Balrothery Tower

Balrothery Tower
Native name Irish: Túr Bhaile an Ridire
Type	tower house
Location	Coach Road, Balrothery, County Fingal, Ireland
Coordinates	53°35′12″N 6°11′24″W / 53.586532°N 6.189995°W / 53.586532; -6.189995Coordinates: 53°35′12″N 6°11′24″W / 53.586532°N 6.189995°W / 53.586532; -6.189995
Built	early 16th century
National Monument of Ireland
Official name: Balrothery Tower
Reference no.	285
Location of Balrothery Tower in Ireland

Another view of the tower, with bell-cot visible.

Balrothery Tower is a tower house and a National Monument in Balrothery, Ireland.^[1][2][3]

Location

Balrothery Tower is found in Balrothery, east of the R132.

History

An Anglo-Norman ally of Strongbow, Robert de Rosel, was granted Balrothery in c. 1171 "where he built the town and castle". The name derives from the Irish Baile an Ridire, "the knight's town." His son Patrick became the parson of the church in Balrothery, and after his death Geoffrey de Costedin donated lands at Balrothery to Tristernagh Abbey, Kilbixy between 1191 and 1212.

Building

Balrothery Tower is a three-storey square plan rubble stone crenellated tower house built c. 1500. It has Trefoil headed openings with limestone surround and square headed openings with brick-dressed openings.

In the northwest corner is a turret with spiral stairway.

The top storey of the main tower has a two-light window at each face and the east face has a bell-cote. Lower down in the west wall is a two-light window with ogee heads and a square moulding with one mask.

References