Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in the valley of a small NNW-SSE stream. Ballymachtorny was held by Hugh, the son of Martin, in 1247 from the Vallence estate by the service of a quarter of a knight, and in 1324 Philip Franceys held Balytoryn (Brooks 1950, 126-7). Around 1425 the heir of Nicholas Frenshe held Ballytormyn. The castle is represented as a large house on the Down Survey barony map (1656-8). See this web-page for the Down Survey barony map: http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/down-survey-maps.php#bm=Forth&c=Wexford
According to the Book of Survey and Distribution (1660s) Nicholas French owned 174 acres at Ballytory and the unknown Beting in 1640, together with 171 acres at Bennetstown, Conignistowne (Cumshinstown?), Muckstown, Coldblow, and Hardyglass in Tacumshin parish (Simington 1953, 304-05). This Nicholas was the son of John French and Christina Rossiter of Rathmacknee (WX042-029001-) and was the Catholic bishop of Ferns (1645-78) (Corish 1987, 229-33; Redmond 1898). The estate then passed to Constantine Neale, but by 1750 it was owned by the Codds of Castletown (WX053-027----), and c. 1800 John Codd reduced the height of the castle and incorporated it into the five-bay two-storey house, then being built (Hore 1949, 40-1).
The base of a rectangular tower (ext. dims 8.4m NW-SE; 6.9m NE-SW) with a base batter is incorporated into the return of the 19th century house. Two slit windows in the SE wall may be original, and a pointed doorway (Wth 0.86m; H 2.2m) towards the W end of the NW wall now leads into the return of the later house. The vault survives over the first floor (Jeffrey 1979, 8-9).

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: 3 January 2014

References

Redmond, G. O'Connell 1898 Dr. French, Bishop of Ferns. Journal of the Waterford and south-east of Ireland archaeological society 4, 238-244.

Hore, P.H. 1949 The barony of Forth. Part IV. The Past 5, 13-59.

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

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.

Corish, P.J. 1987 Two centuries of Catholicism in county Wexford. In K. Whelan and W. Nolan (eds), Wexford: History and Society, 222-47. Dublin. Geography Publications.