Site of Castle, Castlekelly, Co. Kilkenny
In the townland of Castlekelly in County Kilkenny, the remnants of a medieval castle once known as Caisleán Uí Cheallaigh can still be traced, though little remains above ground today.
Site of Castle, Castlekelly, Co. Kilkenny
The castle gave its name to the surrounding townland, and whilst it doesn’t appear on either the Down Survey maps from 1655-6 or the parish map of Upper Grange, its location was carefully documented by the Ordnance Survey in 1839. The OS Letters from that year specifically note the site as an important local landmark, marking it on their six-inch map within a rectangular area measuring approximately 38 metres northwest to southeast and 17 metres northeast to southwest.
The castle site sits about 40 metres northeast of an ancient enclosure, suggesting this area was of considerable importance throughout different periods of Irish history. Archaeological evidence from aerial photography taken in July 1967 reveals intriguing cropmarks in the surrounding fields, showing two parallel fosses that may have formed part of an old roadway. This feature runs roughly northwest to southwest for about 50 metres south of the castle site and could have served either the castle itself or the neighbouring enclosure, though its exact purpose remains uncertain.
Today, visitors to Castlekelly won’t find towering walls or dramatic ruins, but rather subtle traces in the landscape that hint at the area’s medieval past. The site represents one of many lost castles across Ireland, where only careful archaeological survey and local memory preserve the locations of once-important strongholds. The connection between the castle, the enclosure, and the possible roadway offers a glimpse into how this landscape was organised and used during the medieval period, when such fortifications were essential for controlling territory and protecting local communities.