Castle(in ruins) — Baldwinstown

Kilcowan was held by the service of half a knight’s fee fom the Bigod estate, and it was held in wardship by Peter Keting in 1247 and by Nicholas de Ketyng in 1307 (Brooks 1950, 37). The motte at Kilcowan (Hooks: WX046-042002-) would have been the centre of the holding until other castles were established later. In 1470 David Keating, lord of Baldynston, had a Papal indulgence to have a portable altar (ibid.). Baldwinstown is probably named after a Keating ancestor. Michael Keating of Baldwinstown was a juror in 1571 (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 382). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) James Keating owned 180 acres and the castle at Baldwinstown in 1641 (Simington 1953, 158), and John Keating was listed for transplantation to Connaught in 1653 with 46 dependents (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 502). The castle is situated on a slight rise overlooking a small N-S stream, c. 20m to the W. This is a tower (ext. dims 9.53m NW-SE; 8.1m NE-SW) of five storeys and an attic, with good quoins and a slight batter. It survives complete, although with serious structural cracks in the NE and SW walls. The doorways tend to be lintelled, windows are rectangular and the dressed stone is granite. The round-headed entrance doorway, which may be partly re-built, is towards the S end of the SW wall. It is protected by machicolation (destroyed) on the parapet and a portcullis but there is no evidence of a murder-hole. The lobby leads through a lintelled doorway (Wth 1.03m; H 1.71m) to the ground floor (int. dims 5.85m NW-SE; 4.07m NE-SW) where there are surviving double-splayed loops, but there are no embrasures in the NW and NE walls. There is a recess at the W angle under the stairs and an arched recess (Wth 1.22m; H 1.7m; D 1.2m) in the SE wall, while the ceiling was supported on corbels in the SW wall and a rebate on the NE wall. The stairs rise in the SW wall to a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.85m; H 1.62m) to the first floor under a NW-SE vault, which has a stirrup-loop in the SE wall, and an antechamber at the S angle over the ground floor entrance that has a damaged window in the SW wall and a double-splay window in the SE wall. The stairs continue in the SW wall and turn into the NW wall where a lintelled doorway leads to the second floor over the vault (int. dims 6.21m NW-SE; 5.66m NE-SW). This floor has a rectangular window with seats on the NE wall, with a garderobe chamber at the E end of the same wall. The SE wall has a robbed fireplace (Wth 1.48m; D 0.63m) and a large rectangular opening repaired in brick. Re-building around the crack in the SW wall obscures a rectangular window or light but no other features are visible on this wall. There are corbels to support the ceiling in the NE and SW walls. The mural stairs continue to rise in the NW wall to the third floor where a lintelled doorway at the N end of this wall provides access to the floor. This floor has rectangular windows with seats at the centre of the NE wall and towards the E end of the SE wall, which also has a lintelled fireplace of dressed stone. A lintelled doorway at the E end of the NE wall leads to a garderobe at the E angle. The crack through the S end of the SW wall has probably destroyed a window, which is the only feature on this wall at this level, apart from corbels on this wall and the NE wall to support the ceiling. A newel stairs at the N angle rises to the fourth floor which has a window with seats at the S end of the SW wall, and a small light in the SE wall where the chimney flue projects on the outer face of the wall and is supported on corbels. The flue is from fireplaces at lower levels, but there is no fireplace at this floor. There is a damaged window in the NE wall and an antechamber in the thickness of the NW wall over the stairs. The newel stairs continues in the N angle and emerges through a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.68m; H 1.82m) onto the wall-walk of the NW wall. There is a look-out over the stairs housing and another over the S angle, the latter supported on a pillar that allows passage on the wall-walk. The stepped crenellations survive in good condition, and a gable wall (H 3.4m) with a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.68m; H 1.34m) rises over the inner edge of the NW wall-walk. A bawn wall (L 5.4m; incomplete H c. 5m) is running SE from the E angle of the tower house, but it is not bonded to it. The wall terminates in a circular tower (ext. diam. c. 3.5m; H c. 7m) entered from the wall walk of the bawn wall. The bawn lay to the W, between the tower house and the stream, but there is no other evidence of it. Archaeological testing (96E0359) c. 30m E of the castle produced no related material (Scully 1996a, b). 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: 11 October, 2013