Medieval landmarks By 1294, the church of Tristeyldelane was described as "not worth the services of chaplains" in the Calendar of Christ Church deeds. The site is now identified by a pile of stones and one headstone, erected in 1758 to the Spellissy family. The Castledillon Friars Stone, possibly erected for a 15th-century abbot of St Wolstan's (four miles to the east), remained on the site until removed to the Visitor centre in Kildare town.
Castle In 1271, William de Mandesham of Kavesham was granted the lands of Tristildelane. The tower house of Castledillon passed to the de Hereford and Rochford families (1359). It was burned in the wars of 1641-2 but was recorded in the 1659 census as "being since repaired by Mrs Bowell" increased in value from £60 to £50. It remained intact until the 18th century until it rapidly fell into disrepair and stones were removed from the site. As of the late 20th and early 21st century, no visible evidence of the structure remained. In 1557, Patrick Sarsfield of Tisteldalen, great-great-granduncle of
Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan, obtained a pardon from the English colonial government and in 1560 obtained the lease of White Church alias Tullatipper. Monitoring of development undertaken in July 2001 led to the recovery of pottery sherds of both medieval and post-medieval date from a layer of fill. This material was introduced to the site, at some unknown time in the past, in order to fill a natural hollow.
Castledillon Friar's Stone An incised slab with a priest, which was removed from Castledillon, is now in the visitor centre in Kildare town. The stone has been damaged and although the inscription ICI GiST DEV DE SA ALLME EIT MERCI is visible, it is a generic phrase which translates as "Here Lies (name illegible) God Have Mercy on His Soul." The absence of a crosier has been noted to suggest he was not a bishop, as accorded in folklore, and may have been abbot in the friary of St Wolstan's four miles to the north east, perhaps after it was dissolved in 1541. The left hand of the carved figure carries a reliquary suspended around the neck and hangs below a brooch like object at the throat. His right hand rests palm downward on the chest.
Spellisy headstone The last remaining headstone in the local graveyard bears the inscription: :IHS :This Burial place :Belongs to Cornelues :Spellicy & posterity :Where Lyeth ys body :Of Ann Spellicy who :Died August ye 1th 1758 :Adge 15. Allso Iudeth :Lesther, & John Spellicy ==Firing range==