Tyrrellspass Castle

The 1655 Down Survey map of Fartullagh barony shows a tower house type castle standing in the townland of 'Tyrelstowne' (NLI, MS 723-4) which in 1640 belonged to Thomas Tyrell who was listed as an 'Irish Papist' (ibid.). This castle was situated along an important medieval routeway known as 'Bealach an Tirialaigh' [Route of the Tyrrells] which was often referred to as the 'Pass' and is known today as 'Tyrrellspass'. The Ordnance Survey Letters recorded in 1837 that 'it is said that the Pass from which Tyrrellspass was named, running from Dublin to Galway, gave name also to Passkilbride' (OSL Vol. 2, 52-3). In 1623 an inquisition into the estate of John Tyrell who died in 1607 was recorded as born in 'Pass' and possessed of the castle and lands of Brackland also known as Tirrellston [Tyrrellstown] and Kilmurry and Rathcollomkill [Rahincuill?] containing 270 acres of land (Cal. inq. post mortem, 16 Jac. 1). He was succeeded by his son and heir James Tyrrell who was 40 years of age at that time (ibid.). A 16th century book recorded the following tradition about the origins of the Tyrrell family of Co. Westmeath which stated that 'Old Tyrrells and new Tyrrells, a whole country full, in a county called Westmeath. The old Tyrrells came over at the first conquest of Ireland, and were of the kindred of Walter Tyrrell, that killed William Rufus. And the new were lineally descended from James Tyrrell that murdered Edward the Fifth and his brother (and they came over long sithence the first). Tyrrell is in Irish, Treeath, which signifieth, banished for murder or treason' (Calendar of the state papers relating to Ireland 1599, 505).

The castle ruins were restored in the 1970s and now functions as the Tyrrellspass Castle restaurant. The medieval tower house was described by Salter (2004, 156) as following; 'Dendrochronological tests upon an oak floor beam over the lowest level of this tower built by the Tyrrel family suggested a construction date of 1410. During the 1980s it was restored from a derelict state by Laurence Ginnell, and on the south side are ogival-headed lancets then brought from the castle (WM031-086----) of Syonan, whilst three two-light windows came from the ruined church (WM038-017006-) at Kilbeggan. The SE end contains a tier of small rooms over the entrance and the spiral stair. There are five storeys, with a pointed vault over the second level, and there are double-stepped battlements and two circular bartizans. A modern wing is hidden away at the back. Adjoining the tower on the SE is a circular flanker of the former bawn (WM039-001001-). Near here in 1597 Richard Tyrrel and Piers Lacy ambushed and destroyed an English force under Christopher Barnewall'.