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History - Glascarrig

Glascarrig (Green Rock)

It is said that Dermot MacMurrough (the last King of Leinster) landed at Glascarrig on his return from Wales, after inviting the Normans to come to Ireland., to help him regain his principality. The Normans did come and in 1175 the lands of Glascarrig were granted to Raymond le Gros. It is thought that his nephew constructed the nearby moat (known as the Moat of Donaghmore).

A Benedictine Priory (Glascarrig Abbey) was founded here sometime between 1175-1198. This Priory was founded by the Norman families de Cantetons, de Barries,etc. who subjected it to the monastery of St. Dogmael, Pembrokeshire, Wales, which had been founded by their ancestors. Some of the original walls of the abbey are incorporated into a house, on the site overlooking the sea at Glascarrig.

It is recorded that in 1275, William de Canteton was Lord of Glascarrig, succeeded in 1286 by his son Maurice, who was slain in 1308.

1401 - Imar O’Dowd, Abbott of Bective, was transferred to Glascarrig on 14th March. He was succeeded by Henry of Wales, a monk of St. Dogmael’s.
1411 - Andrew O’Curryn appointed Prior. Some time in the 15th century, Cill Cruimthir(Kilcrumper) was bestowed on the Benedictine Monastery of Glascarrig,and the Prior of Glascarrig also became the Rector of Cill-Cruimthir.
1501 - Charles MacMurgh, Prior from 1501-1544.
1551 - Dermit, the last Prior
1541 - The monastery, was suppressed under Henry VIII. (A.D. 1541); and inquisitions were made on its possessions. It was dissolved at Arklow on January 27th valued at 30s 8d. However it is well known, that owing to the fact that the great landowners remained Catholics, the absolute expulsion of the monks could not be carried out for a long time. And even after the monasteries were formally “suppressed” and “granted” to the great landowners, they were leased to the former superiors at a nominal rent. When at last they were compelled to leave the buildings, they still remained in the neighbourhood.
1550 - A lease was granted to Walter Peppard of Co.Kildare, which included the Priory, and other surrounding lands and rectories. Dermit was still in occupation at this time.
1567 - On May 16th, Anthony, son of Walter Peppard was granted a lease of the site of the Priory. He was later appointed to execute martial law, in the Wexford/Ferns area.
1605 - On June 20th Donagh O’Brien, Earl of Thomond, was granted the site.
1641 - Rowland Plunkett of Glascarrig, implicated in the Great Rebellion, and Philip Hill of Glascarrig, hung as a spy, by General Cooke.
1645 - By this time the Priory is in ruins, and the then proprieter, Sir Walsingham Cooke, partly rebuilt it in 1654. Anthony Peppard (died in 1635) had brought stones from the Abbey, and his son Patrick used them to build Peppard’s Castle, sometime in the early 1600’s. Patrick appears to have a brother named Walter, who was accused of being one of the principal rebels in the rebellion of 1641.
1794 - Bagenal Harvey purchased the lands.
1840 - The Priory is used as a house.
1850 - Owned by Michael Cardiff.
1871 - Lands sold by the Cardiff family
1897 - Lands purchased by Michael Daly.

Peppardscastle

Throughout Henry VIII’s time the Peppards remained firmly Catholic, but the last Patrick Peppard in direct line in 1739, conformed to the Protestant religion. He died in 1750.

It is believed that a Miss Peppard at some stage married a Mr. White. Hawtrey White, magistrate in Co.Wexford, noted for his burnings and tortures, before 1798, occupied Peppard’s Castle for some years before his death in the early 1800’s. In fact he was so notorious that General Hunter sent out troops to different districts to protect the unarmed inhabitants from White and his equally infamous colleague Hunter Gowan, who employed the Yeomanry under their command to terrorise the countryside.

The original Castle is long gone but the remains of the walls were incorporated into the present house. According to reports, the house was “modernised” in 1827. Members of the White family are buried in Donaghmore cemetery, in a railed vault, now overgrown. In 1947, Jim White, the last of the Whites to occupy Peppardscastle, sold the estate to Jack Walsh.