What is recorded here

Castle, unclassified occupies a polygonal ringwork on a slight shelf in Ballyvolan Lower, its stone wall reduced mostly to half a metre except two northern sections rising near four metres. Tradition claims James II sheltered there while fleeing the Boyne, and nearby digs once yielded skeletons, burnt wood and an Elizabethan coin horn. The putlog holes still mark the height where timber may have gripped stone, leaving the castle half-remembered and half-exposed.

Situated within a ringwork (WI019-017----) on a slight shelf with level ground all around. The flat interior of the ringwork is defined by the foundations of a stone wall (Wth 1-1.5m) forming a polygonal shape. The wall only survives to a height of 0.5m except at N where two portions survive to c. 4m. One section has three putlog holes 1m from the ground. According to the Irish Tourist Authority (ITA) Survey of 1942 'on the lands of Ballyvolan House near the southern extremity of Ballyvolan Glen, are the scant remains of an ancient castle in which, it is said, James II found refuge on his flight from the Boyne. Numerous finds have been made near this site, including skeletons and burnt wood, and, in a nearby marl pit, a large horn containing Elizabethan coins - most of these discoveries were made over a century ago' (SMR File). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 31 Ooctober 2012

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