2025:707 - Drimnagh Castle, Longmile Road, Dublin 12, Dublin
County: Dublin
Site name: Drimnagh Castle, Longmile Road, Dublin 12
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU018-036
Licence number: 23E0558 ext.
Author: Antoine Giacometti
Author/Organisation Address: Archaeology Plan, 129 North Strand, D03 W8C1
Site type: Castle - Anglo-Norman
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 711075m, N 731824m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.325005, -6.332641
Drimnagh castle is an Anglo-Norman castle (RMP DU018-036) located in Drimnagh townland, County Dublin. It was originally constructed in the medieval period (thirteenth to sixteenth century) and has been heavily modified since then in the seventeenth, eighteenth and twentieth century. A detailed archaeological assessment off the castle was conducted in 2022 and 2023 by the author for a Community Monuments Fund project.
Funding was granted by DCC in 2025 for the radiocarbon dating of three wicker-centred vaulted ceilings with the aim of understanding the chronology of the chamber and gate tower structures. Surviving architectural evidence indicates that both structures may have been constructed after 1350 AD, and more likely during the fifteenth century. While it is possible, and has been suggested, that the chamber’s construction preceded that of the gate tower, this theory remains unproven.
Samples 1 and 2 were taken from the vault of the large chamber’s undercroft. Samples 3 and 4 were taken from the vault of the ground floor gate house. Samples 5 and 6 were taken from the vault of the gate tower’s southern turret at first floor.
The six samples were analysed by Lorna O’Donnell. All samples from the ground floor chamber undercroft (S1 & 2) and samples from the first-floor gate tower vault (S5 & S6) were hazel. However, samples from the ground floor gate tower vault were not. Sample 3 from the north-west corner of this vault was ash and sample 4 from the centre of this vault was willow.
The samples were dated by Queen’s University of Belfast Chrono Lab. The dates of all six samples were identical (at 2Σ, which is a 95% probability), demonstrating that the principal chamber and gate-tower were both constructed at approximately the same time between the early 14th and early 15th centuries. It remains possible, as suggested by Giacometti in earlier reports, that the gate itself is earlier (this may have been constructed with a plank-centred vault), perhaps 13th century in date, however this is unproven.
Sample 1 1326-1425 AD (cal 2Σ)
Sample 2 1320-1414 AD (cal 2Σ)
Sample 3 1327-1435 AD (cal 2Σ)
Sample 4 1326-1426 AD (cal 2Σ)
Sample 5 1325-1424 AD (cal 2Σ)
Sample 6 1327-1426 AD (cal 2Σ)