Moated site

The National Monuments Service's description

Ballymagir, as this area was originally called, was held by the Devereux family from the 13th century, and it became a centre, together with Adamstown (WX031-019001-) in Bantry barony, of their extensive possessions in Wexford. Macherneyin (Adamstown) and Ballymagir were held by the service of two knights' fees by Alina de Heding in 1247. Alina was the daughter of Sir Alexander de Heddon and she married Sir Hugh Devereux, after which Ballymagir, in Ballymagir or Killag parish, and Adamstown were retained by the Devereux family as a single entity. Both were the property of Stephen Devereux in 1324 (Brooks 1950, 96-100). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Nicholas Devereux owned the castle at Ballymagir and 668 acres in the parish as well as most of Adamstown parish and its castle (Simington 1953, 149, 201-02), but he was listed for transportation to Connaught with 31 dependents in 1653 (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 503). However, a Court of Claims returned Ballymagir to Colonel Nicholas Devereux in the 1660s, but by the 19th century it had passed to the Loftus estate and the name had changed to Richfield (Jeffreys 1970, 45-6).
It is located on a level landscape, but the tidal waters of Ballyteige Lough, called Mablen Haven in the Civil Survey (1654-6) (Simington 1953, 149), reached to within c. 500m to the S until the drainage schemes of the mid to late 19th century reclaimed the land to the other side of Ballyteige Burrow, so the sea is now over 2km distant. This is a rectangular area (dims. c. 90m E-W; c. 70m N-S) defined by an earthen bank (Wth 6m; int. H 2.3-3m; ext. H 3.2-4.3m) preserved only on the S and W sides with a water-filled outer fosse or moat (Wth 3-4m; D 1.8-4m). On the E side the moat is 11m wide and 1.8m deep. The moat is interrupted on the N, E and S sides by farm buildings and entrances. Inside the entrance at N is an inner water-filled moat (L 73m E-W; Wth 12m; D 3m) which does not connect with the outer moats and can be described as a fish-pond. Archaeological testing (06E0631) in removing tree-stumps within the moated site produced no archaeological material (Stafford 2009). The tower house of Ballymagir (WX046-052002-) is in the interior. (Barry 1977, 63, 74-5, 89, 226, WX 107)

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

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

Barry, T.B. 1977 Medieval moated sites of south-eastern Ireland. British Archaeological Reports, British Series 35. Oxford.

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

Stafford, E. 2009 Richfield House, Killag: testing. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 558, No. 2118. Dublin. Wordwell.

Jeffrey, W.H. 1970 Devereux of Ballymagir and Adamstown. Journal of the Wexford Historicl Society, vol. 3, 43-50.