Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

In improved pasture, formerly marsh, in gently undulating landscape, on top of a motte and bailey (TS059-014001-). A medieval church (TS059-016----) and graveyard (TS059-016001-) and St. James' holy well (TS059-015----) are located c. 110m to E and 180m to NE respectively. In the late 13th century the manor of 'Donethyl' was in the possession of the Le Ercedekne (Archdeacon) family and 'in 1295 Silverster le Ercedekne lodged a complaint against Hugh Purcel, the Sherriff of Tipperary, stating that he had forcibly entered the castle of Dounhochil, broken open chests and coffers, and taken away goods to the value of £500' (Seymour 1916, 151; Marnane 2003, 49-52). Le Ercedekne remained in possession of Dunoghyl in 1319 when it was granted permission to hold a weekly market, with liberties and free customs indicating the importance of the manor at this time (ibid.). The Earl of Desmond owned the castle in 1573 and it was attacked shortly after in 1602 by O'Sullivan Bere (ibid., 153). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) in 1640 'The Countess of Ormond' was the proprietor and 'On the sd. Lands stands an old brocken castle Irepayeable, The sd lands are wast. This land hath the priviledge of a court Leete [criminal court] & Courte Barron [civil court]' (Simington 1934, 48). Described by Seymour (1916, 152) as 'tiny…….The smallness of the actual castle at this period is shown by the fact that four men were considered a sufficient garrison.' Deemed impossible to repair in 1654 due to its ruinous state (ibid., 153). The surviving remains consist of an L-shaped, sod-covered wall (long-axis c. E-W) which extends (L 7m; max. Wth 1.25m) along the N side of the motte. A return (long-axis c. N-S) of similar walling extends (L 6m; Wth 1.5m) to the S at the W end, along the W side of the motte. There is a stump of return (L 1.6m; Wth 1.5m) to the E at the S end. Several large fragments of masonry occupy the E half of the mound.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 26 August 2011

References

Marnane, D.G. 2003 English law in Tipperary 1295-1314. Tipperary Historical Journal, 41-64.

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1934 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. II: county of Tipperary - Western and Northern baronies. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Seymour, J.D. 1916 Notes on a Tipperary parish. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 22, 146-56.