Nugent Castle: An Anglo-Norman Castle in Ireland

Site at a Glance

Rating: 4.3
Popularity: Very Low
Country: Ireland
Primary era: Medieval
External website: Open

Eras represented: Medieval
Civilizations: Norman
Site type: Military
Remains: Castle

On this page5 sections

History

Anglo-Norman Foundation

Nugent Castle is a lowland castle in Ireland, built in 1181 by Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, for his brother-in-law Gilbert de Nugent during the expansion of Anglo-Norman power. Gilbert had arrived in Ireland with de Lacy in 1171, settled at Delvin, and received the title of Baron Delvin. The castle helped protect lands controlled by the Anglo-Normans from Irish clans seeking to recover their traditional territories.

The Barons Delvin faced repeated threats from the independent Mahon and O’Reilly clans, which resisted the Anglo-Norman feudal lords. During the sixteenth century, Tudor rule in England brought renewed military and administrative pressure against independent Irish clans. The Nugents and Plunketts responded with offensives against the Mahon and O’Reilly clans while expanding their estates and maintaining the support of the English Crown.

Sixteenth-Century Expansion

In 1532, Richard Nugent, 12th Baron Delvin, built Ross Castle on the southern shore of Lough Sheelin, taking over the site of an earlier O’Reilly castle. Richard Nugent, 13th Baron Delvin, was killed near Finea while fighting the O’Reilly clan in 1559. Christopher Nugent, 14th Baron Delvin, later acquired further lands in County Cavan and at Finea.

The Nugent family retained its Catholic allegiance during the English Reformation and the persecution of Catholics. The Barons Delvin nevertheless supported the English Crown during the Irish Nine Years’ War, a conflict between Gaelic Irish forces and Crown forces that lasted from 1594 to 1605.

Abandonment and Later Status

In 1639, Richard Nugent, 1st Earl of Westmeath, built another castle on the outskirts of Delvin. Nugent Castle was then abandoned and became a ruin. In 1641, the Nugents joined the Irish rebellion because of their Catholic allegiance. After Oliver Cromwell’s campaign suppressed the rebellion, the family’s lands were confiscated. The title of Baron Delvin is now held by the Earl of Westmeath. Nugent Castle is designated a National Monument of Ireland.

Remains

Nugent Castle survives as a rubble-stone ruin near the centre of Delvin, County Westmeath. It is a lowland castle standing at approximately 98 metres above sea level. The site is also known as Delvin Castle, a name that can cause confusion with Clonin Castle, another castle on the outskirts of Delvin.