Rosecrea Castle

Rosecrea Castle Banquet Room
Photo © Irishfireside, 14 February 2008

Rosecrea Castle, County Tipperary
Photo © Lee, 13 July 2007

Rosecrea Castle - Photo ©
Irishfireside, 14 Feb. 2008

The castle is a stone castle, and consists of a gate tower, curtain walls and two corner towers dating from the 1280s. Now owned by the state, and has been restored.

Roscrea (Ros Cré in Irish) is a small heritage town in the barony of Ikerrin, North Tipperary, Ireland. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. The town has a population of 4,910.[1] Its main industries include meat processing and pharmaceuticals.

The placename comes from the Irish with Ros Cré meaning "wood of Cré", Cré being a female name of olden times. Historically Roscrea has been an important trading town. Roscrea grew around its ancient monastery. The Round Tower, on Church Street, has a doorway 15 feet (4.6 m) from the ground and is the oldest surviving part of the ancient monastery. The usual conical cap is missing as it was destroyed by cannon fire in 1798. The 8th century Book of Dimma, which belonged to Roscrea monastery, is preserved in Trinity College, Dublin. It contains a copy of the Gospels and a Missa Infirorum, and is enclosed in a shrine of bronze with silver plates ornamented with Celtic interlacing.

The Church of Ireland Parish Church is dedicated to St. Cronan and stands on the site of the ancient monastery, whose doorway forms the entrance to the grounds. There is a crude representation of the crucifixion on a monumental stone in the churchyard, which is known as the Shrine of St. Cronan and there is also a 12th century sculptured cross.

The Catholic Church is built on the site of the old Franciscan Friary, which was founded by the O'Carroll, Chieftain of the district, in 1490. Some portion of the walls of the old Friary has been retained in the modern church building. The altar portrays the crucifixion. Roscrea was the seat of a bishopric until the 12th century, when it was joined to the diocese of Killaloe. Monahincha Priory, to the east of the town, displays 12th century Romanesque features, especially the rich chancel arch.

The tower is said to date back to the 12th century. It is now about 20 metres high, but it was originally 20 feet higher. The top was removed after an incident in 1798.

King John of England is credited with having erected a castle at Roscrea, of which a circular tower and some sections of wall are still extant. The later rectangular keep, known as Ormonde Castle, still stands. More than 300 standing stones may be found in an area covering100 acres (0.40 km2) located to the south east of Roscrea, near the County Laois border, in the Timoney Hills. Two miles to the south west is the ruined Ballinakill Castle, built by Piers Butler of Paulstown in 1580.