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Foulksrath Castle today

Ireland · Restored

Foulksrath Castle

Caisleán Rátha

Foulksrath Castle is a medieval Anglo-Norman tower house near Jenkinstown, County Kilkenny, Ireland, whose present main tower dates from the early 15th century. The site includes the four-storey tower, surviving sections of its bawn (outer) wall, ancillary buildings and the remains of a surrounding moat; it is preserved and has been restored in modern times.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1420

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1420

What Foulksrath Castle looked like in its prime.

A tall, rectangular four-storey stone tower house of grey rubble masonry with a crenellated parapet and a pitched roof set over the tower’s centre; narrow vertical slit and rectangular window openings punctuate the façades. The tower rises directly from a walled bawn with lower ancillary buildings of matching stone and a visible arched entrance through the curtain wall; traces of a surrounding moat form a shallow ditch around the outer wall. Trees stand close to the bawn and the tower shows simple, functional verticality.

Its story

The story of Foulksrath Castle.

The estate and its original fortified, moated dwelling were first built in 1349 and occupied by the De Frene family. The castle is thought to take its name from Fulco De Frene. In the early fifteenth century the present tower was built by the Purcells, relatives of the De Frenes, after the estate came into their possession; a family of Purcell peasant farmers was still living in the castle grounds in 1777.

In that year the castle and lands were let to Thomas Wright, whose family occupied the castle until 1861. The Swifts, relatives of Jonathan Swift, were associated with it from at least 1857, and according to John Gibb, writing in the Old Kilkenny Review in 1948, the Swift family purchased the castle in 1898.

An Óige, the Irish Youth Hostel Association, bought Foulksrath from the Swifts in 1946 with community support and ran it as a hostel until it closed in 2009. The four-storey tower, most of its bawn wall, ancillary buildings and the remains of the moat survive, and the castle is now privately owned.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1420.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Foulksrath Castle, including 1 interior: narrow spiral staircase within the tower. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach through the bawn archInside the bawn courtyardBase of the main towerNarrow spiral staircase within the towerCrenellated battlement walkOuter moat and revetmentAncillary pitched-roof service range

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Whose castle

Clans who held Foulksrath Castle.

The families that held Foulksrath Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • De Frene

    The De Frene family built and occupied the original moated dwelling from 1349.

  • Purcell

    The Purcells, relatives of the De Frenes, built the present tower in the early 15th century; Purcells remained on the grounds as late as 1777.

  • Swift

    The Swift family, relatives of Jonathan Swift, purchased the castle in 1898 and held it until 1946.

Questions about Foulksrath Castle

What is the history of Foulksrath Castle?

Foulksrath Castle has a 14th-century history, beginning with a fortified, moated dwelling built in 1349 for the De Frene family. The Purcells, relatives of the De Frenes, built the present tower in the early 15th century after acquiring the estate. It later passed through several owners, became a youth hostel in 1946, closed in 2009 and is now privately owned.

What is inside Foulksrath Castle?

Foulksrath Castle contains a narrow spiral staircase connecting its four stories. The open-air walk along the tower’s crenellated battlement has been preserved and is still accessible. The surviving interior detail is limited in the supplied material; the other described spaces are the bawn courtyard and ancillary buildings.

Why was Foulksrath Castle built, and what was it used for?

Foulksrath Castle was built as a fortified, moated dwelling occupied by the De Frene family. The present tower replaced or incorporated the earlier structure when the Purcells built it in the early 15th century. From 1946 it served as a youth hostel until the hostel closed in 2009.

Where is Foulksrath Castle?

Foulksrath Castle is near Jenkinstown, in County Kilkenny. It is located about 12 km outside the medieval city of Kilkenny. The castle stands in the Irish county of Kilkenny, in the administrative area of Jenkinstown.

When was Foulksrath Castle built?

Foulksrath Castle was built in phases: the original fortified dwelling dates from 1349, while the present main tower dates from the early 15th century. It is therefore a medieval castle with a 14th-century origin and a current tower from the following century. The first-raised year is not recorded as a separate site field.

Which family or clan held Foulksrath Castle?

Foulksrath Castle was held first by the De Frene family, who built and occupied the original moated dwelling from 1349. The Purcells, relatives of the De Frenes, built the present tower and remained on the grounds as late as 1777. The Swift family, relatives of Jonathan Swift, purchased the castle in 1898 and held it until 1946.

What did Foulksrath Castle look like in its prime?

Foulksrath Castle is a tall, rectangular four-storey tower house of grey rubble masonry. It has a crenellated parapet, a pitched roof over the centre of the tower, and narrow vertical slit and rectangular windows. The tower rises from a walled bawn with lower matching-stone buildings, an arched entrance and traces of a surrounding moat.

Is Foulksrath Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Foulksrath Castle is still standing and has been restored. The four-storey tower, most of its bawn wall, ancillary buildings and the remains of the surrounding moat survive. Its crenellated battlement walk has also been preserved, while the castle is described as well preserved and restored.

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