Ormonde Castle

At the E end of town, E of Castle Street, on the N bank of the River Suir. The Butler castle is said to have been built in 1309 on the site of a Poor Clare convent (TS085-004003-)(Killan and Duignan 1967, 143). A castle at Carrick is mentioned in a grant of the castle and manor of Carrickmacgriffin by King Edward II to Edmund Butler in 1315 (Fenlon 1996, 27). The castle is mentioned in 1361 as being 'on the south, [of the town wall] upon which a chapel and ruin annexed to the said castle are situated' and again in 1366 (Fenlon 1996, 28). It would appear to have been a keepless or 'enclosure' castle consisting of a courtyard. Originally the curtain wall was D-shaped at the river end, footings of a curved section of wall are visible at the E angle of the lower courtyard (Fenlon 1996, 27). There is a watergate, at least three-stories high, on the river bank and it is probable that another gateway building stood on the N front (Fenlon 1996, 27). The arched entrance of the watergate has been blocked up and only the S wall and foundations of the E wall survive. At both first and second-floor level the is a roughly centrally placed three-light, segmental-headed window. In the 15th century, c. 1445, two tower houses were erected, supposedly by Eamonn mac Risterd Butler (Empey 1982, 207). The E tower house is five stories high with a vault over the ground floor. The ground floor is lit by arrow loops while the upper floors have mullioned windows inserted into earlier window openings. A large building, at least three stories high, adjoined the S face of this tower house, the roof scar of which is still visible. The W tower house, also five stories high, is larger than the E tower house and has a rectangular projecting stair turret. The E wall was standing until 1903 (Fenlon 1996, 32). The inserted 16th-century windows, elaborate fireplaces and former evidence of plaster suggest that like the E tower, it was completely incorporated into the plans of the later 16th-century house (TS085-004002-) (Fenlon 1996, 32). The bawn wall (TS085-004013-) extended S from both the SE angle of the E tower and the SW angle of the W tower. In the latter half of the 16th century, c. 1565, a tudor mansion (TS085-004002-) was added to the N of the complex. A N gateway may have been replaced or altered in the mid-16th century as the current doorway in the N wall on the line of the former curtain wall is roughly contemporary with the 16th-century house. An illustration dating to 1699 (Fenlon 2008, 34) shows a building, at least two stories high, between the E and W tower with a central projecting gable at first-floor level over what appears to be the present 16th-century doorway. A window embrasure has been crudely inserted into the 'tower' room of the 16th-century house. This round-headed splayed embrasure with a roll-moulding around the head and carved decorative detail, including angels, scrolls and foliage ornament may have come from the banqueting hall of the castle complex. It is very similar in style to the windows of the banqueting hall at the 16th-century Aughnanure castle, Galway (GA054-002----).