| Description |
The original castle belonged to the FitzGibbons, the White Knight. It passed through the marriage of Margaret FitzGibbon and Sir William Fenton to the heirs of their daughter, Catherine, and her husband, Sir John King. By the mid 18th century the Kings had replaced the castle by a house which was altered and extended over the years. In 1786 Wilson refers to it as "the very magnificent seat of Lord Kingsborough". In the 1820s the 3rd Earl built a new castle in anticipation of a visit from George IV which never happened. This was a huge building in the Gothic Revival style, valued at £180 in the mid 19th century. It remained in the possession of the Kings until the death of Lady Kingston, widow of the 5th Earl. In 1922 the castle was looted and burnt and the stones were later used to build a church at Mount Melleray. In 1943 the Irish Tourist Association Survey provided a detailed description of the castle and its history and noted that portion of the cellars and foundations were still visible. |
