Kilbreedy Castle, Rathdowney, Co. Offaly

KILBREEDY CASTLE stands about 250 yards south-west of the church. It bears a striking resemblance to Grennan castle, near Thomastown. Except that it has lost the uppermost storey, it is in fair preservation. It is 56 ft. long externally, and 341½ ft. wide, and at present 35 ft. high. Within is a great barrel arch of stone, 22 ft. high at the apex, and extending the whole length of the building. One of the side-walls supporting this arch is 7 ft. thick, the other 8½ ft. The south end wall, containing the broken door-way, is more than 9 ft. thick. The main stairway, in the thickness of the south walls, leads from the entrance door to the upper part of the edifice. Two other stairways from the ground floor lead to long passages in the other walls, whence access is also had to the upper storeys. None of the stairs are spiral. Over the stone arch the walls narrow to 3½ ft. On the whole this is a curious castle, and is probably of earlier date than the castles usually met with. In 1657 it is described in the Down Survey Books as being " in some repaire."

The founders and proprietors of Kilbreedv castle were, according to tradition, the O'Phelans, whose tribe held sway over Magh Lacha for centuries previous to the Norman Invasion. This tradition receives confirmation from the State Papers, Donyll roo O'Phelan of Kilbride (Kilbreedy) horseman (i.e., gentleman, or son of a gentleman), received a "pardon," with many others of the gentry of Upper Ossory, June 30th, 1566; Dermod O'Phelan of Kilbride, husbandman, had a pardon Aug. 14th, 1586; and William roe O'Phelan of Kilbride, on the ioth June, 1591.
But the castle and townland had entirely passed from the O'Phelan family before the middle of the 17th century. At the time of the Cromwellian forfeitures in 1653, Morgan Cashin, Irish Papist, was found to have been seized of the following lands in the parish of Bordwell


Source