Ruin in Wexford

Hi,
Looks very interesting, i’m over there Easter Week, might take a look.

have a look at
http://www.esatclear.ie/~lorcand/aminit~1.htm
which appears to describe the same place

Gorton

Funny you should post a link to a site that mentions Castleboro, gorton, as that was my reflex thought when I saw this thread at first. However, Castleboro was designed very firmly in the classical style, rather than the Tudor flavoured affair illustrated above. Castleboro has been described by Maurice Craig as something like ‘the most imposing ruin in all of Ireland,’ and the few pictures I’ve seen would back this up. A description and illustrations are included in Bence-Jones’s A Guide to Irish Country Houses of the house in its pre-ruinous state.
In about 1998 or so, a former colleague of mine did a dissertation on it, its architect Daniel Robertson and the question of an architect working simultaneously on two buildings in radically different styles- classical and gothic. His classical example was Castleboro but I can’t remember what his gothic one was.

However, this is all slightly off topic, as the building above isn’t the one described in the page to which you linked, gorton, to the best of my knowledge.

6th- cold you be more specific with the location? I’ve just been looking at a half-inch to 1 mile map of Wexford which shows Rathnure and Clonroche. Castleboro is mentioned by name, so perhaps this house would be too? I only have the Discovery Series #77 of Wexford, whereas Rathnure is on sheet #69. I’d imagine if you had an accurate location you could check sheet #69- Discovery is pretty detailed on this kind of thing. And then when you get the name, something like Bence-Jones would be a good place to start. Unfortunately the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage has not yet published a survey of Co Wexford.

Lastly, there was a book published around 10 years ago on Wexford country houses, both occupied and ruinous. I don’t remember the title, but I’m sure Wexford libraries and perhaps even the NLI in Dublin would have a copy. There is a good chance this building would be included.

Best of luck.

The authorities should tear it down as soon as possible. What a classic example of poorly maintained one-off housing:p

😀

What a spectacular ruin. Wouldn’t it make you itch to have a good snoop about inside

Definitely not Castleboro.

Castleboro is more of a trditional classical house with 4-5 columns.

It is also a very impressive ruin.

Sorry I can’t help, but there is a similarly evocative Tudor ruin near Durrow in Laois, which might be the “Knocknatrina” mentioned here:

http://www.tourismresources.ie/articles/index.htm

Long list here, its from the County Development Plan, during the Summer the Protected Structure list was updated, some didn’t make it to the list i know, so it could be worth yr while emailing someone in the forward planning department of Wexford County Council

1.Artramon
Large early 19th century house rebuilt this century.
2. Ballinkeel
Italianate house by Daniel Robertson 1840-42.
3. Ballyanne
Neo-classical entrance gated with piers and half-hexagon facades of twin
lodges.
4. Ballycarney Cottage
Small, circa 1820 house – good of its type.
5. Ballymore, Camolin
Rare survival of circa 1720.
6. Ballymore, Screen
Late 18th century house.
165
7. Ballynestragh
One of the last country houses, by Dermot Gogarty 1937.
8. Ballinatray Bridge Courtown
Small, highly elaborate tudor-gothic confection of circa 1840.
9. Ballyrankin
Small, three-bay lodge with strip pilasters and wide eaves.
10. Ballystraw
Early-18th century, Palladian house.
11. Ballytrent
Early 19th century neo-classical house.
12. Ballywater
L-Plan Italianate house of rubble stone with brick dressings.
13. Bannow
Early- 19th century neo-classical essay.
14. Bargy Castle
Late-medieval tower with later post-medieval additions.
15. Berkeley Forest
Small, late 18th century, neo-classical house.
16. Bloomfield
Neo-Tudor House by Daniel Robertson.
17. Borleagh
Early – 19th century, late classical house.
18. Borohill
Early-19th century with unusual pyramidal roof.
19. Borrmount
Five-bay, mid-19th century, Italianate house.
Stables with small tower.
20. Brookhill House
Italianate house of 1850.
21. Brownswood House
Red brick house of 1894.
22. Castleboro
One of the most magnificent ruins in Ireland – by Daniel Robertson circa
1840.
Stables in Italianate style.
166
Lodge with doric portico.
Lodge on Enniscorthy road (originally the main entrance).
23. Castle Talbot
Mid-18th century house.
24. Clobemon Hall
Fine neo-classical house by Thomas Cobden.
Stables.
Entrance gates and sweeps.
25. Clohamon
Bow-fronted late-18th century house.
26. Clonard Great
Mid-18th century Palladian house
27. Coolbawn
Ruin of a Tudor-gothic by Frederick Darley circa 1840.
28. The Deanery, Ferns
Early-18th century house with additions of 1835.
29. The Deeps
Colonial style house with colonnade across the fa

This might help:

http://members.fortunecity.com/chtii/irish/pwford.htm#boro

Castleboro and your ruin, conveniently together on the page.

Some history:

http://www.simonmarsden.co.uk/books-InRuins-Sample.htm

Wow.

Nice detective work, Andrew.

That’s very interesting. 🙂

Found my one. This isn’t her best angle (that’s from the N8):

[link is now broken]

It appears to be Coolbawn House in Wexford that was burned in the 1920s as a result of the troubles in the twenties. I would love to purchase this house and restore it as a home for me and my lady. It’s a fine house indeed.:cool:

Yep, tis in Rathnure!

I can seen it from the end of my lane!

Tis actually falling down around the sides! The picture shows the walls that are intact still!
Floors are all burnt out as well, so quite a steep fall if you go into it!!

That picture reminds me so much of childhood………..we wud spend hours around it and the woods

Any better pictures?

@Coolbawn wrote:

Yep, tis in Rathnure!

I can seen it from the end of my lane!

Tis actually falling down around the sides! The picture shows the walls that are intact still!
Floors are all burnt out as well, so quite a steep fall if you go into it!!

Thats! Wonderful!!

Coolbawn, Castleboro, Macmine, Wilton

All documented on my website and complete with Virtual Reality 🙂

http://www.AbandonedIreland.com

Regards
Blake
Abandoned Ireland.

Just spotted this today. This is Coolbawn Abbey, home of the Bruen family. It was burned in the Troubles. The Tector family were the owners in the mid 80s, and probably still are.
It’s also on the River Boro, not far from Castleboro – and might be near Bree?
When I visited it last, maybe 20 years ago, the cellars were being used as a dump for domestic refuse.

Do you know if there is a Govt site showing sites that are being offered at low cost for anyone interested in investing to refurbish or maintain the site/house?

Thanks,

Brian Donohoe
(Irish national living in Texas)

This is locally known as Coolbawn Castle, I live a few hundred yards from it. The Bruen family did own it and it now lies on the lands of the Tector family. A now protected structure, the castle was in danger of being exported stone by stone to Japan some years back and rebuilt out there. This picture was taken some time back as the castle is now a lot more overgrown with some of the pillars fallen unfortunately. The picture also doesn’t tell the whole story however. Underneath the castle there is a number of corridors and rooms. I presume these were used as the servant quarters. A gate lodge known as Coolbawn House lies a few hundred yards to the South which also now lies in ruin. behind the castle itself there a number of out houses for horses and a stone courtyard. I am sure that this was a very impressive sight in its day.