Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the shore at the bottom of a severe and wooded N-facing slope with cliffs (H c. 6m) at the bottom. It is also on the E side of the tidal estuary of the Barrow/Nore/Suir c. 150m W of the point where the shore turns S. It is called Skeroirke in the Civil Survey (1654-5) when it was owned by John Etchingham (Simington 1953, 167, 187), but it had been part of the possessions of Dunbrody Abbey (WX039-030001-). It was built to protect the fishing weir of Scarre (WX044-001001-), although the tower is not specified in the possessions of the Abbey at the Dissolution (Hore 1900-11, vol. 3, 123-6). It was called ‘Caislean na blaihie (bláthach - buttermilk)’ and translated as Buttermilk Castle by Brewer (1825, 376), who describes two adjacent towers without windows. The lower building with a vaulted roof was ‘about 10 feet square (dims c. 3m x c. 3m)’ with stairs that lead to a small chamber ‘about 8 feet square (dims c. 2.5m x c. 2.5m)’ in the other tower. A photograph (Archaeology Ireland, Autumn 1991, 16) shows a small tower of three storeys with a lintelled entrance protected by machicolation. The base of the tower (int. dims. 3m NW-SE; 2.7m NE-SW) survives surrounded by rubble.

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: 18 June, 2013

References

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

Brewer, J.N. 1825-6 The beauties of Ireland: being the original delineations, topographical, historical and biographical of each county, 2 vols. London. Sherwood, Jones and Co.