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Ballykerogue
Castle |
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Square Tower of Castle or Keep
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The sound is of the Norman invasion
and conquest of Wexford and also
of Cromwell's plunder as
his army "like lightning, passed through the
land".
Horeswood is also known as Sutton's
Parish and is in the Barony of Shel-
burne. Roger de Sutton came with Robert Fitzstephen and
the Normans to Bannow Bay in 1169. Roger is said to have
received the land from the
Norman Knight Hervey de
Montemarisco who was Strongbow's uncle.
The Suttons first
settled in Oldcourt where they had a castle and then moved
to Ballykerogue and built the castle there in 1307. The
castle is in the Murphy family farmyard. Only parts of the
castle remain including the towers and
castle walls. The castle was rectangular in shape with a
courtyard in the
centre. This courtyard or bailey housed the workers and
had stables and storehouses.
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Tower House
Castle remains
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Part of the Tower House collapsed in 1971. It was built
for defensive purposes and stones and boiling pitch could
be thrown on attackers. It was over 50
feet in height. As
well, the openings, or arrow loops, for archers can be
seen.
The tower is said to have had five floors. It had a
stone stairs and a garde-
robe or toilet. Two large
chimneys can still be seen. The castle walls were
over four feet in thickness.
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Chimney remains
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The picture shows the chimney opening and this could be the
kitchen area.
The Suttons were a wealthy family. When transplanted to Connacht in 1654 Joane
Sutton, a widow, had with her, 225 persons, 2,184 cows, 80
plough horses, 200 sheep, 240 acres of winter corn, 400
acres of summer corn and 100 goats.
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A fine view of the tower from 1937
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This is a sketch
of the remains of Ballykerogue Castle by J.Fisher from 1795.
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Cromwell arrives at the head of the Roundheads
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Sutton's Cross
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When Cromwell arrived in New Ross in
October 1649 he sent his soldiers
to the surrounding
castles in the area. These were Dunbrody,Tintern,
Fethard,Ballyhack and Duncannon Fort. Ballykerogue Castle
was burned and
twenty three Suttons were burnt to death. One member
of the Sutton family escaped on horseback but was
overtaken and killed at the place still known as Sutton's
Cross,in the parish of nearby Ramsgrange. Then it was "to hell or to Connaught"
for the survivors. Most of the original Suttons were buried
in Ballykerogue cemetery and Clonmines where they also had
a castle.
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