Thursday, 5 November 2026

Ballygarth Castle, Julianstown.

Ballygarth Castle,

Julianstown, Meath.

Ballygarth Castle in Julianstown lies on private property.

Prior permission to visit is strongly advised.

It was once a simple Tower House but has had substantial alterations throughout the centuries and no longer resembles anything that looks like an original Tower House.

If you look closely at the left front façade you might just be able to discern the original outline of the Tower House which is still "in situ" so to speak.

It is a wondeful bulding and must have looked quite resplendent at one time.

There are several large metal spherical balls outside which look a little like oversized Cannon balls or old Mortar bombs but they are nothing quite so explosive.

They are actually counterweights which were once used to open large doors or gateways.

I had never seen suchlike before so I found that somewhat interesting in and of itself.

The Castle was I believe originally a Netterville Castle.

The Neterville Institute near Dowth in County Meath presumably was built by the same family, albeit at a much later date.

It is today known as Netterville Manor.

The Netterville Institute served as an Almshouse to support widows and orphans.

There is also a Tower House beside the Manor as well as the famous Passage Tomb and Rock art at Dowth.

Back to Ballygarth Castle....

The ruin of a Church beside Ballygarth Castle predates 1600, possibly built in the 14th century though exactly when it was built I'm unsure of.

A stone bearing several inscribed letters and three diamonds with a date carved "1602" is related to the Gifford family. The three diamond symbol identifies their family Crest.

Ballygarth Castle was also a Pepper family possession in its later years.

Keep the wheels turning.

Source List :

Buildings of Ireland - Netterville Manor

The Irish Antiquarian Netterville-charitable-almshouse

National Library of Ireland - Netterville Institute

Meath HIstory Hub - Almshouses

Photograph - NLI - Ballygarth Castle

ME028-003---- : Church : BALLYGARTH

ME028-002---- : Castle - tower house : BALLYGARTH

Ballygarth Castle, Julianstown, Meath, Ireland

The River Nanny

Unidentifiable carved figure, Ballygarth Church ruins.

Saint Colmcille's Holy Well on the River Nanny estuary, Julianstown, Meath

Saint Colmcille's

Holy Well

on the

River Nanny Estuary

At the bucolic setting of the beautiful River Nanny
between Julianstown and Laytown lies
Saint Colmcille's Holy Well.

I've had to highlight the fact that the Well lies next to the estuary because there is more than one Saint Colmcille's Holy Well in the area.

Historic Map

A single set of Rosary Beads.

A lot of people, indeed myself included at one time, believed Saint Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick is in fact just one of the three Patron Saints of Ireland.

The other two Patron Saints are Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille (Columba), he of Iona in Scotland fame.

Colmcille also known as Columba leads us on to the common boys name of Colm.

It is related to the Dove of Peace.

Although the Martyrology of Tallagh, a 9th or 10th Century manuscript, lists anywhere up to possibly a thousand Irish Saints,
the majority of Holy Wells
in Ireland appear to be most often named
after these three Saints.

An Old Post Box nearby marked with
ER - Elisabeth Regina,
Queen Elisabeth the second.

That in part perhaps help explain why there are
at least two Saints Colmcille's
Holy Wells located near to each other in this area.

Most unfortunately this particular Colmcille's Well seems to have been much overlooked and seldom visited which is indeed a shame.

As a practising secular atheist I am always a little saddened when these Wells disappear, or in some terrible instances, are deliberately covered over.

They are a window into the past, places of meditation and reflection and for those of a religious persuasion, places of pilgrimage, devotion and worship.

All to often in our race to cosmopolitan modernity we are losing sight of our past, our practises and our old customs and culture.

Despite practising no religion whatsoever I am always both delighted and rewarded by spending a few moments of quiet reflection or introspection at these often secluded and panoramic spots.

Here at this Holy Well a single set of old Rosary Beads is the only indication that this fresh water spring was a place of devotion.

Please excuse the formatting. Blogger has once again decided to do its own thing.

SMR Code : ME028 -064

Keep the wheels turning.

Thursday, 22 October 2026

Termonfeckin Castle and High Cross, Louth

Termonfeckin Castle

and

High Cross

At Termonfeckin in County Louth are located two pretty antiquities of interest which are well worth visiting.

Termonfeckin is named for Saint Féchín of Fore Abbey in Westmeath.

He reputedly established several ecclesiastical sites in Ireland including a monastery Termonfeckin and died of a plaque in 655.

He was one of several important religious figures who perished during the spread of that plaque in Ireland.

The first, Termonfeckin Castle, is an Irish Tower House the earliest of which were called Ten Pound Castles.

This was the Royal grant of monies issued to build them and defend English interests in Ireland.

The original Castle builder at Termonfeckin may well have had to also sign an agreement to provide Gallowglass (Soldiers) as and when required by the local Earl, Baron or overseer, usually to put down various insurrections or rebellious natives.

The Tower House at Termonfeckin is remarkably well preserved with wonderful corbelled ceilings.

It is free to visit and a sign on the gate will direct you to a nearby house that holds the key to enter it. You will need to leave a small deposit to ensure you return the key.