Borrishamon Castle, Borris, Co. Wexford

Co. Wexford |

Castle Features

Borrishamon Castle, Borris, Co. Wexford

Borrishamon Castle in County Wexford sits on level ground with a stream running about 160 metres to the northwest.

This rectangular moated site, now largely ruined, once formed part of a defensive complex protected by walls and a gatehouse on its northern side. The gatehouse, positioned near the northwest corner, consists of the remains of a passage that would have been 2.5 metres wide and 5.35 metres long, though its vault has mostly collapsed. You can still spot evidence of its former defensive features, including a surviving hinge stone from what was once a drawbridge and an impressively long draw-bar socket measuring 4 metres on the eastern side.

The castle's history stretches back to at least 1583, when it was leased to Sir Thomas Materson. By the time of the Civil Survey conducted between 1654 and 1656, ownership had passed to his descendant Edward Materson, who held what was described as a 'small broken castle' along with 1,000 acres spread across the townlands of Borris, Kiltilly, Knocknalour, Ballynaberny and Ballycadden in Kilrush parish. This description suggests the castle was already in poor condition by the mid-17th century.

Today, fragments of the original defensive walls extend beyond the gatehouse on the northern side, with additional wall remnants visible on the eastern side. While time has taken its toll on this once-formidable stronghold, these surviving elements still hint at the strategic importance this site once held in medieval Wexford, controlling access and providing protection for the Materson family and their extensive landholdings.

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