Whilst a modern farmyard now occupies the site, this location has a deep history stretching back to medieval times. The house may have been built on the site of, or possibly incorporated parts of, the medieval castle of Athlacca, which once dominated this small settlement. Just 210 metres to the east, you’ll find Athlacca Church and its accompanying graveyard, silent witnesses to centuries of local history.

The manor of Athlacca, recorded as ‘Athleketh’ in 1285, was originally held by Maurice FitzGerald and frequently appears alongside Adare as a possession of the Earls of Kildare. By 1318, it had passed to J. Gower, though little is known about its independent history during the medieval period. The Civil Survey of 1654;56 provides a fascinating snapshot of the estate during the turbulent 17th century, recording that David Lacy, described as ‘an Irish Papist’, owned the property in 1641. At that time, Athlacca boasted not just the castle but also a mill, an orchard, and two well;built thatched houses. The Down Survey map from the same period depicts what appears to be a tower;house type castle, suggesting a substantial defensive structure.

The castle’s decline seems to have been gradual; it was still standing in 1827 according to FitzGerald’s records, but had been destroyed by 1840 when the Ordnance Survey team arrived to document the area. They noted the presence of an ‘old ruin’ in the south of Athlacca North townland, describing it as ‘Mansion House; Old Court, near Athlacka Village. In ruins. An ancient residence of the De Lacy family’. After the castle’s demolition in 1666, the estate was granted to C. Ormsby as part of the Act of Settlement, marking the end of the Lacy family’s long association with this corner of Limerick.