Enniscorthy

The origins of Enniscorthy are obscure and disputed (Grattan-Flood 1904; Hore 1905) but the settlement seems to have grown up as the caput of the manor of Duffry that extended from the River Slaney west as far as the Blackstairs Mountains, and was more or less co-terminous with the original parish of Templeshanbo. Duffry was granted before 1172 by Strongbow to Robert de Quincy who married Strongbow's sister, Basilia. She married Raymond le gros in 1175, and he may have built an earthwork castle at Enniscorthy on the site of the present castle. Basilia's daughter Maud, married Philip de Prendergast in 1198, and in 1227 he acquired Templeshannon on the E bank of the river from the Bishop of Ferns. In 1251 the manor passed to the Rochfort family, who are still described officially as owners in 1391, although it was described in 1326 as destroyed by the Irish. The MacMurroughs seem to have possession in the 15th century and in 1460 Donal Reagh founded the Franciscan friary. In 1585 Sir Henry Wallop acquired the lease of the town and set about re-building it and developing a timber and iron industry. He probably built the Castle in its present from, modelled on Ferns Castle with corner towers but on a smaller scale and with distinctive late 16th century features. (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 335-552; Bradley and King 1990, 34-7; Colfer 2010; Edwards 2010) No charters or mural grants survive, although it had weekly markets and an annual fair held in August. The town occupied an indeterminate area on the W bank of the N-S River Slaney that slopes down steeply to the river and a smaller area on the E bank. There is no evidence that it was ever walled. The castle (WX020-031003-), the site of the Franciscan friary (WX020-031002-), the church of Templeshannon (WX020-031001-) and the site of St Mary's parish church (WX020-031004-) are identifiable monuments within the modern town. A bridge (WX020-054----) was planned in the late 16th century but one was not built until the end of the 17th century. Archaeological testing has produced no identifiable monuments, apart from a well (WX020-031007-) and two tanneries (WX020-031008-; WX020-031010-) that could pre-date 1700.