County: Wexford Site name: MULRANKIN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 47:31 Licence number: 02E0709
Author: Maurice Hurley
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 699506m, N 610608m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.238212, -6.543065
Topsoil removal was monitored on 15 June 2002. The site is near Mulrankin Castle, where a ruined tower-house and possible associated bawn survive. The tower-house probably dates to the early 16th century (Moore 1996), although a castle is said to have been built on the site before 1422, when it was referred to as ‘Mulrankin Hall’ (Browne and Whelan 1987, 468). Mulrankin was the seat of the Browne family from the 13th to the mid-17th century (ibid., 467–71).
A rectangular enclosure to the south of the tower-house may be an associated bawn, and a pigeon-house (dovecote) stands at the corner of the development site. The enclosure is defined by a stone-faced earthen bank. The site of a church (SMR 47:29), possibly an estate church, lies 200m to the north. St Bridget’s Well lies c. 50m north of the tower-house.
No finds or features of an archaeological nature were uncovered during the monitoring.
References
Browne, B. and Whelan, K. 1987 The Browne families of County Wexford. In K. Whelan (ed.), Wexford: history & society, 467–89. Dublin.
Moore, M. 1996 Archaeological inventory of County Wexford. Dublin.
312 Bruach na Laoi, Union Quay, Cork
