Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - motte and bailey
Duncormick, County Wexford, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Duncormick
- County
- Wexford
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Embanked enclosure
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Coordinates
- 52.22876, -6.65643
- SMR number
- WX046-035001-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesUniversity Library, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
The manors of Rosegarland and Duncormick were jointly held by Maurice de London by the service of three and a quarter knights in 1247, and by three knights in 1324, but thereafter the manors are separated and Duncormick is not recorded, although it seems to have been acquired by the Meiler family (Brooks 1950, 103). The motte would have been built as part of the initial settlement after 1170. It is located on a bluff on the E bank of a N-S stream that flows through Duncormick village, with the stream c. 50m to the E. The motte is a flat-topped and densely overgrown earthen mound (diam. top 17m; diam. of base 21m; H 2.9-.2m). There is no visible fosse or any visible sign of a bailey, but archaeological testing (06E0929) uncovered a substantial ditch (Wth of top 5.2m; max. D 1.35m) that could be interpreted as part of the perimeter of a bailey (Dehaene 2009).
An archaeological assessment and testing (02E0040) identified elements of a field system (WX046-035002-) to the NE that may be associated with it, and a kiln (WX046-035003-) and a house (WX046-035004-) were identified to the E, close to the present road through the village (Richardson 2002; excavations.ie 2002:1799). The church site (WX046-57001- is c. 120m to the E and the castle site (WX046-034001-) is c. 120m to the SW on the other side of the river.
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: 19 August, 2013
Amended: 30 November 2020
References
Dehaene, G. 2009 Duncormick. Motte and Bailey. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 554-5, No. 2101. Dublin. Wordwell.
Brooks E.St. J. (ed.) 1950 Knights' fees in Counties Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny (13th-15th century). Dublin. Stationery Office.
Richardson, A. 2002 Archaeological Test Excavations, Duncormick, Co. Wexford. Licence: 02E0040. Unpublished report, Eachtra
Nearby in the register
- Kilnunder 1 mi
- House - medievalunder 1 mi
- Field systemunder 1 mi
- Bridgeunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.