Coolhull Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coolhull Castle |
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| Native name Irish: Caisleán Chúil Choll |
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| Type | Fortified house |
| Location | Coolhull, Bannow, County Wexford, Ireland |
| Area | Bargy |
| Built | late 16th century |
| Owner | State |
| Official name: Coolhull Castle | |
| Reference no. | 644 |
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Imagine a strong, old building that has stood for hundreds of years! That's Coolhull Castle, a special type of old house called a fortified house. It's also a National Monument, which means it's a very important historical site in Ireland. You can find it in County Wexford, a beautiful part of the country.
Where is Coolhull Castle?
Coolhull Castle is in the southern part of County Wexford, in Ireland. It's close to a lovely area called Bannow Bay. If you're looking for it on a map, it's about 4.6 kilometers (or 2.8 miles) southeast of a town called Wellingtonbridge.
The Story of Coolhull Castle
Coolhull Castle was built in the late 1500s. This was a time when people often needed strong homes to protect themselves. These "fortified houses" were like a mix between a comfortable home and a small castle. They were built to be safe from attacks.
While we don't have many old stories specifically about Coolhull Castle, we know that a person named John Devereux owned land in the Coolhull area around 1640. This tells us that important families lived here long ago.
What Does Coolhull Castle Look Like?
Coolhull Castle is made up of two main parts. It has a tall, four-storey tower where servants might have worked. Attached to this is a three-storey rectangular block, which was the main living area or "hall house." The main hall was on the first floor.
Both parts of the castle have special tops called crenellations. These are the notched walls you often see on castles, which were used for defense. There's also a small, round tower called a bartizan on one corner, which was a lookout point.
The entrance to the tower has a clever defense feature called a murder-hole. This was a hole in the ceiling above the doorway. Defenders could drop things through it onto anyone trying to break in. Inside, you can still see old fireplaces, a garderobe (an old toilet), and a "slop stone" for draining waste.
