Castle (Site of) — Gowran Demesne

Located c. 60m S of the medieval town of Gowran. The site of the castle is marked on the 1900 revision of the OS 6-inch map, c. 60m NE of Gowran House, and was visible in 1992 as, ‘an overgrown mound, with evidence of masonry and rising to c. 1.5m above the surrounding ground level’ (Farrelly et al. 1992, 143). This mound has been removed and the E half is now incorporated in a farmyard where the ground level has been significantly reduced (McLoughlin 2007, 18). An archaeological excavation (06E0237) in 2006 in the W portion of the former mound, prior to a proposed development, revealed very large stones as well as red brick and mortar (ibid.). Following the acquisition of the Kingdom of Leinster by Richard de Clare (Strongbow) in 1172, his followers were rewarded with portions of the kingdom and Gowran went to Theobald fitz Walter, Chief Butler of Ireland (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 400). It is likely that a motte and bailey castle (KK020-060005-) was erected in Gowran around this time. Gowran became the principal seat of the Butlers for a short period from the second half of the 14th century, when they lost Nenagh (KK020-037001-), until 1391 when they acquired Kilkenny Castle (KK020-019078-). In the 14th century Gowran was very much a frontier town, as is emphasised in a document of 1382 which gives, ‘licence to Thomas Derkyn and Walter Cantell, who are staying in the marches of Ballygarveran on the frontier of the Irish enemies, viz. McMurgh and Onolan and their accomplices, to treat and make concord for themselves, their tenants and for the men of others, and to give them provisions and cloth, for the defence of their tenants and others against the invasions of the Irish, provided that they should not give or sell them any victuals, horses or armour in time of war, and that this treat is not to the K[ing]’s prejudice nor that of this faithful people (chancery.tcd.ie/document/patent/https://chancery.tcd.ie/document/patent/5-richard-ii/192; accessed 9 March 2021). In c. 1385 James Butler, the 3rd Earl of Ormond built a new castle at Gowran (Carrigan 1903, vol. 3, 400). This castle (KK020-060004-), which no longer survives, appears to have been built on a site close to that occupied by the later house built in 1816 by Viscount Clifden (ibid.). ‘Castle (Site of)’ is indicated on the 1900 revised 6-inch OS map c. 75m NE of the later ‘Gowran Castle’, though curiously is not indicated on the earlier 1839 edition. There is a reference to one Teige OCarroll being imprisoned in Gowran castle in 1399 (ibid.). According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 401) the castle was rebuilt c. 1500 by Margaret FitzGerald, the Countess of Ormond. The Calendar of Ormond Deeds records an inquisition taken at Kilkenny after the death of James Butler, Earl of Ormond in 1546 which describes the manor of Ballygawran (Gowran) as containing, ‘appurtenances [rights pertaining to property], and one castle, thirty messuages [a house with outbuildings and a parcel of land or yard], eighty acres of arable land, four acres of meadow, twenty acres of pasture, with two acres of underwood and two water mills, with appurtenances, in Ballygawran, also 9l. 6s. 8d. chief rent due of the burgesses of said town each year, besides suit of court [obligation to attend and participate in the manorial court]’ (Curtis 1937, vol. 4, 301-02 (361)). A rental account of Gowran in the Calendar of Ormond Deeds, c. 1550, mentions seven town gates in Gowran, including the ‘Castell barr’, which presumably gave access from the SE quadrant of the town southward to the castle (Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 44-7 (25)). On a 1710/11 map of Gowran a lane is depicted at the E end of the town running southward towards the castle and probably lead to the castle gate (White 1710/11). The castle itself is depicted on this map (ibid.). Though probably stylised, it shows a central two storey block with turrets on either end and with other possible turrets or chimneys appearing above the roof of the central block (ibid.). Also depicted on this map is a street, ‘Haggerd Street’ running outside of, and parallel to, the S town wall, between the castle and the SW end of the town (ibid.). A royal grant of lands to George Sherlock in 1597 includes, ‘a messuage and garden in Haggard-street, extending in length from the Haggard Street leading to the castle of the earl of Ormond on the north, and to the lands of the said Earl on the south’ (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 401; Curtis 1943, vol. 6, 106 (131)). In 1650, the castle was besieged by Cromwellian forces and, after a short pounding by artillery, was surrendered by Colonel Hammond who, together with his officers, was executed (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 402). Cromwell described this as, ‘a very strong castle’ in which there were ‘good store of provisions for the army’ (ibid.). The castle was then set on fire (ibid.). The castle is indicated on the Down Survey (1655-6) barony map of Gowran, County Kilkenny as a stylised tower, annotated, 'Castle of Gowran' on 'Lord Iretons Lands' (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin). The castle and estate remained in Butler hands until c. 1700 (ibid. 400). It then passed to Lewis Chaigneau, a Dublin merchant who sold it, c. 1710 to James Agar, the son of a Cromwellian solider. According to Moran (1980s, 2) the castle then consisted of ‘a large round tower in the centre and four smaller ones around it’ but following a fire in 1713 the castle was altered, adding, ‘a front two storeys high of nine windows with a pediment in the centre’. In 1815-16 he began building a new house to replace the castle which was falling into disrepair (ibid., 13; Bence-Jones 1988, 144). See attached: KKK020-060004-_01 Extract from Down Survey (1655-6) barony map of Gowran, County Kilkenny (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin) K020-060004-_02 White, J. 1710/11 A survey of the towne and lands of Gowrane in the County of Kilkenny belonging to Mr Lewis Chaigneau of Dublin merch[an]t made in the presence of Mr David Chaigneau Mr John Bayly Mr John Sandbeach Sam[ue]l Bingham James Quigly and Mr James White the surveyor; and the said lands contain arable pasture and meadow one thousand two hundred ninety seven acres thirty five perches plantation measure over and above all deductions for intermixt lands and common high roads as appeareth by a table of reference hereunto. Surveyed in the month of March 1710/11 by a scale of 20 p[er]chs. Ja: White. NLI MS map 21.F.55 (4). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 24 March 2021