What is recorded here

Castle (in ruins), Newtown (bargy By., Bannow Ed) stands as a vanished rectangular shadow on a level Wexford plateau, measured at ten by six metres before disappearing entirely. Locally the Prendergasts are credited with its building, though James Furlong and Richard Cullen shared the surrounding land when surveyors walked it. A substantial wall resisted time until about 1980, then even that memory collapsed into soil. What remains is a hole in the landscape where a house or stronghold once forced the earth to take a shape.

Marked as a rectangular building (dims c. 10m x c. 6m) on the 1839 and 1925 eds of the OS 6-inch map, and situated on a fairly level plateau. According to the Down Survey (1656-8) terrier or commentary the 176 acres of Newtown were owned jointly by James Furlong and Richard Cullen. While there were some small houses and a windmill there these features were situated away from the coast and there is no mention of a castle. See this web-page accessed on 11-07-2013: http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/down-survey-maps.php#bm=Bargy&c=Wexford&p=Bannoe. Locally, the castle is thought to have been built by the Prendergasts (Butler 1985, 55). A part of one wall survived until c. 1980, which is described locally as being quite substantial, but no trace of it survives now. It may have been one of the ‘small houses’ mentioned in the terrier of the Down Survey map. 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: 23 July 2013

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