House - 17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

References date from the early seventeenth century when it was occupied by Thomas Roche, although owned by the Suttons (Jeffrey 1979, 110). In 1641 Robert Roche owned 180 acres at Dungeer and Mulmontry but the castle is not mentioned (Simington 1953, 82). However, the castle is described in the boundary of Bantry barony (ibid. 199), and it is marked on the 1839 and 1924 eds of the OS 6 inch map where it is described in gothic lettering as ‘Castle (in Ruins)’. It is situated on a bluff on the N side of the ravine of the E-W Corrock river, with the valley of a smaller N-S stream immediately to the W.
One Z-shaped section of wall survives to three storeys (H c. 8m) that probably represents the SE angle of a house with a return to the S. The remains consists of one wall (L 6m E-W) with fragments of wall extending N from the E end (int. L 0.2m) and S from the W end (int. L 2m) at ground level. The ceiling of the ground and second floors was supported on rebates in the S wall, but granite corbels supported the ceiling of the first floor. At the ground floor there is a musket loop and window (Wth 0.85m) in the E-W wall and a musket loop in the S return. There is a fireplace in the S wall at the first floor and a cupboard in the wall at the second floor. Archaeological testing (05E1252) within c. 35m to N produced no related material, (Stafford 2008).

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: 8 November, 2012

References

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

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

Stafford, E. 2008 Dungeer. No archaeological significance. in I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2005: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 401, No. 1632. Dublin, Wordwell