Settlement deserted — medieval in Graystown

The Civil Survey (1654-6) records the proprietor as Henry Laffan of 'Graystowne Esqr. Irish Papist' and makes two separate references to it, 'The Castle and Slate house of Castle John inhabitted, A Stomp of a castle with a brooken bawne unrepaired & inhabited' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 101) and 'Upon this land standeth a good castle, a slate house wanting repaire with a large bawne & severall cabbins' (ibid, 106). According to Hassett (1990, 24-6) Henry Laffan 'was an official of the Butler Family, acquired considerable property in Co. Tipperary at the beginning of the 14th century. In 1305 he got 120 acres in Graystown from Geruase De Raley. This Henry Laffan was said to be the first of the Laffan Family, whose chief seat was in Graystown from then on. In 1521, Thomas Laffan, Lord of Ballingarry, granted to the Earl of Ormonde, the land of Ballinure. He was probably dead before 1524, in which year James Laffan of Graystown was one of the freeholders of Tipperary, who complained to King Henry VIII of the extortions, coyne and livery levied on them by Sir James Butler of Kiltinan and Sir Edmond Butler of Cahir as dupties of the Earl of Ormonde. James Laffan died in 1607. In 1613, Thomas Laffan of Graystown was a member of Parliament for Tipperary. The proprietor of Graystown and Noan, 3200 acres in 1640, was Henry Laffan of Graystown while Marcus Laffan, his son, apparently held the remainder of the family property in Lurgoe, 640 acres. Henry was dead before 1649, for Marcus was found in Graystown in that year and was a Commissioner for the levying of troops and taxes in Slieveardagh. Marcus was transplanted to Connaught where he was alotted 1184 acres. The Cromwellian grantee of Graystown was Gyles Cooke. He held the title of the area in 1659 and had two hearths there in 1665 (Petty Census Money Records). The Down Survey map of 1655-6 for Graystown depicts a castle, a large rectangular bawn with two free-standing houses inside the bawn (TS054-037001-), three cabins to the north of the castle (TS054-037002-) and a church (TS054-039001-) to the south-east (Clutterbuck 2000, 158). The hearth taxation for 1666-7 recorded 26 hearths in the townland of Graystown (ibid.). Immediately N of the tower house and bawn there is a rectangular field of rock outcrop which is shown on the first ed. OS 6-inch map as a 'Fair Green'. In this field are the grass-covered wall footings of two house sites rectangular in plan located at the N end of this field. These two houses are located side by side and are orienated on a NE-SW axis, the NE end of both houses face onto a possible road which runs down through the field on a N-S axis. To the E of this road opposite the two houses there are two large sub-circular enclosures which may be plots assoicated with the medieval settlement of the area. This green is intersected on its northern perimeter by a modern road running SW-NE, to the N of this road in the adjoining field (dims. 230m N-S; 150m E-W) there are the grass-covered wall footings of a possible bawn and or castle/house with bawn and three other buildings one of rectangular plan in SE corner of the field which appears to be a house with an adjoining building to the N and a third rectangular building in NE quadrant of field. To the N of this cluster of houses there are some small fields and enclosures which may be contemporary with the late medieval settlement. The larger building with bawn is defined by grass-covered wall footings of a house (dims. 10m x 7m) and bawn (dims. 38m x 34m ), the house is located in the NW angle of the bawn and forms the boundary wall on this angle. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011