Castlecuffe N.S.

Our school is situated two miles west of the parish of Clonaslee in County Laois. The old Gaelic name was Pairc na Sagairt the Priests Field. Sir Charles wife was Dorothea Cuffe from Fermoy in Cork. That is why it is called Castlecuffe. The castle was a castellated mansion built by the first Sir Charles Coote on lands obtained from Tadgh oDunne about the year 1560. It was a mansion of considerable size, as the existing ruins prove. The mortar is tough because it was mixed with the blood of oxen, specially killed for the purpose. In the course of time the castle was strongly fortified with a balliam and outworks, still easily traceable. Castlecuffe is particularly unique because of its tall chimneystacks. (Castlecuffe :Past and Present). The ruin is still to be seen as our picture shows.