A medieval castle in Ireland that was thought to have been lost for centuries has been found to be hiding in plain sight, according to a discovery announced by University College Dublin.
Medieval archaeology professor Tadhg O'Keeffe made the discovery while investigating the university's present-day building, which was previously believed to contain little, if any, of the original castle. The building, known as Roebuck Castle, retained the name of its medieval predecessor, but had undergone extensive alterations, including a major Victorian makeover in 1874.
Despite the centuries of changes, O'Keeffe found that most of the medieval structure is still there, hidden under Victorian plaster. He estimated that 70 to 80% of the building is still intact. The professor began investigating after studying 18th-century watercolors by artist Gabriel Beranger, which depicted the medieval castle before the property underwent major redevelopment.
O'Keeffe pointed to unusually thick walls, a stone vault, and arched stone roof as evidence of the building's medieval past. He also noted that the windows are splayed, a characteristic common in medieval architecture. The professor said that the discovery suggests other castles in Ireland that are presumed lost could still survive within later buildings.
Roebuck Castle was likely built in the early 13th century, after the Norman invasion of Ireland began in the late 12th century. The owners of the castle during the Middle Ages were individuals of significance, including one who was equivalent to the chief justice in the Supreme Court, and another who was King James II, who lived there briefly in the late 1600s.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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