Old Hospital (in Ruins)

On level ground on the outskirts of Fethard (TS070-040----) which lies c. 400m to the NW. The field immediately E of the partially upstanding building is under pasture, while the field where the hospital is located has been subjected to intensive shallow quarrying in the past, leaving a very undulating landscape. The Cashawley River flows c. 180m to the NW. Cramp's Castle (TS070-045002-) is visible c. 800m to the NNE. This building is indicated on the 1st ed. OS 6-inch map as 'Old Hospital (in Ruins)' and is immediately N of Spitalfields townland. The Augustianian friary (TS070-004004-) is located c. 300m to the NW, and though across the river, the hospital was formerly on abbey lands (Butler 1976, 3). The SE angle of a long rectangular building (dims. 19.3m E-W; 8.3m N-S) survives as a roughly coursed, limestone rubble wall (E wall L upstanding 6.1m; wall T 0.95m; S wall L upstanding c. 7m; wall T 0.85m; wall H above int. 1.95m; wall H at angle 2.65m), with no evidence of a base-batter. The western end of the building is defined by an earthen bank (N side Wth at crest 0.1m; Wth at base 2.4m; H above int. 0.4m; H above ext. 075m; W gable Wth at crest 1.2m; Wth at base 2.6m; H above int. 0.8m; H above ext. 0.45m). There is no evidence of the NE angle, where a rubble stone field wall runs northward from the upstanding E gable, and there is a gap of 7.3m between the E gable and the earthen bank defining the N side of the building. At a right angle to the W end of this building, and separated from it by a gap of only 1m, there is another possible building (dims. 18m N-S; 6.1m E-W) defined by an earthen bank (Wth at crest 0.85m; Wth at base 2.4m; H above int. 0.2m; H above ext. 0.6m), though the N gable end and the E side have been badly disturbed by shallow quarry activity. A small area (dims. 5.6m N-S; 6.2m E-W) defined by the S bank of this possible building, the W bank of the former building, a low bank to the S (Wth at crest 1.3m; Wth at base 1.8m; H above int. and ext. 0.2m) and a scarp to the W, which continues to meet the road to the S, may be an additional chamber. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011