Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

According to Jeffrey (1979, 212-3) the castle of Stokestown was leased by the Prendergasts of Ballyfarnoge (WX039-049----) to George Dormer, a New Ross merchant, in 1582, but the Dormers became owners. According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Nicholas Dormer, an Irish papist, owned 500 acres and a ‘faire castle’ at Stokestown in 1641 as well as a watermill and a weir (Simington 1953, 203). The tower was inhabited by Jos. Deane in the 1830s (Lewis 1837, vol. 2, 715), and it was probably occupied into the 20th century, although it is now vacant.

The tower house is located at the junction of the gentle W-facing slope of a low hill with the flood-plain of the N-S River Barrow/Nore, with the river c. 530m to the W and a W-E section of the river c. 680m to the N. It is now built into the S range of an 18th or 19th century courtyard. It is a tower (ext. dims. 7m E-W; 6.6m N-S) of three storeys without base batter, vault or dressed quoins surviving to the stepped crenelations. It is entered by a lintelled doorway towards the E end of the N wall. All the internal walls are inserted and there are few original features apart from some blocked lights, and a large mullion and transom window with square hood-mouldings on second floor (now blocked). There is no evidence of wall chambers or of a mural stairs. Nor is there any evidence of wall-plates to support the ceilings.

See the attached section from the Down Survey (1656-8) parish map (N at top) reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Ireland (Ms 725)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). 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 September, 2012

References

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1953 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. IX: county of Wexford. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

Jeffrey, W.H. 1979 The castles of County Wexford. Typescript prepared by the Old Wexford Society, Ed. E. Culleton.