Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at the S edge of the floodplain of the W-E River Suir. References date from 1520 when ownership was disputed between the Powers and the Butlers, although the castle may be older. It was captured by John Fitzgerald, Earl of Desmond, in 1574 but it was recaptured by the Viceroy, Sir William Fitzwilliam, the following year when the rebel garrison was massacred (Grattan-Flood 1897, 235). In 1640 it is described as the stump of a castle owned by Thomas Butler, Lord Cahir (Simington 1942, 100). It is indicated on the Down Survey (1955-6) map and terriers.
Circular tower (ext. diam. 11.2m; int. diam. 5.35m) with a base-batter and buttresses partly surviving to full height (c. 15m) with a machicolation. Internally all the chambers appear to be circular. A rectangular structure (ext. dims. 12m E-W; c. 9m N-S) with circular corner towers was added to the W and S of the main tower. Only the SE corner tower (ext. diam. 7.4m; int. diam. 3m; H c. 4m) survives with no distinguishing features. Archaeological testing (07E0214) on a subrectangular site (max. dims. c. 110m E-W; c. 95m N-S ) immediately to the SE produced no archaeological material (Henry 2010, 512, No. 1813).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 6 December 2010

References

Grattan-Flood, W. H. 1897 Derrinlaur castle, Co. Waterford. Waterford Archaeological Journal 3, 234-6.

Henry, M. 2010 Derrinlaur Lower: no archaeological significance. In I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2007: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 512. Wordwell. Dublin.

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1942 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol VI: county of Waterford. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.