Where a modern bungalow now stands as a former Garda station, there once existed a medieval castle whose exact location has been lost to time. Historical records, including the Ordnance Survey letters from the 1930s, mention Raghra Castle, though its precise whereabouts remained a mystery until archaeological detective work suggested an intriguing connection.

The 1838 Ordnance Survey six-inch map marks a Constabulary Barracks on this very spot, and historians believe this 19th-century police building wasn’t simply built near the old castle; it likely incorporated the medieval structure’s remains into its construction. This practice of repurposing ancient stonework was common throughout Ireland, where practical Victorian builders saw little point in quarrying new stone when perfectly good cut blocks lay ready to hand from tumbled castles.

Today, visitors to the site will find few obvious traces of either the castle or the barracks, as both have been levelled to make way for modern development. However, keen-eyed observers might notice something unusual about the property’s boundary walls; they may well contain cut stone salvaged from the original castle, making these unremarkable-looking walls the last tangible link to a medieval stronghold that once commanded this part of the Irish midlands. It’s a perfect example of how Ireland’s layered history often hides in plain sight, with centuries of building, demolition, and rebuilding creating a palimpsest of stone and memory.