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Foulksrath Castle (Template:Lang-ga) is a 15th century Anglo-Norman tower house located in Jenkinstown in County Kilkenny, Ireland.
It was built by the Purcell clan, who also constructed several others nearby. After over three centuries as owners, the family was reduced to living as peasants in the castle stables after it was confiscated by Oliver Cromwell and given to his officers after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. The castle was slated for demolition in 1946 but was saved by community support.
Foulksrath Castle is privately owned. Located about 12 km outside the Medieval city of Kilkenny it is a well preserved and restored Norman Tower House. Most of the Bawn (outer) wall and some ancillary structures also survive in addition to the main tower. A pitched roof has been added over the centre of the tower, though the open-air walk along the tower's crenellated battlement has been preserved and is still accessible. A narrow spiral staircase connects the four stories. The remains of a moat protect the outer walls of the tower. The moat is believed to have existed since the original structure was built some time in the early 13th century. It is probable that the earlier building was incorporated into the present structure.
Ghosts
Stories have circulated that Foulksrath Castle is haunted. The are a few stories. One is about the young daughter of the original owner: The daughter fell in love with a lowly soldier who was probably part of the Castle's garrison, On discovering this forbidden romance the enraged father had the soldier executed and had the daughter locked in the top of the castle in the cuckoos nest room. The Father was called away to battle. Before leaving he left strict instructions with the servants that the girl should be fed and watered, but under no circumstances was she to be allowed to leave the room. Anyone found to break this rule would face the same fate as the soldier. The father, probably killed, never returned. The food ran out and the servants were not being paid so one by one they left..but none dared to release the girl from her room. She eventually died of starvation. To this day people claim to have heard her moving through the castle.
Another very similar story claims that Dean Swift killed his daughter in the Cuckoos Nest room for having a forbidden romance with a man below her station. Her ghost wanders the castle leaving the smell of wild flowers. However, there is no record of Dean Swift having a daughter. It is highly likely that this story is a different version of the first one.
A third story refers to an unfortunate soldier/guard who was caught asleep while on sentry. He was taken to the top of the castle and thrown to his death from the battlements. Once a year in late November he returns for one night to finish his duty and can be heard patrolling the battlements.
A BBC television crew of British ghost hunters visited in 1992 and reported that their instruments recorded the most paranormal activity of any building in Ireland.
Architecture
It has five levels, and has a number of passages and chambers inside the thick walls which are 11ft thick at the base. It is broadly similar in size and layout to Burnchurch_Castle in Kilkenny, including the fact that the gable-end walls are carried up one story higher than the other two walls and form two elongated turrets with their own rampart walls at the highest part of the building. This could be considered as a 6th level. It is also similar to Ballybur_Castle near Cuffsgrange
It is known for being one of several Irish towers with the slightly narrower sides of the castle extending up an additional floor, creating in essence a pair of tower wide turrets.
References
External links
52°44′59″N 7°18′58″W / 52.749614°N 07.315992°W / 52.749614; -07.315992
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