Balrothery Tower

Balrothery Tower
Native name
Túr Bhaile an Ridire (Irish)
Typetower house
LocationCoach Road, Balrothery,
County Fingal, Ireland
Coordinates53°35′12″N 6°11′24″W / 53.586532°N 6.189995°W / 53.586532; -6.189995
Builtearly 16th century
Balrothery Tower is located in Ireland
Balrothery Tower
Location of Balrothery Tower in Ireland
Official nameBalrothery
Reference no.590[1]
Another view of the tower, with bell-cot visible.

Balrothery Tower is a tower house and a National Monument in Balrothery, Ireland.[2][3][4]

Location

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The tower house is found in Balrothery, east of the R132, and near Balbriggan, in the northeastern part of County Dublin, Ireland. The local authority is Fingal County Council.

History

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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

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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

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  1. ^ "National Monuments of County Dublin in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 1. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Balrothery". Megalithic Ireland. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Balrothery Old Church". Irish antiquities. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  4. ^ Council, Fingal County. "Balrothery : : Fingal County Council". Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2016.