Castle — tower house in Ballyfarnoge (shelburne By., Whitechurch Ed)

Situated at the bottom of a NW-facing slope on the floor of a NE-SW valley. References to the Prendergasts of Ballyfarnoge date from the mid 16th century (Jeffrey 1979, 132), and according to the Civil Survey (1654-6) a castle and 60 acres at Ballyfarnoge were the inheritance of Edmund Prendergast in 1640, together with 120 acres at Ballyteskin, all in Whitechurch parish (Simington 1953, 184, 193). This is a rectangular structure (ext. dims. 7.4m E-W; 7.05m N-S) of three storeys with granite quoins but lacking a base batter, and it survives to the string course of the wall walk. The destroyed entrance is towards the N end of the W wall, but even evidence of a murder-hole is removed. The destroyed lobby gave access to the ground floor, which has four embrasures but no surviving windows. From the lobby a mural-stairs in the N wall gives access through a lintelled doorway (now blocked) at the W end of the N wall to the first floor under the E-W vault. This floor has a single window in the W wall and its floor was supported on corbels in the N and S walls and a rebate on the W wall. The mural-stairs continue in the N wall to the second floor (int. dims 4.75m E-W; 4.3m N-S) which is entered through a lintelled doorway. It has a garderobe with a seat at the SE angle, another chamber at the NW angle, a plain fireplace (Wth 0.57m; H 0.65m) in the S wall and three embrasures – destroyed in the E wall, blocked in the S, and with a narrow light that has granite surrounds in the W wall. A passage through the N wall may have given access to the wall walk of an attached structure, presumably a fortified house, the weathering of which can be seen in the N wall. The N, E and S walls are recessed to support the ceiling of the second floor. The mural stairs continue in the N wall and turn into a passage in the E wall, off the N end of which is the lintelled entrance to the third floor. This doorway is partly blocked by inserted brick vaulting which obscures all other features except evidence of one window in the W wall. The original access to the wall walk is through the lintelled roof of the passage in the E wall at its S end where three steps rise up, but a person would have to hoist themselves through the opening in the passage roof. 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/revision: 24 January, 2013