Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on rock outcrop on a gentle S-facing slope. There are no historical references to this site, although it is recorded on a Down Survey (1655-6) map and the land here was owned by Francis Bryver of Waterford in 1640 (Simington 1942, 144). A rectangular tower (dims. 9.7m N-S; 8.7m E-W) with a slight base-batter and cut-stone quoins, of which only the ground floor survives complete. A destroyed doorway towards the N end of the E wall, protected by a guardroom in the N wall, leads through a lobby to the ground-floor chamber (int. dims. 6.2m N-S; 4.75m E-W) which has round-headed lights in the N, W and S walls, a destroyed fireplace in the S wall and a garderobe with corner loop at the NW angle. Mural stairs in the E wall rise to the first floor, which was supported on corbels in the E and W walls. There is evidence of corner loops at this level at the SE and SW angles, a window in the S wall and a garderobe in the N wall. There is no evidence of vaulting, but the first floor may have been a loft under a N-S vault. There is evidence of a stairs rising to the E from the centre of the N wall at the first floor. Archaeological testing (06E0641) in a farmyard c. 35m to the SSE produced no related material (Sheehan 2009).

Sheehan, C. (2009) Cullencastle. No archaeological significance. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 528, No. 1981.
Simington, R. C. (ed.) (1942) The Civil Survey AD 1654-1656, vi, the County of Waterford. Irish Manuscripts Commission. Dublin.

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.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload/revision: 14 March 2011