby
- Kilkenny Revolutionary Walking TourWalking · 3.7 km
- Kilkenny ToursWalking · 3.8 km
- Black AbbeyHistoric Houses and Castle · 3.8 km
- Mayfair Library Kilkenny CityAttraction · 3.9 km
What's on nearby
- Pa Sheehy The Magic We Found Tour2026-11-05 · 3.9 km
- Kilkenomics2026-11-06 · 4.5 km
- Kilkenomics2026-11-07 · 4.5 km