Threecastles Castle is a three-storey

tower house A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...

situated near

Blessington Blessington, historically known as Ballycomeen (, from the Irish surname ''Ó Coimín''), is a town on the River Liffey in County Wicklow, Ireland, near the border with County Kildare. It is around 25 km south-west of Dublin, and is situat ...

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606 in Ireland, 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces ...

, Ireland. It is protected as a

national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...

Description

Threecastles Castle is a rectangular three-storey tower house, with a stair turret projecting from the north east corner. The walls are four to five feet thick, and are faced with cut granite. The castle was built on an east facing slope overlooking a ford on the

River Liffey The River Liffey (Irish language, Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major Tributary, tributaries include t ...

, where stepping stones crossing the river were also marked on an early 20th century map. With the

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

ming of the River Liffey at

Poulaphouca Poulaphouca, officially Pollaphuca (), is the name of a waterfall and bridge on the River Liffey between County Wicklow and County Kildare. It is primarily known for its hydroelectric generating station and the associated artificial lake, know ...

in 1940 and subsequent flooding of the valley, the river depth rose and is now too deep to cross. Much of the area south of the castle is now a flat marsh leading to the lakeshore.

History

The history of the castle is unclear, but it is believed that due to the castle's name there were more than one castle in the

townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...

. Of the other two castles, the site of one is known from a 19th-century Ordnance Survey, the third castle's site is unknown. It was probably built by

Lord Deputy The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...

Gerald Fitzgerald, 8th earl of Kildare, in the 16th century. It was the site of a number of battles in the 1500s. Some sources speculate that the 'three' refers to the castle having three parts. Local historian Vincent Byrne recounts events that happened near the castle in 1538: :'' "...The first recorded instance of loss of life in such confrontational circumstances occurred in 1538 and was recorded in the papers of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. The constable of Rathmore, John Kelway, had executed two members of the O'Toole clan for poaching. O'Toole demanded an explanation for the drastic action and a meeting was arranged at Three Castles in Blessington. Neither side displayed any trust and in the inevitable confrontation Kelway was killed. In the altercation, Kelway's men killed a local farmer and his labourers by setting fire to their thatched farmhouse. It is reported that up to sixty householders were killed by Kelway's men".''

Gallery

Image:Interior of Threecastles Castle, Manor Kilbride 15.jpg, Interior of castle Image:Interior of Threecastles Castle, Manor Kilbride 14.jpg, Interior of castle Image:Interior of Threecastles Castle, Manor Kilbride 13.jpg, Interior of castle Image:Interior of Threecastles Castle, Manor Kilbride 03.jpg, Ladder inside the castle Image:Interior of Threecastles Castle, Manor Kilbride 17.jpg, Interior of one of the castle windows Image:Interior of Threecastles Castle, Manor Kilbride 02.jpg, Interior of castle showing thickness of walls Image:Interior of Threecastles Castle, Manor Kilbride 09.jpg, View towards

Poulaphouca Reservoir Poulaphouca Reservoir, officially Pollaphuca (), is an active reservoir (for both water supply and electricity generation) and area of wild bird conservation in west County Wicklow, Ireland named after the Poulaphouca waterfall on its south-wes ...

aka Blessington Lake from the castle roof, December 2009 Image:Interior of Threecastles Castle, Manor Kilbride 10.jpg, View towards the

Manor Kilbride Kilbride (), or Manor Kilbride, is a village, civil parish and electoral division in County Wicklow, Ireland, located at the western edge of the Wicklow Mountains in the barony of Talbotstown Lower. Geography Manor Kilbride village is situ ...

road (L4371) from the castle roof, December 2009

References

Notes

Sources