Longfield House is situated near Kilmeas. In 1642 the house was owned by the Coyle family. It is reported that the Coyle family were in a skirmish with Sir Charles Coote Junior. The Coyles were landowners in the Rahara area and would have held a position of secondary importance to the local ruling families - Kellys and Fallons. The house would reflect their standing in the community at the time. It wouldn't have been a tower house as big as the Kelly or Fallon Castle but it would have been a relatively big house.

 

In 1654 Sir Charles Coote got an order from Oliver Cromwell to demolish all the superfluous castles in the vicinity of Athlone. The encounter in which the Coyles and Kellys took part is mentioned in a statistical account of Roscommon by the Rev John Keogh, drawn up for Sir William Petty in 1683.

 

 

 

John Sproule was a captain in the Highland Regiment and lived at Turbit near Castledaly, Co Westmeath.

In 1675 he purchased Gortnacassah Castle, now called Longfield from Mr. Dodwell who married a daughter of Edmund Coyle. From then on Longfiled House belonged to the Sproule family. In 1824 James Sproule moved into Athlone. He left Longfield House to his son Alexander. The Sproule Family were connected through marriage to the Gunnings of Hodson Bay and the Mac Donnells of Lacken House. The Sproules were buried in Tisrara Graveyard.