Castle — Ballycogly

Situated on a slight rise overlooking the headwaters of a small N-S stream that is c. 400m to the SE. References to the Wadding family in Co. Wexford date from the mid 14th century when Robert Waddynge was Sergeant of Wexford in 1356-7, Thomas was Sheriff in 1383, and David was sheriff in 1398 and again in 1413. Richard Wadding possessed the castle and land of Ballycogly at his death in 1585 (Jeffrey 1979, 2-3). Anastasia Rossiter of Rathmacknee (WX042-029001-) marrired James Wadding and their son, Luke, was Catholic bishop of Ferns 1678-1687, in succession to his cousin, Nicholas French of Ballytory (WX048042----) (Redmond 1898). According to the Books of Survey and Distribution Richard Wadding held 166 acres at Ballycogly and 419 acres at Leachestown, Cooloughter, Braestown and Maglas in Mayglass parish in 1641 (Simington 1953, 301). Richard was listed for transplantation to Connaught in 1653 with 20 dependents (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 502). Ballycogley with 1463 acres was granted to Richard Ousley by Charles II, and Martha, one of Ousley’s heiress daughters married Nicholas Barrington of Ballymacane castle (WX053-003----). Her moiety remained largely intact with the Barringtons into the early 20th century (Jeffrey 1979, 4). This is a rectangular tower (ext. dims 10.94m E-W; 7.9m N-S) of five storeys with good quoins surviving to the parapet, except at the SW angle where it is damaged from the top of the second floor upwards. All the dressed stone is granite. The destroyed entrance towards the E end of the S wall leads through a lobby with a murder-hole and an internal lintelled doorway (Wth 0.9m; H 1.72m) to the ground floor (int. dims 6.75m E-W; 4.44m N-S). This has an embrasure on each wall, and possibly two on the N wall, but the only original visible feature is a double-splayed loop in the W wall. The ceiling was supported on corbels in the N and S walls. From the lobby the stairs rise in the E wall to a blocked doorway (Wth 0.79m; H 1.92m) to the first floor under the E-W vault, which has one window in the W wal,l with a garderobe off the embrasure to the S. The stairs continue in the E wall and turn onto the N wall where a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.77m; H 1.79m) at the E end leads to the second floor (int. dims 8.2m E-W; 4.6m N-S) over the vault. This has a robbed fireplace in the E wall, but the opening (Wth 1.7m; H 1.55m; D 0.69m) is intact with the flue rising in the wall above. There are three, or possibly four, embrasures in the S wall, but only one light is visible as the wall is partly damaged, as is much of the W wall where no features are visible. There are two embrasures in the N wall, that at the NW angle was probably from a small chamber which has a small light in the N wall and an oubliette or hidden chamber below. The oubliette was accessed originally through a narrow trap-door in the floor. At the centre of the N wall an arched embrasure (Wth 2.1m; H 2.06m; D 1.58m) has an ogee-headed window (Wth 0.27m; H 1.01m). The floor of the embrasure also has a trap-door to an oubliette (int. dims 2.83m E-W; 0.65m N-S; H 1.58m), which has a lintelled roof. The stairs continue in the N wall to the third floor which is entered through a lintelled doorway that is now blocked in the centre of the N wall. This floor has a two-light rectangular window with seats in the N wall, a window with seats on the N side of the E wall with a fireplace (Wth 1.2m; H 1.13m; D 0.64m) of undressed stone at the S end. There is a slit window at the W end of the N wall and another at the E end of the S, but most of these walls do not survive. No evidence survives of how the floor of the third storey was supported. The stairs continue in the N wall where a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.65m; H 1.73m) at the W end of the N wall provided access to the fourth floor which was supported on corbels, three of which survive in the E wall. The only surviving feature of this floor is a slit window in the E wall. Outside the entrance doorway a newel stairs leads to the parapet at the NW angle. There is a lookout platform over the stairs housing accessed by steps on the inner side of the parapet at N. The parapet does not survive but there are the remains of gables on the E and W walls inside the wall walk, the E gable with a slit window. There is no evidence of a bawn, although Ballycogly castle is depicted within one on the Down Survey barony map of Forth (1656-8). For the Down Survey barony map see this webpage accessed on 11 Sep. 2013. http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/down-survey-maps.php#bm=Forth&c=Wexford 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. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Compiled by: Michael Moore