Castle (Site of)

Situated on the NW-facing slope of a hill which extends gently down to the River Suir. Described in the Civil Survey (1654-6) as 'the stump of a Castle…out of repaire' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 55). Theobald Purcell is listed as proprietor in 1640 (ibid.). The building was in ruins when visited by the Ordnance Survey who described it as 'an old castle which was built of lime and sand mortar' with walls four feet (1.2m) thick. The walls, though largely demolished, survived to a height of ten feet (3m) and the entrance to the ground floor was through an arch near the NE angle of the N wall (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 192). According to two local sources the castle is completely gone with no visible trace above ground. One of the sources said that there was a tradition of a church at the castle location. Site not seen at close quarters because of 'wild' bull in field. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

The site of Castle Fertiana was held by Theobald Purcell in the 17th century. It is remembered primarily from historical surveys describing its ruined state, indicating its former strategic or defensive significance in the region.