Cantwell's Castle is a tower house located in the townland of Sandfortscourt in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It served as the main residence for the head of the Cantwell family, While debated of who owned it in its final days the facts point to the Cantwell Family. Before a siege of the Cantwell castle from Oliver Cromwells army which led to Cromwells army being forced away with the Cantwells taking control even though two of the three castles were significantly damaged. [1]
Cantwell's Castle is situated in the southern part of the townland of Sandfordscourt, formerly known as Cantwellscourt, approximately 7.5km from Kilkenny City. The closest tower houses to Cantwell's Castle are Ballyfoyle Castle in Ballyfoyle, in the medieval period in possession of the Purcell family, and Clara Castle, formerly a Shortall castle.
History
The Cantwells arrived in Ireland with Strongbow, the first one mentioned in 1177 was Hugh de Cantwelle.[2] They were possibly from Suffolk,[3] very likely Kentwell Hall.[4] At the time, surnames as such did not exist, so that spelling variations of "Cantwell" also include "Conteville", with "Cantuell" being the oldest form.[5]
Once settled in Ireland, they held lands in the parish of Rathcoole (which Sandfordscourt belongs to), Cloghscregg (northeast of Thomastown, County Kilkenny), Stroan (Kilfane near Thomastown), but also in Tipperary. There are still tower-houses associated with the Cantwells in Kilfane (see Cantwell Fada), Cloghscregg, Mellisson (Tipperary)[6] and in Moycarky (Tipperary) with an impressively high wall adjacent to the castle.
Cantwell coat of arms
In 1381, then called Cantwellscourt is described as "with a good castle in repair and a water mill".[7] Both are still shown on the Down Survey map,[8] but there are no longer any traces of the mill. The Down Survey shows a second castle north of the ruins of the tower house which was known as Cantwell's Court. Between the two locations, cropmarks still indicate a settlement and the fields are still known as the "Castle Field", "Court Field" and "Near Court Field" (see illustration to the left).
A townland to the northwest of Sandfordscourt was named "Cantwellsgarron" on the Down Survey map, but has also been renamed into "Grove or Cramersgrove" (Irish Garrán or Garrán Chraiméir,[9] sometimes falsely Creamersgrove[10]) after Tobias Cramer, Cromwellian grantee.[11]
Fieldnames in Sandfordscourt
At the time of the Confederation of Kilkenny, John Cantwell who was Provost Marshal of the Confederates, is named as the owner. For his involvement against Cromwell, he was transplanted to Connaght with his mother and other relations.[12]
The castle was used as a garrison by English, Welsh, and Scottish officers in 1649 who sent some of their men to negotiate with Cromwell who was approaching Kilkenny to exchange the castle against their retreat to leave Ireland. He accepted their terms.[13]
The Down Survey names John Cantwell Sn. as the owner.[14]
The property went into the hands of English man Charles Sandford,[13] who renamed the townland after himself. He died in 1701, is buried in St. Canice's Cathedral and was succeeded by his son Thomas Sandford[13] who was mayor of Kilkenny in 1723.
After the Sandford family went extinct, the land was taken over by Thomas Cahill who died in 1810.[15]
At the time of the Griffith Valuation, the land was owned by Mrs. Ellen Cahill.[16]
Nothing remains in situ of the (presumably) manor house Cantwell's Court apart from a cobble-stoned courtyard discovered by the current owner.[17] It is still shown on the earliest versions of the Ordnance Survey maps. Its stones are thought to have been used by the earlier owner Thomas Cahill to build a more modern house.
Building
Cantwell's Castle with remains of the bawn wall
The limestone-built castle sits on a partly surviving bawn,[18][19] the court-yard wall having been almost completely dismantled by 18th century farmer of the land Thomas Cahill.[13] The tower house is four storeys high and measures 10m from north to south, and 8.2m from east to west.[15]
The entrance in the south-east still (or again) has a drawbar in use to secure it[20] and additionally had a yett.[21] The ground floor has two outwardly splaying windows, in the northeastern and northwestern walls.[22] Carrigan says that shows the castle was built when archery was still in practice.[13] One points to an area within the bawn wall, the other one towards a southwesterly direction.
The ground floor has a small fireplace in the northwestern wall, which leads to the presumption that it was used as accommodation.[18] This is rather unusual, because the ground floor of a tower house of this type was usually used for storage.[23] There is also a cupboard in the north corner.
There was another drawbar between the ground and first floor in a Gothic doorway.[21] The first floor has disappeared, but corbel stones still bear witness to its existence. It is thought to have been used for storage.
Two more drawbars, the second in another Gothic doorway, secured the second floor.[21]
The second floor or Hall (still accessible) rests on the vault and also has a fireplace and the garderobe in the northwestern wall.
The third floor (now floorless) contained the main accommodation with another fireplace, two ogee-headed windows and a recess in the south wall which is known as leabha chaol cruadh an Channtulaigh[7][13] or the hard, narrow bed of Cantwell.
The last floor is the attic, entered through a square-headed door and only accessible crossing the main hall,[18][24] now floorless. There are window seats in large upper floor windows which still allow for a great view. There are two murder-holes, one between the ground and first floor, the second between the first and second floor.[21]
A wall walk ran on top of the castle.
The staircase is mural, starting left of the entrance door and running clockwise in the walls.
A drawbar slot discovered by a family member of the present owners, stranded in Ireland during the first COVID lockdown, suggests a gate and thus maybe access from a road to the southwest. Another road connecting the castle with the Sandfordscourt Road to the east from left of the house now called "Castle View" is lost, but traces can still be made out in satellite view in the Court Field, and there are four old trees suggesting an entrance into the avenue in the Court Field.[25]
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the county. At the 2022 census the population of the county was 103,685. The county was based on the historic Gaelic kingdom of Ossory (Osraighe), which was coterminous with the Diocese of Ossory.
Dromineer is a small village and townland in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is on the shores of Lough Derg, 8 km north-west of Nenagh on the R495 road. It is also a civil parish in the historical barony of Ormond Lower. Historic documents describe the places as "Dromynnyre"; the earliest form of the name dating from 1302 was Dromynwyr.
Foulksrath Castle is a 14th-century Anglo-Norman tower house located in Jenkinstown in County Kilkenny, Ireland.
Doonagore Castle is a round 16th-century tower house with a small walled enclosure located about 1 km south of the coastal village of Doolin in County Clare, Ireland. Its name may be derived from Dún na Gabhair, meaning "the fort of the rounded hills" or the "fort of the goats". Doonagore Castle is at present a private holiday home, inaccessible to the public.
Ballyragget is a small town on the river Nore in the north of County Kilkenny in Ireland. Ballyragget is on the N77 road, 18 km (11 mi) north of Kilkenny. As of the 2016 census, it had a population of 1,082 people.
Gowran is a town located on the eastern side of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The historic St. Mary's Collegiate Church is located in the centre of Gowran close to Gowran Castle. Gowran Park race course and Golf Course are located one km from the centre of Gowran. Gowran is located on the R448 regional road where it is crossed by the R702 regional road. The town is in a townland and civil parish and barony of the same name.
Jerpoint Abbey is a ruined Cistercian abbey, founded in the second half of the 12th century in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located 2.5 km south west of Thomastown on the R448 regional road. There is a visitor centre with an exhibition. It has been declared a national monument and has been in the care of the Office of Public Works since 1880.
Naul, is a village, townland, and civil parish at the northern edge of the traditional County Dublin in Ireland. The Delvin River to the north of the village marks the county boundary with County Meath. Naul civil parish is in the historic barony of Balrothery West.
Kilfane is a combination of two townlands located outside of Thomastown in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is made up of the townlands of Kilfane East and West with a total area of 75 acres (0.30 km2). Located in the barony of Gowran, Kilfane gives its name to the wider civil parish which contains 16 townlands. It is in the Roman Catholic parish of Tullaherin.
Burnchurch Castle is a well-preserved 15th century Norman tower house with a round gate tower, situated in the parish of Burnchurch, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Burnchurch Castle and tower, along with the nearby Church of Ireland church and lime trees, became a National Monument in 1993.
Kilbline Castle is a fortified 16th century tower house in County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is set on the Kilbline Estate in the parish of Tullaherin, within the historical barony Gowran, approximately 1 mile southeast of Bennettsbridge. It is recorded as a protected (listed) structure by Kilkenny County Council.
Cullahill Castle was the principal stronghold of the MacGillapatricks of Upper Ossory built around 1425 and destroyed around 1650. Cullahill Castle takes its name from an ancient forest that covered Cullahill Mountain and extended down to Cullahill village.
Carrignamuck Tower House, located in Carrignamuck townland, is a 15th century tower house located 2.8 km (1.7 mi) north of Coachford village and 2 km (1.2 mi) north-west of Dripsey village. It is also sometimes known as 'Dripsey Castle', a name latterly attributed to the 18th century house, Dripsey Castle, built nearby.
St. Mary’s Collegiate Church Gowran, also known as the Church of the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption, is a church in the centre of the town of Gowran, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The site is a National Monument in the care of the Gowran Development Association (GDA) and the Office of Public Works (OPW). The church and its family connections have been of huge importance to Gowran and further afield over the centuries. The church is a collegiate church, which means that the priests or chaplains attached to it lived in community together. The present church was not a monastery or an abbey; however experts believe the church was built on the site of an earlier monastery. The presence of an Ogham stone on the site, which is on display in the chancel, suggests there was a place of worship here dating back 2000 years to Celtic times or beyond.
Gowran Castle is located in the centre of Gowran, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The castle is a manor house and was fully restored between 2013 and 2014.
Gowran is a barony in the east of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The size of the barony is 430.5 square kilometres (166.2 sq mi). There are 35 civil parishes in Gowran. The chief town today is Gowran. The barony contains the ecclesiastical sites of Kilfane and Duiske Abbey The barony of Gowran is situated in the east of the county between the baronies of Fassadinin to the north, the baronies of Kilkenny, Shillelogher and Knocktopher to the west, and the barony of Ida is to the south. It borders County Carlow to the east. The M9 motorway bisects the barony.
The barony of Knocktopher is a barony in the west of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The barony is 46,765 acres (189.25 km2) in size. There are 16 civil parishes made up of 125 townlands. It is one of 12 baronies in the county. The chief town is Mullinavat and it contains the settlements of Stonyford, Ballyhale, Hugginstown, Knocktopher, and Dunnamaggan. The M9 motorway bisects the barony.
Fassadinin, sometimes written Fassadining, is a barony in the north of County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is one of 12 baronies in County Kilkenny. The size of the barony is 276.2 square kilometres (106.6 sq mi). There are 19 civil parishes in Fassadinin. The chief town today is Castlecomer. The N78 Kilkenny/Athy road bisects the barony. Fassadinin is currently administered by Kilkenny County Council.
Clara Castle is a tower house (caiseal) located in County Kilkenny, Ireland.
The Castle of Penamacor is a medieval castle located in the civil parish of Penamacor, in the municipality of Penamacor, Portuguese district of Castelo Branco.
↑ Cantwell Roberts, John (2007). The Early Cantwells of Ireland - Origins and Descent. Kilkenny.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
↑ Cantwell Roberts, John (2007). The Early Cantwells of Ireland - Origins and Descent. Kilkenny. p.1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
↑ Cantwell Roberts, John (2007). The Early Cantwells of Ireland - Origins and Descent. Kilkenny. p.1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
1 2 3 4 McCarthy, John (2007). An Exploration of the Space In and Around the Tower Houses of South-East Kilkenny. Belfast. p.114.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
↑ McCarthy, John (2007). An Exploration of the Space In and Around the Tower Houses of South-East Kilkenny. Belfast. p.Appendix A37.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
↑ McCarthy, John (2007). An Exploration of the Space In and Around the Tower Houses of South-East Kilkenny. Belfast. p.124.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
↑ McCarthy, John (2007). An Exploration of the Space In and Around the Tower Houses of South-East Kilkenny. Belfast. p.121.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
