Castle, Tracystown West, Co. Wexford
In the countryside of County Wexford, the ruins of Tracystown Castle stand as a testament to centuries of Irish history.
Castle, Tracystown West, Co. Wexford
According to the Civil Survey of 1654-6, William Hore owned this ruined castle along with 360 acres in the area, plus an additional 300 acres in nearby Ardenagh, all within Taghmon parish. The castle occupies a low rise at the head of a gentle valley that runs southeast to northwest, a strategic position that would have offered its medieval inhabitants good visibility across the surrounding landscape.
The castle itself is a rectangular tower house, measuring roughly 7.85 metres east to west and 6.9 metres north to south. Today, only the lower portions survive up to the top of the vault, with the northwest corner completely destroyed. The walls feature a distinctive battered design, sloping outwards at the base for added stability, and are reinforced with granite quoins at the corners. The main entrance, a round-headed doorway built from undressed stone, sits towards the western end of the south wall. This entrance, measuring just under a metre wide and 2.6 metres high, was cleverly defended by a murder hole above, allowing defenders to attack anyone trying to force entry.
Inside, the ground floor chamber measures approximately 4.8 by 4.15 metres and originally featured four embrasures with narrow slit windows, though only two remain intact. A mural staircase built into the thickness of the south and west walls once led to the first floor, though the doorway at the top is now destroyed. This upper level was supported by seven wooden joists set directly into the north and south walls, beneath an east-west running vault. Around the tower, faint earthwork traces to the south and east suggest the presence of a bawn; a defensive courtyard wall that would have enclosed an area roughly 50 metres square, providing additional protection and space for livestock and other domestic buildings.





