Mountgarrett Castle (in ruins)

Located just off the crest of the N-facing slope of a N-S ridge. In 1408 Patrick Barrett, bishop of Ferns, was granted permission to employ masons to built a castle at Mountgarrett (Hore 1900-11, vol. 1, 130-1), and the core of this structure, which has the largest area of any Wexford tower house, may be the bishop’s work. Sir Richard Butler, the second son of Sir Pierce Butler, 8th earl of Ormonde, became the first Lord Mountagarret in 1550, and he may have substantially re-built it in its present form. It is a five storey tower house (ext. dims. 13.8m N-S; 10.8m E-W) surviving partially to the wall walk with a base batter, most marked on the N wall, quoins and a pointed entrance with a yett, probably inserted, at the centre of the S wall. There were the remains of a guardroom inside entrance to the E with a spiral stairs at the SW angle. The entrance to the ground floor does not survive and there is no evidence of a barrel vault. There is evidence of four garderobe chutes in disparate locations on the upper floors. There are fireplaces (destroyed) at the first and second floors. There are musket loops at the NW angle and a large mullion and transom window with gun loops in the N wall at the second floor. There is evidence of a bawn (dims. 35m E-W; c. 60m N-S), which had surviving walls in 1839 (ibid.) visible as low scarps to the SW. After severe frosts in the winter of 2009-10 the S wall and adjacent parts of the W wall fell on February 5th 2010. A programme of remedial works were carried out on the structure in 2012 (Nolan 2012, 1-20) but a further collapse of the NE angle occurred early in February 2016. 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 revision: 15 February 2016 Revised by: Claire Breen

Patrick Barrett, bishop of Ferns, built Mountgarrett Castle in 1408 with royal permission, likely to assert control or for defensive purposes during a turbulent period in Irish history. The castle is remembered as a medieval ecclesiastical stronghold associated with the Barrett family.