The site may well have been where Brideswell House now stands, a theory supported by two intriguing face corbels that still peer out above an external round-headed doorway at the house. These architectural fragments hint at the grander structure that once occupied this spot in the Irish countryside.

The castle’s documented history begins in the early 17th century when William Browne of Mulrankin held land at Brideswell, either renting from or mortgaging it to Phillip Devereux of Ballymagir, according to an inquisition from 1618. The Devereux family’s connection to the property strengthened over time; by 1640, Phillip’s son Nicholas had come to own both the castle and 80 acres of surrounding land, as recorded in the Civil Survey of that year.

Whilst the original castle has long since vanished, those carved stone faces at Brideswell House serve as tantalising reminders of the site’s medieval past. These corbels, architectural supports that often featured decorative carvings in castles and churches, suggest that materials from the old castle may have been incorporated into the later house, a common practice in Ireland where new buildings frequently rose from the bones of older ones.