Castle — tower house in Tomhaggard

Located on a bluff overlooking a small W-E valley. The manor of Tildavin (Tillaghdovan) was held by the Hore, Rede, and St. John families in the 13th and 14th century by half a knight’s fee from the Bigod estate, and the name of the manor and parish became Tomhaggard over time (Brooks 1950, 35-6). References to a castle at Tomhaggard date from the 17th century when ‘a large ruinous stonework' was the property of the William Rossiter of Bargy (WX047047----) (Simington 1953, 128; Jeffrey 1979, 89). Only the SE wall (L 7.5m; ext. H 6.5m) survives with a garderobe chamber (L 1.5m; Wth 0.53m; H 1.9m) at the N end which is entered through a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.52m; H 1.64m). This was probably at the second floor level of the castle and an embrasure of the tower house in the same wall and at the same level was utilised as an altar-shelf in the mass-house. The ground on the NW side of the wall has been built up to the second floor and is flush with the NE-SW street c. 35m to the W. The mass-house (WX047-050001-) is built against the inner face of the castle wall, but the garderobe is outside the mass-house and regarded as a confessional. A small excavation (03E0646) connected with the underpinning of a buttress on the N side of the mass-house failed to produce any related material (Hayden 2006). 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: 21 October, 2103