Danes Castle (in ruins) — Danescastle

Said to have been built by Sir Reginald Ie Denne in 1290 (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 201 2), references to the castle date with certainty from the 17th century when it was the property of Cheevers of Ballyhealy (WX052-022----) (Jeffrey 1979, 72; Butler 1985, 51). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Haimond Cheevers owned 210 acres and the castle at Danescastle in 1640 (Simington 1953, 154, 163). It is situated on a fairly level landscape with the headwaters of a small NE-SW stream c. 80m to the NW. This is a rectangular tower (ext. dims 8.3m N-S; 6.25m E-W) of five floors with a barrel-vault over the first floor, and it survives to the wall-walk with good quoins and a base-batter. There are 7-9 putlog-holes on each face below the vault but none above it. A pointed granite doorway (Wth 1.07m; H 1.86m) with undressed voussoirs towards the W end of the N wall is probably secondary, but this is not apparent in the stonework. Although this doorway is protected by machicolation at the parapet, it leads directly to the ground floor chamber (int. dims 4.9m N-S; 3.3m E-W), which has three embrasures, those on the W and S walls with double splayed loops while that on the E is blank. From the outside a pointed granite doorway (Wth 0.8m; H 1.8m) towards the N end of the E wall leads through a lobby protected by a murder-hole, to the ground floor. It may have been protected outside by machicolation, but the parapet above does not survive. From the lobby a mural stairs rises in the N wall and leads through a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.58m; H 1.53m) to the first floor under the N-S barrel-vault. This floor has a damaged rectangular window with chamfered edges in the S wall, and its floor was supported on corbels in the E and W walls. The mural stairs continue to the second floor over the vault, which is entered through a lintelled doorway at the centre of the N wall. From the head of the mural stairs a newel stairs rises in the centre of the N wall to the third and fourth floors. The second storey has rectangular windows with seats in the E, S (removed) and W walls, with a destroyed fireplace at the S end of the W wall, the flue of which is supported on corbels on the outer face of the wall. The window in the W wall is complete (Wth 0.25m; H 0.74m) with chamfered granite surrounds, and has a gun-loop beneath. There is a garderobe at the NW angle and a murder-hole over the upper reaches of mural stairs, commanded from a recess at the E end of the N wall, while the murder-hole over the lobby would be operated from the window embrasure towards the N end of the E wall (now obscured). The newel stairs at the centre of the N wall rises to the third floor which has a fireplace with a surviving granite mantle at the S end of the W wall, rectangular windows in the W and E walls, the former with seats, and a garderobe at the NW angle. Its floor was supported on corbels in the E and W walls. The newel stairs continues to the fourth floor, whose only features are simple rectangular windows in the E and W walls, and the floor was supported on corbels in the E and W walls. From the head of the newel stairs at the fourth floor, a stairs rises in the NW angle and emerge on the W wall-walk. to destroyed battlements. There was probably a lookout platform originally over the stairs housing that extended the length of the N wall. The crease-line of a pitched roof is visible in this wall. Externally, a building was added immediately to the E, and the crease-line of its pitched roof can be seen in the E facade. The castle is within an overgrown and neglected rectangular field (dims c. 70m NW-SE; c. 50m NE-SW) defined by earthen banks and hedges, but there is no evidence of a bawn or original enclosure. 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: 23 July 2013