Coolhill Castle

Coolhill Castle is perched on a steep precipice overlooking the River Barrow. This tall round keep is dated to the 13^th century and built of granite. Its location and its outlook over the river and countryside made this round keep impregnable. The lands of Coolhill were held by the De La Rupe of The Rower family. The lands across the Barrow up to the Backstairs Mountains were held by the Kavanagh’s of Poulmounty Castle, kinsmen to Kavanagh’s kings of Leinster. In the Annals of Ireland it notes the death of Gilbert de la Rupe in 1318, after he raided the Abbey of St. Mary’s. In 1324 Henry De La Rupe rebelled against King Edward II and his representative Arnold Le Paor. Also in 1324 William De La Rupe was imprisoned for treason and the property of another William De La Rupe was confiscated. In 1328 William, who had been jailed for treason with his relatives and dependants, were slain at Rosbercon, New Ross. The De La Rupe’s were in open rebellion to English rule, in spite of being part of the successful Anglo-Norman invasion. By the early 16^th century the De La Rupe of The Rower were no longer and were replaced by the Kavanagh’s of Poulmounty. By 1621, Coolhill Castle was in the possession of Edmund Butler, 4^th Viscount Mountgarret. After the Cromwellian period, the lands of Coolhill passed through various families.

The four storey Coolhill Castle was originally entered into via a doorway to the east, protected by an over-head machicolation and an outer yett. Once inside, the lobby had a murder-hole. The ground floor contains a vaulted wicker ceiling and is lit by two single-light round-headed loops. A spiral stone staircase rises through the internal floors. The first floor chamber is lit by a single-light window in the east and west walls. The rectangular garderobe chute, which projects from the circular keep, is accessed from the first floor. The second floor, with its pointed doorway, has windows in the same walls as the first floor. The second floor also has access to the garderobe chute with a fireplace in the north-west wall. The third floor mirrors the second floor, except that the fireplace is in the north-east wall. A mural stairs leads up to the parapet, which has a further two machicolations covering the south-east and south-west approaches.

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This national monument is protected in accordance with the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014