Kilcash Castle

History

Kilcash Castle began as a fortified tower built in the 1500s. A hall was added later, with large windows that reflected a time when defense was less of a concern. After the Irish Confederate Wars, the manor was taken from the Wall family and given to the Butlers of Ormond. The Butlers eventually sold the castle to the Irish State in 1997 for £500.

Walter, the 11th Earl of Ormond, lived at Kilcash and inherited the Ormond title from his uncle in 1614. A dispute over the Ormond lands followed, and Walter was imprisoned in London from 1619 to 1625 while King James I pressured him to give up most of his property. Walter later passed the manor to his grandson, Colonel Richard Butler of Kilcash, who died in 1701.

The 3rd Earl of Castlehaven, a Confederate Catholic commander during the wars of 1641-1652, often stayed at Kilcash. His sister, Lady Frances, was married to Richard of Kilcash, another Confederate commander. Lord Castlehaven wrote his memoirs at the castle, later published as The Earl of Castlehaven's Review.

The castle fell into ruin in the 1800s after parts of the Kilcash Estate were sold around 1800. During the Irish Civil War, Anti-Treaty forces occupied the castle to slow Pro-Treaty troops heading toward Clonmel. They were driven out by artillery fire commanded by Commandant-General John T. Prout, which further damaged the already crumbling structure.

By the late 1900s, the castle was in dangerous condition. Extensive repairs began in 2011 to prevent it from collapsing.