Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

The OS Letters (1839) refer to, 'a bit of an old Castle, which they believe is that which gave name to the Parish, a little to the west of the Church [KK023-003001-]' (O'Flanagan 1903, vol. 1, 266 (90)). According to Hogan (1880-83, 47), the castle ‘was the residence of another branch of the Comerford family. By an inquisition taken down at Gowran, 11th March, 1638, it was found that Gerald Comerford died on the 24th October, 1604, possessed of the fee of the manor, lands, and tenements of Inchihologhan, which he held from the King by knight’s service in capite’. He was succeeded by his son Fulco, who died in 1623, and was in turn succeeded by his son Gerald (ibid.). During the Irish Confederate Wars and following the surrender of Kilkenny in 1650, Cromwell, ‘made over this castle, with the manor and lands to Joseph Cuffe, Esq., ancestor to the present Earl of Desart’ (ibid.). According to Hogan (ibid.) the Comerfords regained possession in 1660 following the Restoration of Charles II but lost it again 18 years later when Joseph Cuffe was, ‘confirmed in the possession of the castle, manor, lands, &c., of that estate, which was ever afterwards to be called “Castle-Inch.”’. Cuffe died in 1679 and is buried in the church (KK023-003001-) c. 80m to the ENE (ibid.). Commins (1906, 265) notes that, ‘no part of the castle now stands'.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 31 May 2021

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1930 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Kilkenny collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839. Bray.

Hogan, J. 1880-83 Notes on ancient churches and castles of Ballybur Inchihologan. Transactions of the Ossory Archaeological Society 2, 33-49.

Commins, J. 1906 Notes on the places of antiquarian interest visited by the society, May, 1906. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 36, 265-75.