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Situated on a coastal promontory jutting NE into Waterford Harbour (dims. c. 170m NE-SW; c. 60m N-S at the W end), with the harbour of Dunmore East to the N and the sea to the S. This, or the castle (WA027-034----), c. 800m to the N, could be the caput of the manor of Dunmore, granted to Heverbricht by Henry II and confirmed by King John in 1203, after which it is frequently mentioned. By the early 14th century much of the manor was owned by the de Boitler and Le Flemming families, the latter becomming embroiled with Robert de Stapleton, the sheriff of Waterford, over possession. (Westropp 1914-16, 212-13)
The defences were described by Westropp (ibid. 214) as a flat-topped earthen bank (Wth at base c. 7m; int. H 1.8m; ext. H 3.6m; Wth at top 2-3.5m) with an outer fosse (Wth 4.5m; D 1.2m) and a slight outer bank. The entrance (Wth 6m) was towards the centre of the defences (total L c. 60m), with a circular hut site (int. diam. c. 3m), a low enclosure (diam. c. 48m) and a possible embankment (at E end) internally. The defences were levelled and the topsoil removed in the 1970s to create a carpark. Archaeological testing (01E0344) of the interior (Clearly 2003) and monitoring (05E0837) (Delaney 2008) just to the N and W as part of an EIS for a sewage scheme produced no related material.
Cleary, R. (2003) Dunmore East. Promontory fort. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2001: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 388, No. 1243. Wordwell. Bray.
Delaney, S. (2008) Dunmore East sewerage scheme. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2005: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 363, No. 1492. Wordwell. Dublin.
Westropp, T. J. (1914-16) Fortiified headlands and castles on the south coast of Munster. PRIA C vol. 32, 188-227.
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: 10 June 2011
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