Navan & District Historical Society

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Steen of Odder Castle

Odder Castle

Odder Castle is located on the southern slopes of the Hill of Tara on the road to Kilmessan. Odder castle is a modernized fortified house, originally dating to the early 16th century.  The building was greatly altered about 1880 when a large central stair hall was created.  There was an Augustinian nunnery at Odder in medieval times.  Odder was originally the property of the Barnewalls. The Dillons of Lismullen became the landlords of the townland and in 1855 James J. Mills was the lessor of Odder Castle. James Mills was a barrister and a grandson of Sir John Dillon of Lismullen. James J. Mills married Elizabeth Pakenham of Straffan in 1869. James Mills died in 1895.

The property came into the hands of the Steen family before 1886.  Laurence Steen of Odder Castle was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1886.  In 1901 Laurence Steen, Justice of the Peace and farmer, and his family lived at Odder.  Laurence Steen died in February 1936 aged 88.  He had been a solicitor, peace commissioner, member of the Navan Board of Guardians and Meath County Council.  Laurence Steen Junior inherited Odder Castle. Laurence Steen was born in 1883.  Ambrose Steen was State Solicitor for Meath until his death in 1946.

Source: meath-roots.com

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Odder

The Parliamentary Gazatteer of Ireland, 1846

ODDER, a quondam parish in the barony of Skreen, 1mile south south west of Tara, and 4 north west by north of Dunshaughlin, co. Meath, Leinster.  It was an impropriate rectory, in the dio. of Meath; but is now identified with the southern district of the parish of Tara. Two objects which still bear its name are Odder castle and Odder cottage.  A nunnery for regular canonesses of the order of St. Augustine, was founded here by the family of Barnewall; and it had annexed to it several cells in co. Meath.  Margaret Silke, the last abbess, surrendered the nunnery and its possessions in the 31st year of Henry VIII.