Old Croghan was the most important place in Croghan before the plantation of  Offaly in 1555. There is a castle,a church and a graveyard which are now in ruins.The church probably replaced the church on the hill.There is one tombstone in the graveyard that of  Joseph Dames who died in 1807.
The castle was owned by O'Conner Faly.He was defeated by an English viceroy called Anthony St. Leger in 1546. It was then owned by Berrys,Grogans and Moores. Moores now farm the land around the castle. Near the castle is an important well called Fooran well and close by is Gunnamore mound. It is believed that a cannonball was fired from the mound at the castle.
The famine had an effect on Old Croghan as the population dropped between 1841 and 1851 because people died or emigrated. The old R.I.C Barracks is in Old Croghan. People are doing it up. The road is often refered to as the Barracks road.
In 1851 after the famine the population was 87. The population in 2001 was 31 and in 2004 it is 25.

Gravestone and old barracks

By Thomas Mooney and Johnny Brickland