Caslte (Site of)

In farmyard; no visible surface trace of site known as Rochfordstown Castle, some fragments of cut stone lying about may have come from it. On wall of nearby stable is stone plaque (CO086-001----) with coat of arms of Sir Robert Travers, impaled with the arms of his wife Elizabeth Boyle (Cremin 1910, 143-146; Fitzgerald 1910, 196-8), and bearing the date 1630. The stable is part of the farmbuildings of Castlewhite House, and probably dates to the 19th century. Healy (1988, 66) considers the plaque to mark the rebuilding of the old castle of the Rochfords. Cremin (ibid., 144) also mentions a lintel cut with the initials R.T. and E.T. (T for Travers) 'recently used in the building of a drain'. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 2: East and South Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1994). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Rochfordstown Castle was built by the Rochford family, who were prominent in Irish history during the medieval period. The castle is remembered for its association with this influential family and as an example of early Irish domestic architecture.