Castle Island, Whigsborough, Co. Offaly
On a natural rock outcrop rising from the floodplains near Whigsborough in County Offaly, the scattered remains of what locals call Le Porte Castle tell a story of medieval fortification now largely reclaimed by time.
Castle Island, Whigsborough, Co. Offaly
The castle once stood on what was known as Castle Island or Lough Coura, a small island surrounded by marshy wetlands that would have provided natural defence against unwanted visitors. Today, only fragments hint at its former presence: a section of wall from what appears to have been a circular tower, roughly four metres across internally with walls about 1.2 metres thick, and loose rubble strewn across the ground surface.
The site offers little in the way of architectural detail, with no doorways, windows, or other features visible in what remains standing. South of the tower ruins, considerable amounts of scattered stone suggest the possible location of a destroyed bawn wall; a defensive perimeter that would have enclosed the castle grounds. These remnants, though sparse, mark the location of what was once a strategic stronghold controlling passage through this low-lying landscape.
Historical records provide scant detail about the castle’s origins or its inhabitants, though it appears in various surveys and inventories dating back to the 19th century. The Irish Tourist Association noted it in their 1942 survey, whilst earlier mentions can be found in works by Cooke (1875) and O’Flanagan (1933). Despite its ruined state, the site remains an intriguing piece of Offaly’s medieval heritage, offering visitors a glimpse into how natural landscape features were incorporated into defensive architecture during Ireland’s turbulent past.