Rathdown Castle facts for kids

Rathdown Castle is a castle in ruins and an old settlement site. It is found in County Wicklow, Ireland.

Where is Rathdown Castle?

Rathdown Castle was built in a deep valley. This valley is just northeast of Kindlestown Castle. It is also north of Greystones village. In the field north of the castle, you can still see parts of a moated area. This area was once surrounded by a ditch filled with water. Other hidden features are also under the ground.

A Long History

People have lived at Rathdown for a very long time. We know this from things found by archaeologists. People lived here from at least the Early Neolithic period. This was about 6,000 years ago! They continued to live here through the early medieval times. Back then, it was a Gaelic Irish settlement called Rath Oinn. This name might mean "ringfort of the pine or furze." A ringfort was a circular fort.

Ancient Stories of Rath Oinn

Old Irish stories, like the Annals of the Four Masters, mention Rath Oinn. These stories were written between 1632 and 1636. They say that Érimón, one of the first Milesian kings of Ireland, built Rath Oinn.

The story claims this happened in 1699 BC. However, dates from these old stories before about 500 AD are not seen as true facts. Still, the fact that Rath Oinn is mentioned so much shows it was an important place. It was a key center in the very old, hard-to-remember past. Another old book, the Lebor Gabála Érenn (from the 11th century), also says Érimón built "Rath Oinn."

Norman Times and the Castle

When the Normans invaded Ireland, Rathdown was a strong place. It belonged to the Uí Dúnchada family. Donal Mac Gilla Mo-Cholmóc was their king at that time. He was the king of Cuala.

King Henry II of England gave the land of Rathdown to Donal. Donal became the main tenant of the land. A stone castle, called Rathdown Castle, was likely built soon after the Normans arrived.

In 1301, the O'Byrnes burned Rathdown Castle down. The person living there might have moved to Kindlestown Castle. John Fitzdermot was the owner of the land. He was a Normanised Mac Gilla Mo-Cholmóc. He did not take Rathdown Castle back. Around 1305, he gave the land to Nigel le Brun. Nigel was a royal officer in Ireland. The castle was rebuilt in 1308.

Life Around the Castle

A village grew up around Rathdown Castle. Several hundred people lived there. The village had a mill for grinding grain. It also had a church called St. Crispin's Cell. The church building you see today was built in 1530.

In 1534, records show that Rathdown had a castle, 20 houses, a watermill, and a creek. In 1536, the castle and lands were given to Peter Talbot.

Rathdown Castle and its village lasted until the early 1600s. It was sometimes attacked by Gaelic tribes. These included the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles. They came from the Wicklow Mountains area.

The Castle Becomes a Ruin

By 1657, a survey called the Down Survey said Rathdown Castle was "ruinous." This means it was falling apart. The castle gives its name to two areas called baronies. These are Rathdown in County Dublin and Rathdown in County Wicklow. It also gave its name to the modern county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown.

In 1771, Captain Charles Tarrant bought 20 acres of land. He built Captain Tarrant's Farmhouse there. He used stones from the castle ruins to build his house. More stones from the castle were used to build a railway bridge.

Recent Discoveries

In 2010, people dug in the area to learn more. They found small features within the old settlement. They also found pieces of medieval pottery. Later work found signs of a Beaker-era settlement. This was from about 4,500 years ago. They also found proof of a kiln used for drying corn.