Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - tower house
St. Patricksrock, County Tipperary South, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- St. Patricksrock
- County
- Tipperary South
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.52009, -7.89085
- SMR number
- TS061-025004-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
On the summit of a prominent rock outcrop overlooking the town of Cashel (TS061-025----) c. 300m to the S-SE. A five-storey a residential tower house (int. diam. c. 10m x 5m; wall T c. 1m) of roughly coursed limestone rubble, surmounted by a stepped parapet. It was built into the W end of the nave of the cathedral (TS061-025003-), probably by Archbishop Richard O'Hedian (1406-40) (Stalley 1996, 312). There is an angle buttress at the W end of the S wall rising to second-floor level, with a cusped ogee-headed statue niche incorporated into the base mimicking the 13th-century trefoil-headed niches on the exterior of the cathedral. There is a barrel-vaulted roof over the first floor. The chamber at second-floor level is very commodious with a cut-stone oculus window in the W wall and the remains of a joggle-jointed limestone fireplace in the E wall. This level is protected by several murder-holes and is connected to the adjoining cathedral via a mural passage. A steep straight-sided mural stair rises in the W wall. Most of the S wall of the tower house collapsed in a storm in 1848 (Manning 2000, 31). An 18th-century sketch shows a two-light traceried window in each of the two upper levels of the S wall (Harbison 1998, 214-5). A tower of pentagonal plan connects the tower house with the cathedral crossing-tower. It houses a well-lit broad spiral staircase, the descent of which leads into the cathedral by a doorway in the S transept. At the top of the staircase there is a sculpted stone head wearing a mitre, presumably that of an archbishop. In the early 16th century, between 1504 and 1525, a second floor was built over the cathedral's nave, which connected with the tower house and appears to have functioned as an upper hall (Stalley 1996, 312).
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
References
Manning, C. 2000 The Rock of Cashel Co. Tipperary. Dublin. Dúchas The Heritage Service, Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.
Stalley, R. 1996 The Rock of Cashel (Tipperary). Archaeological Journal 153, 308-14.
Harbison, P. 1998 Beranger's antique buildings of Ireland. Dublin. Four Courts Press in association with the National Library of Ireland.
Nearby in the register
- Wall monumentunder 1 mi
- Graveslabunder 1 mi
- Wall monumentunder 1 mi
- Wall monumentunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.