Historic town

The National Monuments Service's description

Clonmines was founded by the Marshals, perhaps as an alternative to their port of New Ross for use in inclement weather when Hook Head would be a difficult point to pass (Colfer 2002, 144-5). It is situated on level land just below the confluence of the Owenduff and Corock rivers and at the head of Bannow Bay. The town was extant in 1233 when the road to Wexford is mentioned. In the division of the Leinster lordship in 1247 it was assigned to the Mortimer fief of Kildare, which it may have been intended to serve as a port. Clomen or Clonmines is mentioned occasionally thereafter (Hore 1900-11, vol. 2, 219-33), but no charters are known. At its suppression in 1540 the Augustinian friary at Commines had 11 named tenants in the town (ibid. 233-4). The working of the silver mines at Barrystown (WX045-055----), c. 800m to the SSE on the other side of the estuary, may have revitalised the town from 1540 into the 17th century (Hore 1900-11, vol. 2, 233-62), but the silting of the mouth of Bannow Bay would have destroyed the overseas trade. The town continued to be occupied into the 17th century as various properties and tenements are mentioned. According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) there were 15 proprietors in Clonmines parish (Simington 1953, 180-1). The town was probably incorporated as a borough under Charles I as a fragmentary list of the two members it sent to Parliament until the Act of Union in 1800 is known, beginning in 1634 (Hore 1900-11, 217-8). The town was deserted according to Robert Leigh writing in 1684 (Hore 1858-59, 455-6). The town was probably never fortified with walls although a possible fosse (WX045-012009-) survives. The full extent is unknown but Brewer (1825-6, vol. 1, 362-3) describes the foundations of many houses covering 20 acres (c. 8 ha).
A rich collection of monuments remains in strictly private ownership. It includes parts of what may be the town defences (WX045-012009-), the parish church of St Nicholas (WX045-012007-), a fortified church called the 'Cowboy's Church' (WX045-012006-), the Augustinian friary (WX045-012003-) with its enclosure (WX045-012003-) two tower houses attributed to Suttons (WX045- 012005-) and FitzHenrys (WX045-012001-), and the gable of a 16th or 17th century house (WX045-012004-) attributed to the Purcells, There is evidence of a roadway (WX045-089----) extending SW from the town. (Hore 1901-11, vol. 2, 199-268; Furlong 1968; Harbison 1975, 245; Colfer 2004, 74-7)

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: 22 July 2013

References

Colfer, B. 2002 Arrogant trespass: Anglo-Norman Wexford 1169-1400. Enniscorthy, Duffry Press

Hore, H. F. 1858-9 A chorographic account of the southern part of the county of Wexford, written Anno 1684: by Robert Leigh, Esq., of Rosegarland, in that county. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 5, 17-21, 451-67.

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.

Harbison, P. 1970 Guide to the national monuments in the Republic of Ireland. Dublin. Gill and Macmillan.

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

Furlong, N. 1968 The town that died. Journal of the Wexford Historical Society, vol. 1, 35-42.