Coolnamuck Castke (in Ruins) — Coolnamuck Demesne

Situated at the junction of the S-N Aughnabrone stream with the floodplain of the River Suir, on the W bank of the stream. A datestone commemorating the construction of this building by Geraldus Wall and his wife Catherine Quenneforde (Commerford) in 1588 was removed in the 19th century to Coolnamuck House (WA003-004----) (Connolly 1984, 34), and the castle and bawn were owned by James Wall c. 1640 (Simington 1942, 103). This is a rectangular three-storey tower (ext. dims. c. 12m N-S; c. 9m E-W) with a loft over the ground floor and an attic over the second floor, but only the S wall with a base-batter stands to full height. The entrance is not evident and the ground floor is buried under cairn material. The loft, under a N-S vault, has a window with two musket loops in the S wall. There is an inserted window at first-floor level and a blocked window, with evidence of an entrance to a mural chamber in the E ingoing, is at second-floor level. There is a robbed-out fireplace in the attic and the E and W wall-walks have guardrooms in the S wall with look-outs overhead, that at the SE angle with a machicolation. The tower house is within a square bawn (dims. 54m N-S; 54m E-W) defined by stone walls (ext. H 0.5m at S to 4m at E where there is a ravine outside), but the N wall is missing. A circular tower (ext. diam. 4.8m) at the NE angle is reduced to its foundations. A second circular tower of two storeys (ext. diam. 4.3m; int. diam. 2.63m; H 4m) at the NW angle is entered through a pointed doorway at ground level. There are four musket loops at ground level and at least two more at first-floor level, but there is no evidence of a stairs connecting the two floors. Toberavalla Well, now a pumphouse, is outside the SE corner of the bawn. Connolly, E. (1984) Survey of gravestone inscriptions at Churchtown graveyard, Dysert, Decies, No. 25, 32-9. Simington, R. C. (ed.) (1942) The Civil Survey AD 1654-1656, vi, the County of Waterford. Irish Manuscripts Commission. Dublin. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 19 October 2010