Known locally as Edmond’s Castle, this 15th-century limestone building might have served as part of the abbey’s domestic quarters or even the bishop’s palace, a theory supported by Fethard’s status as an Archiepiscopal Borough from around 1215 to 1553. The building’s unusual design appears to have been carefully planned to accommodate existing structures, incorporating itself into the town wall along its southern face whilst providing a clever ground-floor passageway that allowed townspeople to move between the street and churchyard without disrupting the building’s primary functions.

The structure reveals a fascinating history through its masonry and architectural features. Fire-blackened stones on the north face likely tell the story of Garret FitzGerald’s violent sacking of the town in 1468, whilst later modifications show how the building adapted to changing times. The ground floor’s main chamber, accessed through the northern passageway, was refurbished in the late 16th century with new windows and doorways. Above this, a barrel-vaulted first-floor chamber featured elegant ogee-headed windows cut directly into the vault, whilst the second floor housed a grand hall complete with multiple windows, wall cupboards, and a garderobe with an overhanging chute supported by tapering corbels; classic medieval conveniences for a building of status.

What makes this structure particularly remarkable is its defensive capabilities hidden within its domestic architecture. A spiral staircase in the northwest corner led to a cap house at parapet level, providing access to wall-walks along the north and west walls. The eastern wall featured blind arcading that supported a lookout chamber, accessible via steps above roof level, allowing defenders to survey approaches to the town. These military features, combined with the building’s integration into the town wall and its strategic position overlooking the churchyard, suggest it served dual purposes as both a comfortable residence and a defensive strongpoint in medieval Fethard’s fortifications.