Where crops now sway in the breeze, a medieval castle once stood, though you’d be hard pressed to spot any obvious signs of it today. The first Ordnance Survey map from 1838 marked this spot as ‘Site of Castle’, indicating that even by then, no walls or towers remained standing. However, keen observers might notice a slightly raised area in the field where the wheat grows; a gentle bump in the landscape that hints at foundations and features still buried below.

This lost castle wasn’t alone in medieval Duneany. Just 140 metres to the north, a medieval church still stands within its graveyard, complete with an ancient stone font that would have served the local community for centuries. These surviving structures offer a glimpse into what was once a thriving medieval settlement, where the now vanished castle would have served as the seat of local power and protection.

The connection between castle and church was typical of medieval Irish settlements, where defensive and religious structures often stood close together, forming the heart of community life. While the castle has long since disappeared into the landscape, its proximity to the surviving church suggests this was once an important local centre. Today, only the faintest trace remains in the tillage field; a reminder that Ireland’s medieval heritage often lies hidden just beneath the surface of the modern countryside.