Castle, Kilkeeran, Co. Mayo
On a prominent mound in Kilkeeran, County Mayo, the weathered remains of a medieval tower tell a story of centuries past.
Castle, Kilkeeran, Co. Mayo
The ruins sit so deeply embedded in the earthen mound that archaeologists believe the original structure must have included a basement level, now buried beneath accumulated soil and debris. What survives today are sections of three walls; the north, south, and west sides; which trace out the tower’s original footprint of roughly 9 metres north to south by 10 metres east to west. The walls themselves are in poor condition, with neither the inner nor outer facing stones properly aligned, and substantial rubble fill has collapsed both within and around the building’s perimeter.
A later residential building, likely dating from the post-medieval period, stands near the northern end of the tower ruins. This structure, measuring 18 metres north to south and 5.5 metres east to west internally, shows evidence of domestic occupation with two fireplaces and a gable chimney at its southern end. The proximity of this later dwelling to the medieval tower suggests the site remained significant to local inhabitants long after the tower fell into disuse.
The surrounding landscape provides further clues to the site’s medieval importance. Low earthen banks and the remnants of old field walls can be traced to the east, south, southwest, and west of the tower, suggesting this may once have been the centre of a small medieval village. These subtle features in the landscape, combined with the tower ruins, paint a picture of a once-thriving settlement that has gradually returned to the countryside, leaving only these fragmentary remains to mark its existence.





