The story of this building reflects the changing fortunes of Irish landed families, beginning with the Talbot family who originally held the property. When Sir Compton Domville acquired the estate around the early 1700s, he didn’t demolish the existing tower house as many of his contemporaries might have done; instead, he built his new red brick mansion around it, preserving this remnant of medieval Ireland within his Georgian home.

Today, the building’s pebble-dash exterior makes it challenging to spot the original architectural features at first glance, but careful observation reveals the old tower still standing proud in the northeast corner, rising three storeys high. The northern wall shows an interesting inset that runs westward for about 15 metres from the tower, marking what was likely the extent of the tower house’s main chamber. The vaulted basement beneath speaks to the defensive nature of these structures, which were built as much for protection as for comfort during Ireland’s turbulent medieval period.

Archaeological investigations in 1996 provided remarkable insights into the building’s earliest inhabitants. When researchers examined the undercroft, they discovered original cobbled flooring and drainage channels, along with fragments of imported stoneware and locally made gravel-tempered pottery. These finds date to the late 16th or early 17th century, offering tangible evidence of daily life in the tower house before the Domvilles transformed it into part of their Georgian estate. This layering of history, from medieval stronghold to Georgian mansion, makes Templeogue House a particularly intriguing example of how Ireland’s built heritage evolved through centuries of social and political change.