Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

References date only from the Civil Survey (1654-6) when William Hore is recorded as the owner of a ruined castle and 360 acres in Trassestowne as well as 300 acres in Ardenagh within Taghmon parish (Simington 1953, 84). It is located on a low rise and at the head of a slight SE-NW valley. The rectangular tower house (ext. dims. 7.85m E-W; 6.9m N-S) survives only to the top of the vault, and the NW angle is destroyed. The walls are battered and have granite quoins. A round headed entrance in undressed stone (Wth 0.96m; H 2.6m) is located towards the W end of the S wall. It is protected by a murder hole, and leads through a lobby into the ground floor (int. dims 4.8m E-W; 4.15m N-S), which originally had four embrasures with slit windows, of which only two survive. Mural stairs rise in the S and W walls to a destroyed doorway of the first floor under the E-W vault. This floor was supported on seven joists apparently set directly into the N and S walls. There area slight indications of earthworks to the S and E of the structure, perhaps the remains of a bawn (dims c. 50m N-S; c. 50m E-W).

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: 21 March, 2013

References

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