Kilgobbin Castle, Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin
Standing at the foot of the Dublin Mountains on private grounds, Kilgobbin Castle is a formidable three-storey tower house that once belonged to the Walsh family.
Kilgobbin Castle, Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin
Built from randomly coursed granite blocks with small packing stones, the structure features distinctive stepped battlements marked by a string course and a southeast corner tower that rises above the parapet level. The entrance, located in the south wall, opens through a pointed segmental arch into a rectangular interior measuring approximately 8.2 metres in length and 4.8 metres in width.
The castle’s ground floor features a vaulted ceiling running on a north-south axis, with a stair turret tucked into the southeast corner. Light filters through narrow slit openings in the south wall, illuminating both the main floor and what was once a loft level, evidenced by beam holes at the top of the walls where the vault begins. The upper floor retains traces of domestic comfort, including the remains of a fireplace on the west wall and a square-headed window with chamfered granite jambs. A lookout platform, supported by a squinch arch, provided strategic views of the surrounding countryside, though the north end of the structure collapsed during the 19th century, leaving only the foundations of the north and east walls intact.
Archaeological excavations in 2003 revealed more of the castle’s medieval context when a substantial ditch was uncovered in the field north of the tower. Measuring 14 metres long, 4 metres wide, and up to 1.3 metres deep, this defensive feature yielded unburnt bone fragments and four sherds of medieval pottery, offering tangible links to the daily life of those who once called this impressive fortification home. The interior walls show considerable undercutting at their base, a construction technique that likely provided additional structural support for this enduring monument to medieval Irish architecture.