Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a slight NW-SE spur with a NW-SE stream c. 350m to the NE that loops around to the S and W and is c. 500m to the SW flowing N. References to the Fitzhenrys of Kilcavan date from 1247 when Henry, the son of Philip, possessed Kilcavan by the service of one knight's fee from the Bigod estate but in 1324 John, son of Henry, held it of the Valence property (Brooks 1950, 21-2). Matthew Fitzhenry held Kilcavan c. 1420, but references to the castle date from 1607 when Thomas Fitzhenry was the owner of the castle and lands at the time of his death (Jeffrey 1979, 79 80). According to the Civil Survey (1655-6) in 1640 Thomas Fitzharris owned land amounting to 1160 acres in every townland in Kilcavan parish except Maudlintown, Sheastown and Whitties Hill, (Simington 1953, 139-40). Thomas FitzHarris was awarded 300 acres in Connaught in 1656 (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 505).

The N and E walls (ext. dims. 8.95m N-S; 7m E-W) of a tower house with a slight batter and good quoins survive to four floors. There is an embrasure in each wall at each level, some with narrow lights. There is no vault over the first floor, but it may have been vaulted over the second floor. The first and second floors are supported on corbels in the E wall. There is no evidence of the original entrance, a stairs, firplaces, or garderobes. The flashing of a large building, probably of one storey and attic, is visible on the outer face of the E wall of the tower, and the original S wall (T 0.7m) of this structure is present in a small one-storey house (ext. dims 18.95m E-W; 8.45m N-S) that has a square hood moulding externally over one of its windows. Internally, this is a blocked pointed doorway. Kilcavan parish church (WX046-002001-) is c. 400m to the SE.

See the attached section of the Down Survey parish map (N at top right) 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: 20 August, 2013

References

Jefferies, H.A. 1985 The history and topography of Viking Cork. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 90, 14-25.

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

Brooks E.St. J. (ed.) 1950 Knights' fees in Counties Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny (13th-15th century). Dublin. Stationery Office.