Heritage & Revival
of a Medieval Irish Tower House
Tubbrid Castle stands at an important point on the borders of the ancient kingdoms of Laighean and Mumhan. Built as a defensive structure to protect the territory of the Butlers of Ormond, the tower house was home to generations of families allied to the Butlers of Kilkenny Castle. The architectural significance of Tubbrid Castle is denoted by its designation as a National Monument and a Protected Structure.
For much of the early medieval period north-west Kilkenny was on the borderlands between the dynastic tribes of the Osraige of Leinster and the Mumu of Munster (Smyth 1982, 148). Relatively intensive settlement during this period, probably to take advantage of and defend the borderlands, is evident from the dense concentration of ringforts in the region. The many ringforts and enclosures found along the lower slopes of the Nuenna river valley are typical of the 1,200 ringforts in county Kilkenny in their size, morphology and topographical location. A concentration of holy wells, from which the townland of Tubbrid derives its name, also originates in this period. Prior to the Anglo-Norman invasion the powerful Mac Giolla Pádraigs controlled the ancient Osraige kingdom and north-west Kilkenny was the lands of the Ua Caibhdheanaigh dynasty, who held allegiance to the Mac Giolla Pádraigs
Muircheartach mac Néill
Rí Ailig
In 942 AD, Muircheartach, King of modern-day Ulster, marched his army of 1000 Leather Cloaks south to avenge his allies, who had been attacked by Callaghan, King of Cashel. Muircheartach’s bard, Colmanach, recorded the journey in an epic poem, Circuit of Ireland, in which he praised the beauty of Osraí (now Kilkenny), and the hospitality of its people. At the edge of enemy territory and on the cusp of battle, Muircheartach’s army set up camp in Tubbrid, on a plain that a millennium later is still called Bán an Champa (the Field of the Encampment). The King himself is thought to have slept at the fort where Tubbrid Castle now stands. A thousand years later, the people of Kilkenny still pride ourselves on our warm hospitality and from the top floor bedroom of Tubbrid Castle you can survey Bán an Champa and enjoy lodgings befitting a king.
Margaret FitzGerald
Eighth Countess of Ormonde
Described as “unquestionably one of the most remarkable women of her age and country”, the construction of Tubbrid Castle is attributed to Margaret (Peg) FitzGerald. When the Countess visited Tubbrid, she is said to have slept at the castle’s highest point, to keep her safe from enemy attackers. She is buried with her husband Piers Butler under elaborate effigies at St Canice’s Cathedral, in Kilkenny City.
Skirmishes
A detailed written description of the castle comes from James Mease in 1851, writing for the Transactions of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society. Mease claims that, according to locals at the time, there were three ditches surrounding the castle, which had been dug away for manure. Supposedly a cannon ball was found during these works. No trace of these outer fortifications survives today. Mease believed that the castle may have been built on an ancient mound or rath, and perhaps at an old habitation site that might have been the location where the King of Aileach, mentioned in the poem of 971 camped. The ground and second floor were wicker-vaulted and at the time this paper was written, some of the wicker was still in place. We know from the Griffith Valuation that this castle was owned at the time by Arthur St. George, Esq. and leased to Catherine Campion.
Dereliction
Around the turn of the 19th century, the roof was removed from Tubbrid Castle, leaving it open to the elements and accelerating structural decay. By the turn of the millenium, the corners were crumbling and floors were sagging.
Restoration
John Campion Snr began working on the tower house, aiming at first simply to prevent its collapse. Over several years he repointed the facade and applied a traditional lime mortar, known as harling. The tower house was re-roofed in green oak, in the same style as the original, with no nails or screws.
Completion
In 2016, John Campion Jnr took over the restoration of Tubbrid Castle. Following archaeological impact reports, and with input from the National Monuments Office, John completed the restoration and fit-out of the tower house, turning it into a three-bedroom home.