Site of Castle — Newtown (shelmaliere West By., Carrick Ed)

Situated on a promontory (H c. 10m) overlooking the W-E River Slaney at a narrow point (Wth c. 100m NE-SW) before it enters the inner harbour of Wexford. When the Anglo-Normans captured Wexford town in 1169, Dermot Mac Murrough granted it and the surrounding area to Maurice FitzGerald and Robert FitzStephen, and the latter fortified the steep rock at ‘Karrech’ with an earthen bank and a palisade. On the death of Dermot in May 1171, the Irish rebelled, captured Wexford town and besieged FitzStephen behind the ‘earthen rampart’ at Carraig. FitzStephen surrendered to trickery and was handed over the King Henry II at Waterford later in the year. The enclosure is described as the ‘castrum de Karrich’ in 1231-34, testifying to its continued use as a strongpoint. The castle is mentioned again in 1307 when it appears to have been in good repair, but by 1323-4 it is described in an inquisition as vacant and consisting of an unroofed hall and chapel (Orpen 1906, 33). The castle is described as burnt in 1420 but it would still be the centre of the manor (Hore 1900-11, vol. 5, 130). References to the manor and castle continue into the late 16th century, and in time it came to be known as Shanacourt (Old Castle) (Orpen 1906 29-34). An antiquarian footnote by J. Hooker in Holinshed’s ‘Chronicles of Ireland’ (1587, vol. 2, 11) and quoted by Orpen describes the castle as ‘first made of rods and turfs, according to the manner in those daies, but since builded with stone, and was the strongest fort then in those parts of the land…but it was pulled down, defaced and raced, and so dooth still remaine’. The ringwork was described in 1988 (SMR file) as an oval overgrown area (dims c. 60m E-W; c. 27m N-S) defined by a cliff edge (H c. 10m) NW-N-E and by an earthen bank and fosse elsewhere (total Wth c. 15m). Bennett excavated (E000282) through the rampart recording an earthen bank (Wth c. 7m; int. H 1.8m; ext. H 2.15) that had been extended, or slipped twice, on the inside but there was no evidence of a palisade (1984-5). There is an external rock-cut fosse (Wth at top 2-5.5m; total int. D 4.15m; ext. D 1.2-2m), and with an internal stone revetment but the interior had been disturbed by the building of a memorial round-tower (WX037-028001-) in 1857-8 (Bennet 1989). However, evidence of at least two structures was recorded in further excavation (E000352) when 13th century pottery and three silver pennies were recovered (Cotter 1988). The monument is now within the National Heritage Park. Further excavation (17E0318) was undertaken in 2018 and 2019 when the earlier trenches were identified and five new cuttings were made in the interior. A sample of charcoal from beneath the bank yielded a C14 date of 880-980 cal. AD, providing a terminus post quem for its construction. Some post-holes in the interior were sealed by a charcoal layer with a C14 date of 1040-1210 cal. AD, and pre-date two structures of thirteenth or fourteenth century date, represented by walls (Wth c. 0.7-1.17m) or robber trenches. Structure A is possibly the S room of an oblong building (max. dims 15m x 9.5m) aligned N-S, which may have been the hall. Structure B (dims c. 8.5m E-W; 5.4m N-S) partly overlies material from the bank of the enclosure and could be the chapel. The remains of both structures are sealed beneath deposits with medieval pottery. (Shine and Mandel 2018, 2019) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 14 December, 2012 Amended: 18 November 2020