Dungulph Castle (in ruins) — Dungulph

Situated on a gentle W-facing slope with a small N-S stream c. 130m to the W. In 1578 Patrick Whitty was seized of the town of Dungulph, in Fethard parish (Jeffrey 1979, 147). The Whittys were connected to the Whittys of Ballyteigue (WX052-018001-). References to the castle date from March 1642 when a sortie from the besieged Royalists in Duncannon fort (WX044-015001-) under Lieut. Treviscoe attacked the castle of Dungulph, which was defended by the owner Walter Whitty and two of his brothers. Two of the attackers were killed by shot from the castle before it was relieved by a party from a Rebel camp at Shelbaggan under Capt. Thomas Rossiter of Rathmacknee (WX042-029001-). Rossiter retreated towards Shelbaggan, followed by Treviscoe and in a skirmish the latter an 15 men were killed (Hore 1900-11,vol. 4, 74-5). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Walter Whitty owned 330 acres and the castle at Dungulph in 1640 (Simington 1953, 173). Nicholas Whitty of Dungulph with two dependents was listed for transportation in 1653 (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 502). Dungulph was assigned to Henry Loftus in 1666 and he lived there until he moved to Redmond Hall, now Loftus Hall (WX054-002----), on the Hook peninsula in the late 1670s. According to tradition, Dungulph castle was occupied by two brothers called Devereux who were prominent rebels in 1798, with the result that the castle was burned by the military, although the brothers escaped abroad. The castle remained a ruin, and is so described on the 1839 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, until it was restored by Michael Clooney in 1917. Thomas Clooney, a granduncle of Michael’s, had married Elanor Devereux in 1817 and moved to Dungulph from Old Ross, bringing milling skills. Dungulph castle is still the Clooney family home. (Clooney 1987, 328-31, 337) The castle was built as a three-storey fortified house, now of four bays and rendered in cement. It probably dates to the late 16th century and is influenced in its design by the house at Fethard (WX050-011003-) c. 2.7 km to the SE, particularly in its stairs tower. It is a single block (ext. dims c. 15m N-S; 8.44m E-W) with a circular tower containing a newel stairs at the NE angle. The stairs is lit by simple slit windows, and garderobe chambers in a projection at the E end of the N wall are accessed from the stairs. Fireplaces were contained in the thickness of the N wall (T c. 1.5m), but a chimney flue supported on corbels also projects on the outer face of the E wall from the first floor. An elliptical-headed doorway, with a rebate for a yett and a square hood-moulding executed in cement is towards the N end of the E wall. It is protected by a machicolation on the parapet, which is restored with plain crenellations. A corner machicolation on the parapet at the SW angle is supported on five corbels. The square hood-mouldings on the first floor windows are also probably original. On the long walls they are associated with two large and two single-light windows. An 18th century print shows that the ground floor had no windows at that time, and its fenestration may have been limited to single lights or gun-loops. (O’Callaghan 1980 81, 22 6) 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