Site of Castle, Shanid Lower, Co. Limerick
In the southwest corner of a gently sloping field in Shanid Lower, County Limerick, there once stood a castle that has since vanished from the landscape.
Site of Castle, Shanid Lower, Co. Limerick
Located about 70 metres northwest of Waterpark House, the site now appears as nothing more than a modest natural rise in the pasture, measuring roughly 18.6 metres north to south and 10.5 metres east to west, with a height of less than a metre. A stream runs alongside its western edge, but there’s no visible trace of the structure that once commanded this spot.
The castle’s appearance in the late 16th century was documented in considerable detail, providing a glimpse of what visitors would have encountered centuries ago. According to historical accounts cited by Westropp in 1906-7, the building was square in plan, measuring 50 feet across on its exterior and 30 feet internally. It contained five separate rooms or chambers distributed across two storeys, though by the time of this description, all the roofs had already collapsed and disappeared.
Today, anyone walking through this peaceful pasture would likely pass by without realising they’re treading near the footprint of a medieval fortification. The gentle, north-northeast facing slope shows no obvious signs of its former occupant; only the slight elevation and the nearby stream hint at why this location might have been chosen for a defensive structure. It’s a reminder of how completely time and nature can reclaim even substantial stone buildings, leaving behind only written records and subtle changes in the landscape’s contours.





