Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

References to the Cullen family date from the mid-16th century and to the castle from 1634 when John Cullen possessed the Castle and 80 acres at Cullenstown, and John Collin was a member of Parliament for Clonmines in 1637 (Jeffrey 1979, 71-2; Butler 1985, 49-51). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Thomas Cullen owned the castle and 180 acres at Cullenstown in Bannow parish in 1640, and 100 acres at Cullensland, probably a part of Cullenstown (Simington 1953, 150-1). Thomas Cullen was assigned 732 acres in Connaught under the Cromwellian settlement (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 504).
This tower house is located on a slight NW-facing slope with an E-W stream c. 185m to the N. It is a rectangular tower (ext. dims 8.6m NE-SW; 6.95m NW-SE) with good quoins and a base-batter, which is reduced to the second floor and adapted as a modern dwelling house, with a two-storey extension on the NW side that was built c. 1790-1800. The lintelled entrance doorway (Wth 0.9m; H 1.65m) towards the W end of the NW wall leads through a lobby protected by a murder-hole to the ground floor which has four embrasures but no original features, although the ceiling is supported on corbels in the NW and SE walls. From the lobby a mural stairs in the NW wall leads through a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.7m; H 1.7m) at the centre of the NW wall to the first floor, which has remodelled windows at NE and SW under the NE-SW barrel-vault. The stairs continue to the N angle where a newel stairs leads to the upper floors but only three steps survive. From the head of the mural stairs a passage (Wth 0.76m) in the NE wall leads to what was probably a garderobe at its SE end but is now broken into the passage, from which an original doorway (Wth 0.55m; H 1.62) with a granite lintel leads to the second floor chamber (int. dims 5.58m NE-SW; 4.44m NW-SE) over the vault. This floor has the remains of window embrasures with seats at the N end of the SW wall and towards the W end of the SE wall. The original fireplace (Wth 1.2m; H 1.24m) is represented by a granite mantel supported on two corbels towards the E end of this wall. There is no access to the roof, which has been provided with concrete crenellations. The tower is located within a possible bawn (dims. 64m NW-SE; at least 40m NE-SW) defined by an earthen bank (Wth 2m; H 2m) and hedge which survives on the SW and NW sides. The church site (WX046 047001-) is c. 200m to the ESE.

See the attached section of the Down Survey parish map (N at top) 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: 19 August, 2013

References

Butler, T.C. 1985 A parish and its people. Wellingtonbridge. Privately published.

Jeffrey, W.H. 1979 The castles of County Wexford. Typescript prepared by the Old Wexford Society, Ed. E. Culleton.

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1961 The Civil Survey A.D. 1654–56. Vol. X: Miscellanea, including a map showing changes to the county and barony boundaries since the Civil Survey (1654–56), 10 vols. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.