School: Edenderry (St Mary's Convent)
- Location:
- Edenderry, Co. Offaly
- Teacher: Sr M. Laserian
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0801, Page 110
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- (continued from previous page)Blundell Castle, which stands on a rather high hill overlooking the town of Edenderry, is a fine old ruin, which to judge from the thickness of the walls must have been built in the Stuart period. Viscount Blundell was in possession of the castle for some years, who about the middle of the 17th century married Sarah, daughter and heiress to Sir William Cowley. The ruins of the castle can still be seen on the hill amid a cluster of trees. By inter-marriage with the Blundell family, the Earl of Hillsborough (afterwards created Marquis of Downshire in 1879) became owner of the castle. Around Blundell Castle there once existed several grottos or caves, one of these passages reaching to Ballykillen Hill and another to Carrick Hill. A secret passage is supposed to reach from the castle to Carbury Castle and Lady Blundell hid in this passage when the castle was attacked.
There was a large lawn in front of this castle where Lady Blundell rode daily on a white horse the old people say her ghost was seen in this place for years after her death. A chapel was also attached to the castle where stately prelates ministered of old but the glory of the altar is gone now and nothing remains to mark its site but a few old ruins. Near Blundell Castle is to be seen the tree on which Fr. Kearns & Col. Perry were hanged.
