This early fortification served as the principal seat of the De Lacy lordship in Westmeath for just five years before meeting a violent end in 1187, when Conor Moinmoy O’Conor and Melaghlin Beg burned and demolished it. The destruction of Killare prompted the Normans to establish a new stronghold at Ballymore Lough Sewdy, 6 kilometres to the northwest, which then became their main base of power in the region.

The castle remains at Killare consist of an impressive motte and bailey structure situated on low-lying, poorly drained land that nonetheless commands excellent views in all directions. The motte itself is a high, steep-sided circular mound with a flat top, surrounded by a wide, deep fosse and traces of an outer defensive bank. On the eastern side, you can still make out the D-shaped bailey area, though its earthen banks have been reduced to little more than a scarp in places, and modern fencing cuts through the southern portion. Just west of the motte, grass-covered wall footings mark the location of a rectangular structure measuring approximately 20 metres by 9 metres, with what appears to be an entrance gap at the southeast end of its northeast wall.

The site’s strategic importance is evident from its position along what was once a medieval road running east to west, now following the line of the modern Ballymore-Mullingar road (R390). The 1656-9 Down Survey map shows both the motte and bailey castle and a later stone castle in the vicinity, suggesting continued occupation or reuse of the site. The surrounding landscape is rich with medieval monuments; within 250 metres you’ll find Killare church and graveyard, St. Bridget’s Church and holy well, a ringfort with an associated field system, and the remains of a post-medieval corn mill complete with mill race and pond. This concentration of archaeological features speaks to Killare’s long history as a significant settlement, from its brief but dramatic period as a Norman power centre to its continued importance in the medieval and post-medieval periods.