Dungarvan Antiquities

There are some interesting remains of the ancient castle, and of the walls and defences of the town; the former are those of a massive keep in a quadrilateral area, surmounted with a wall defended by a circular tower at each angle, and formerly mounted with cannon; the entrance is by a narrow passage under a tower gateway, flanked by circular bastions, and within the enclosure are the modern barracks. Some of the towers of the town walls are still remaining in connection with modern buildings; and to the west of the town is Cromwell's mount, supposed to have been thrown up by his forces while besieging the town.

In the Abbeyside division are the ruins of a lofty square castle, of which nothing more is known than that it was anciently the property of the McGraths. There are no traces of the abbey founded by St. Garvan, but nearly adjacent to the last-named castle are the ruins of a religious house founded in the 13th century for Augustinian friars, probably by the McGraths, who, with the O'Briens of Cummeragh, were its chief benefactors. The remains form an interesting pile; the walls, windows, and arches are still entire: the old conventual church consists of a narrow nave and chancel connected by anarch of elegant design supporting a light and enriched tower, 60 feet high and still in good preservation; the entrance, at the west end, is by a small pointed doorway, and a large east window admits a fine view of the sea; below the window is a tombstone of Donald McGrath, dated 1400; on the foundation of some of the ancient cells the R. C. chapel of Abbeyside has been erected, the bell of which hangs in the old tower, and the walls and entrances of the ancient abbey are preserved in good order.

An hospital for lepers, dedicated to St. Bridget, was also founded here, but nothing further has been recorded of it. At Two-mile bridge is a powerful chalybeate spa, which has its origin in the summit of a neighbouring mountain, from a basin containing a considerable portion of iron ore; thence it percolates the earth and, after a course of about four miles, issues out at the foot of the mountain; it has been found to contain, on analysis, as much carbonate of iron as the strongest chalybeate spas of Cheltenham and Leamington. At Shandon are two caves in the limestone rock, one on the sea shore, about 40 feet square, with a long passage leading to inner apartments; the other is in the middle of a plain field, near the river Colligan; in both are stalactites. To the west of the town is a large barrow, surrounded by a fosse. Dungarvan gives the inferior title of Viscount to the Earl of Cork and Orrery.