Martinstown Castle

Situated on rock outcrop with possible quarry site located 110m to N. A well preserved three–storey high tower house (ext. dims. 9.3m N-S; 12.4m E-W) with small projecting garderobe tower (dims. 3m N-S; 1.5m E-W) on NE angle. The walls of the castle are constructed with rubble limestone with dressed alternating long and short quoins rising from a prominent base-batter. The dressed quoins and the stone from the base batter have been robbed out up to first floor level. Castle is entered through a broken out doorway in the W end of the S wall which gives access to the ground floor. Directly inside the entrance to the W there is a doorway which leads to a mural stairs in the W wall giving access to the upper floors.

The ground floor of the castle is lit by a single light double-ope window in the N and E wall. Access to the first floor with vaulted roof is from the mural stairs in the W wall. A fireplace is located in the S wall on the second floor, and a mural stairs leads to the floor above. A garderobe in the NE angle is accessed from the first and second floor chambers. At second floor level there is a mural chamber in the SW corner (Salter 2004, 152). A flat-faced carved head (WM014-017001-) is visible in the external face of the N wall. A series of earthen banks forms a field system around the tower house which are visible on Digital globe aerial photographs.

In 1583 Edward Nugent of 'Martenton' [Martinstown] was commissioned to 'take the muster in Co. Westmeath' (Nicholls 1994, 581). An inquisition taken at Mullingar, 26 July, 1619 recorded that 'a castle and 80a in Martinstown' along with other lands were in the seisin of Thomas Hopp to the use of Edward Nugent, and by them enfeoffed, 6 Aug., 1609, to James Fleming, John Hopp and Thomas Boyse to the use of Walter Nugent, son and heir of the said Edward, for life' (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., 18 Jas I, 496-7).

This castle is mentioned in the terrier of the 1659 Down Survey map of Castletown parish where it stated that there was in Martinstown, 'a Castle in repaire' (NLI, MS 723-4). This terrier recorded that in 1641 the lands of 'Martinstowne' belonged to John Hope who is listed as an 'Irish Papist'. On the 10th of January 1647, John Hope of Martinstown, was listed as one of the representatives who attended the general assembly of confederate Catholics who met in Kilkenny (Ledwich 1804, 472).