Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a broad rise in a fairly level landscape. It is described as a castle in ruins on the 1839 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. Mulrankin was held by the Brown family from the 13th century at least (Brooks 1950, 34-5), but their main centre in the later middle ages was Mulrankin castle (WX047-031----). Rathronan, which is within the parish but c. 1.5km NW of Mulrankin, was probably established for a younger branch of the family. Nicholas Browne of Rathronan was listed as a gentleman in 1608, and in 1633 Nicholas Brown of Rathronan or Ballycrosse possessed 60 acres at Ballycrosse (Jeffrey 1979, 87). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Thomas Browne owned 60 acres and the castle at Rathronan (Simington 1953, 156). Rathronan passed to the Cliffe family in the later 17th century, but a branch of the Borwnes returned to Rathronan in 1851 (Browne and Whelan 1987, 479-80). The tower (ext. dims 7.1m NW-SE; c. 7m NE-SW; H c. 8m) is extensively rebuilt, but it survives to three storeys with few original features apart from a barrel-vault. A slit window on the NW side at the second floor is also original. The castle has false crenellations on the NW front, and it is incorporated in a thatched two storey house on its SW side.

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: 18 October, 2013

References

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

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

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

Browne, B. and Whelan, K. 1987 The Browne families of Co. Wexford. In K. Whelan and W. Nolan (eds), Wexford: History and Society, 467-89. Dublin. Geography Publications.