Enniscorthy Castle Reopens

Judgement Day

I never thought that I'd say it but I'm quite impressed with the restoration job on the castle and, apart from the bare floorboards, it all looks very professional. I managed to get to the roof today - my first time there - as it was very much off limits on my first visit back in 1967. Anyway, perhaps it's time for the thread to be renamed.

A pic here and a few more on my blog here: http://countywexford.blogspot.com/



A view up Church Street showing St.Mary's and its bell tower, from where the Anti-treaty forces fired down on the castle on the 2nd July 1922.

Bearhunter

Excellent. I was talking to my parents last night and they told me they'd been up there for the opening. They loved it, much airier than the old museum, they reckoned. Both loved the views form the roof and my mother was delighted there was a lift to get down again.

UpHill

Nice photo JD - I don't think I've ever saw a picture that shows off the town as well before

Might be an idea tp edit the very first original post to say it's open and link to the website - just thinking of tourists googling for enniscorthy castle -

we should be selling enniscorthy as best we can

RKQ

I was disappointed.
There are too many "artist impressions" and photographs & too few exhibits. There was an excellent 1916 exhibit but this has been greatly reduced.

I welcome the Eileen Gray exhibit, even if it too is a little sparse.
I think the old sofa & mat is a complete waste of a whole floor - I don't need to see old furniture to imagine what it might be like to live in a castle. (Why are there stainless steel curtain rails? - Surely not original)

The lift is a necessary evil, the tours are a great idea and access to the roof is great.

I miss the huge 1916 exhibit, complete with Pearse' letter. I do miss the old coach, the Tommy Gun and the "County Wexford" feel. Why should the County Museum move out of Enniscorthy?

Admissions will set the future of the museum - will people pay to enter?
Will you, hand on heart recommend admission fees be paid by your visitor friends?

Where have all the artifacts gone? They were donated free by the people of county Wexford.

klong

The Pearse letter is still there.

The artefacts have all been retained. If people want donated items back they're free to ask for them back.

Ian7

its the best of both worlds, the castle was built as a home not a museum but you don't want to just walk around a house for an hour either. I presume it has been designed with non-locals in mind. But saying that, i think the town is missing something unique. Part of the Athenaeum would be a great spot for a new museum and would provide some revenue.

blindsider

Ian7 wrote: »

I remember spotting this message a while back after a conversation i had with a workmate today. He thought the holes on the rear wall were bullet holes also. I couldn't say whether he was right or not as a I have never seen them myself. I did find this interesting pic on flickr though. seems to be taken on the garden terrace to the rear of Kelly's insurance building. You can zoom in close to see the holes in question.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sahalesasha/2562291431/

My grandfather (and great-grandfather) fought in 1916 in Enniscorthy - he told me on several occasions that British soldiers, in the Castle, fired on the insurgents as they crossed the bridge to Templeshannon. He also showed me bullet-holes in the masonry in the castle ( I remember one such mark near a window)

He also told me of the tunnel/link between the Castle and the Cathedral, and showed me the (supposed) entrance to same in the basement of the castle. (For some reason, I'm not as convinced about this tunnel.)

Has anyone else information re this?

Ian7

I never personally heard about a tunnel going to the cathedral. Doesn't really add up, unless Sir Henry Wallop was a closet Franciscan.

about the bullet holes, thats interesting though. that would explain the holes in the picture if the insurgents were firing from the bridge.

klong

blindsider wrote: »

My grandfather (and great-grandfather) fought in 1916 in Enniscorthy - he told me on several occasions that British soldiers, in the Castle, fired on the insurgents as they crossed the bridge to Templeshannon. He also showed me bullet-holes in the masonry in the castle ( I remember one such mark near a window)

He also told me of the tunnel/link between the Castle and the Cathedral, and showed me the (supposed) entrance to same in the basement of the castle. (For some reason, I'm not as convinced about this tunnel.)

Has anyone else information re this?

Any written source able to collborate the story? Haven't seen anything on this. Wasn't a whole lot of shooting in 1916; in any event, there weren't any British soldiers garrisoned in the Castle during the Rising.

Judgement Day

With the IRA HQ being just round the corner in the Athenaeum it would have been cosy!

blindsider

klong wrote: »

Any written source able to collborate the story? Haven't seen anything on this. Wasn't a whole lot of shooting in 1916; in any event, there weren't any British soldiers garrisoned in the Castle during the Rising.

Collaboration? I'm not making an official historical claim - I'm just telling you what my grandfather said!

I didn't say there were soldiers garrisoned in the Castle - I said that my grandfather told me that British troops fired on them from the Castle as they tried to cross the bridge. As a vantage point, it would seem a logical place to put a few snipers.

I know the IRA HQ was the Athenaeum - and it certainly might have been interesting!

draiocht23

There was a story about ghost busting in the Castle in the Echo this week - looked like it was some fun.

Maybe the council could rent out the Castle to weirdos looking for ghosts?

Ian7

draiocht23 wrote: »

There was a story about ghost busting in the Castle in the Echo this week - looked like it was some fun.

Maybe the council could rent out the Castle to weirdos looking for ghosts?

are you calling yourself a weirdo? if not I must congratulate you on making a hypocrite out of yourself in one post.

draiocht23

Ouch, no room for tongue-in-cheek comments on this thread then. :eek:

Ian7

plenty of room for that, must have misread your comment. . But maybe you're onto something there, something along the lines of Wicklow Gaol. If only there was a strong enough ghost story to accompany it though?

draiocht23

Ian7 wrote: »

plenty of room for that, must have misread your comment. . But maybe you're onto something there, something along the lines of Wicklow Gaol. If only there was a strong enough ghost story to accompany it though?

No problem - nothing wrong with some light-hearted ribbing.

Just heard that Wexford Paranormal are doing a public investigation of the Castle next month - 40 people can attend and it's €40 per person so something like that is happening.

If you're going to find ghosts anywhere, you'd imagine it would be in a 13th century Castle!

Ian7

I wonder if there was anyone murdered at the castle over its lifetime?