Castle, Cloonbonny, Co. Westmeath
On a northwest-facing slope in County Westmeath, the site of Cloonbonny Castle occupies a patch of low-lying, wet pasture that overlooks a stream about 85 metres away.
Castle, Cloonbonny, Co. Westmeath
Though no visible traces remain above ground today, this medieval fortification once stood here, as evidenced by an 1820 estate map that marks it as a castle ruin. The site sits in quiet countryside, with a bowl-barrow lying roughly 40 metres to the west and a railway line running northwest to southeast about 45 metres to the northeast.
The castle’s ghostly outline can still be detected from above, thanks to modern aerial photography. When viewed from the air, a roughly square-shaped cropmark measuring approximately 30 metres on each side reveals itself through differential plant growth; a dark green band marks where the castle’s foundations once stood, creating a distinct contrast with the surrounding field. This phenomenon occurs because the disturbed soil where walls and foundations were located retains moisture differently, causing the grass above to grow more vigorously.
Historical records of Cloonbonny Castle are sparse, and by 1973, surveyors noted that no surface remains were visible at all. The site wasn’t deemed significant enough to appear on Ordnance Survey mapping, though its inclusion on the earlier estate map suggests it held local importance in the early 19th century. Today, this hidden piece of Westmeath’s medieval heritage exists primarily as a shadow in the landscape, visible only under the right conditions and serving as a reminder of Ireland’s layered history lying just beneath our feet.