Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Turvey House was an early 18th-century residence, which incorporated an earlier tower house and a late 16th-century house associated with the Barnewall family. The castle was reputedly built from the stones of the nunnery of Grace Dieu (DU. It was demolished in 1987. However archaeological monitoring of rubble removal in 1993 revealed upstanding remains of these three phases of building on the present site. The earliest phase identified was the construction of a rectangular tower house (L 11.5m; Wth 8m) with an angle tower in the NW corner. There was a barrel vault over ground floor, now collapsed. The sections, which survive, show evidence of wicker-centring. Original features include a double garderobe chute in the N wall of the angle tower and a splayed window embrasure. The tower house was extended to the S by the addition of an L-shaped building of late 16th-century date. Fragments of four original windows remain in situ, one of which is the sill for a three light window. An original doorway and fireplace was also revealed (Moylan 1961, 22-3, Murtagh 1993, 33-34; ). The site is now fenced off and overgrown.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Christine Baker

Date of upload: 19 December 2014

References

Murtagh, B. 1993 The Beach Tower, an architectural description. Unpublished Report for Waterford Civic Trust.

Moylan, T.K. 1961 The peninsula of Portrane. Dublin Historical Record 16, 22-3, 37-49.