Coolnamuck Castke (in Ruins)

Situated at the junction of the S-N Aughnabrone stream with the floodplain of the River Suir, on the W bank of the stream. A datestone commemorating the construction of this building by Geraldus Wall and his wife Catherine Quenneforde (Commerford) in 1588 was removed in the 19th century to Coolnamuck House (WA003-004----) (Connolly 1984, 34), and the castle and bawn were owned by James Wall c. 1640 (Simington 1942, 103). This is a rectangular three-storey tower (ext. dims. c. 12m N-S; c. 9m E-W) with a loft over the ground floor and an attic over the second floor, but only the S wall with a base-batter stands to full height. The entrance is not evident and the ground floor is buried under cairn material. The loft, under a N-S vault, has a window with two musket loops in the S wall. There is an inserted window at first-floor level and a blocked window, with evidence of an entrance to a mural chamber in the E ingoing, is at second-floor level. There is a robbed-out fireplace in the attic and the E and W wall-walks have guardrooms in the S wall with look-outs overhead, that at the SE angle with a machicolation. The tower house is within a square bawn (dims. 54m N-S; 54m E-W) defined by stone walls (ext. H 0.5m at S to 4m at E where there is a ravine outside), but the N wall is missing. A circular tower (ext. diam. 4.8m) at the NE angle is reduced to its foundations. A second circular tower of two storeys (ext. diam. 4.3m; int. diam. 2.63m; H 4m) at the NW angle is entered through a pointed doorway at ground level. There are four musket loops at ground level and at least two more at first-floor level, but there is no evidence of a stairs connecting the two floors. Toberavalla Well, now a pumphouse, is outside the SE corner of the bawn. Connolly, E. (1984) Survey of gravestone inscriptions at Churchtown graveyard, Dysert, Decies, No. 25, 32-9. Simington, R. C. (ed.) (1942) The Civil Survey AD 1654-1656, vi, the County of Waterford. Irish Manuscripts Commission. Dublin. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 19 October 2010

Geraldus Wall and his wife Catheri built Coolnamuck Castle in the late 16th or early 17th century. The castle is remembered for its historical association with the Wall family and as a local example of early modern Irish domestic architecture.