Ardfinnan Castle

Ardfinnan Castle, which is located seven miles to the west from Clonmel, is a 12th century building, but unlike any of the other castles in the area it is still inhabited and private property.

As such very few visitors are allowed but the Castle can be viewed from the Bridge and the Green from across the river.

Restored, after the destruction caused by Cromwellian battle and the ravages of time after it had stood derelict for a hundred years.

The Castle is built on a large rocky incline and it looks out over the Suir valley with the Knockmealdown mountains to the south, and the Galtee Mountains to the northwest. It was built by John, son of King Henry II of England. Afterwards to become King John (of Magna Carta Fame), he was barely sixteen years when he was invested with the Lordship of Ireland and arrived on these shores as Earl of Morton. He landed on the east coast of Ireland in 1185 with a powerful army, and immediately took possession of Limerick and Dublin. He then marched South and on the way he built Ardfinnan Castle as well as Lismore and Tibroughney castles. They were built, at strategic points selected by his father.

Ardfinnan was to command one of the main passes over the Suir stretching into the counties of Waterford and Cork. The Castle remained in the possession of the British Crown until 1215, when it was given to Philip of Worcester for 100 marks by Henry the III. However three years later the King resumed possession.

An ancient document from the Close Roll of Henry III reveals that the Castle was later acquired by the Bishop Of Waterford who was subsequently dispossessed of it by Geoffrey De Marshall, Justiciary of Ireland, Thomas FitzAnthony and Griflin FitzGriffin. They were commanded by the King to return the Castle and other lands that they had seized on the Bishop but beyond that there is no further information. Ardfinnan Castle was then reserved as a military fortress until the 17th century when the Cromwellians dismantled it.

Cromwell in a dispatch from Castltown, the 15 February 1650 to The Hon. William Lenthall, Esq, Speaker of the House of Commons said; "I had almost forgot my business". The major-General (Ireton) was very desirous to gain a pass over the Suir, where indeed we had none but by boat or when the weather served; wherefore on Saturday we marched from Cashel with a party of horse and foot to Ardfinnan, where there was a castle with and at the foot of it a bridge, which he about four o'clock the next morning attempted to take, killed about sixteen of the out guard, lost but two men, and eight or ten wounded. The enemy yielded the place to him, and we are possessed of it, being a very considerable pass, and the nearest to our pass at Cappoquin, whither we can bring guns, ammunition and other things from Youghal by water and then over this pass to the army.
General Ireton, President of Munster, planted his artillery on the high craggy land at the far side of the Suir and commenced his siege of the Castle. The bombarding continued vigorously until a breech about eighteen feet wide was made in the wall or curtain on the south side, and after this the Castle was easily taken. Some Stories about the Castle

A rather unusual story is told about this siege, it concerns a butcher who took up his abode in one of the castle rooms after the attack began and could not be persuaded to leave his place of refuge. Later when the soldiers of the Commonwealth began to ascend the ramparts with scaling ladders he emerged from his hiding place and with a handspike in his hand planted himself in the middle of the breech and defended it to the last with heroic gallantry. As the attackers poured into the breech he continued almost alone, swinging the dangerous weapon over his head and roaring terrible threats. The first soldiers to scale the dizzy heights were thrown headlong down, but soon the odds were overwhelming and he was forced to retreat, completely uninjured.
After the surrender he was asked why he did not come to the defence of the Castle before the breech was made and replied: "I did not mind what was doing, on the outside but I could not bear the coming into the house". There is no account of the fate of this brave man, or of the garrison itself, but as the latter surrendered before any serious loss to the besiegers, it is presumed that their lives were spared.

There is also a curious legend about Ardfinnan Castle, a story that dates back to the time it was being built, embedded in the wall of the old woollen mills and close under the foot of the Castle was a stone about 15 inches square bearing the impression of a woman's head. This was said to be the effigy of one Jane Squib, who was a cook in the employment of King John at Ardfinnan Castle. This figure was treated with contempt and subjected to every indignity by the people of the district, especially women, for a long number of years. What did Jane Squib do to merit this unseemly behaviour? Legend has it that the building of the Castle took about two years, and the people employed in the work lived in surrounding huts. Then later as it progressed towards completion it was occupied by servants and dependants of King John, among them Jane Squib. Jane being cook was frequently asked by the masons for some of the goods in her pantry but she invariably refused, and they vented their disappointment and anger on her by making the effigy called Jane Squibs Head and heaping insults on it. A remarkable feature of the legend is the dislike shown by the women of the surrounding countryside for the effigy, apparently demonstrating how they as hospitable Irishwomen, condemned the selfishness of Jane Squib.