Rathmacknee Great

18 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Rathmacknee Great, from 516 m² to 125,835 m² (12.58 ha, 31.09 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 10 neighbouring parcels touch it.

Download the townland as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, or as GeoJSON or KML.

No zone of a development plan covers Rathmacknee Great in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply to each application.

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

• 10 Sept 2024Granted (conditional)

  Permission for the proposed erection of alterations and extensions

  Permission · Wexford County Council, 20241097

• 4 Sept 2023Granted (conditional)

  Permission for proposed development which will consist of

  Permission, 1 home · Wexford County Council, 20231045

• 22 Jul 2019N/a

  PERMISSION FOR THE ERECTION OF A FULLY SERVICED DWELLINGHOUSE AND DOMESTIC

  Permission, 1 home · Wexford County Council, 20191039

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Rathmacknee Great.

Recorded monuments

• WX042-029001 Castle - tower house
  Description

  There are references to the Rossiters in Ireland from the late 12th century when the first Rossiter from Lincolnshire landed with Maurice de Prendergast at Bannow in 1169, and to Rossiters of Rathmacknee from the early 14th century (Martin 1949, 104). Rathmacknee is thought to be the principal and primary caput or centre of the Rossiters, from which they went on to build castles at Slevoy (WX041-015----), Tomhaggard (WX047-050----), Bridge Bargy (WX047-047----), and Newcastle (WX042-024001-) and perhaps others. John Rossiter of Rathmacknee was seneschal, or governor, of the county in 1451, and his grandson, Thomas was seneschal in 1493. Either of the seneschals is thought to have built the castle in the later 15th century (Leask 1953, 38). When Thomas Rossiter died in 1592 he left a four year old heir, John, with land in eight townlands, and nine daughters who married into the principal families of south Wexford (Martin 1949, 110-1). Thomas’ widow, Anastasia (nee Synnott of Ballybrennan (WX048-001001-), married again to Rowland Scurlocke, whose paternal grandfather, Rowland, had been the physician of Queen Mary Tudor (1553-8) and had been rewarded with the manors of Rosslare and Ballymore for his services (Hore 1920, 93). John’s son, Thomas (1612-c. 1690), played a leading part in the 1641 rebellion, and was a friend of the Papal Nuncio, Cardinal Rinucini, who stayed at Rathmacknee when in Wexford (Martin 1950, 13). Thomas’s wife, Ann Sarsfield, was an aunt of Patrick Sarsfield of the battle of Aughrim fame (1691), and her brother, Sir Patrick, was a son-in-law of Rory O’Moore, the principal instigator of the 1641 rebellion (ibid. 14-5). According to the Book of Survey and Distribution Thomas Rossiter owned almost 700 acres in Rathmacknee parish in 1640 (Simington 1953, 300), but was only assigned 66 acres in Connaught under the plantation (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 506). Although Walter, a grandson of Thomas, briefly re-occupied Rathmacknee in 1689-90, the Rossiters never regained their Rathmacknee possessions (Martin 1950, 16-7), which passed to Captain Thomas Knox, who died in 1687 (Jeffrey 1979, 33). The remains consist of a tower house and rectangular bawn which survive complete and have been conserved as a national monument (Harbison 1975, 248). The bawn was once inside a D-shaped earthwork enclosure (WX042-029004-), for which there is only cartographic evidence. The tower house is a rectangular structure (ext. dims 9.7m N-S; 8.9m E-W) of five floors surviving complete with a garderobe tower projecting S at the SE angle, good quoins and a base batter. A pointed doorway of undressed stone towards the S end of the W wall is protected by an opening on the battlements, probably for a wooden machicolation. From the lobby with a murder-hole a reconstructed doorway leads to the ground floor (int. dims 5.62m E-W; 3.95m N-S), which has a double-splay loop on the N wall covering the gateway to the bawn. From the lobby a mural stairs in the W wall gives access through a lintelled doorway to the first floor with one window under the E-W vault. The floor of the first storey is supported on corbels in the N and S walls and there is an antechamber at the NW angle. The stairs continue in the W wall and turn into the N wall where a lintelled doorway leads to the second floor over the vault. There is a large antechamber in the N wall, entered by a lintelled doorway at the E end, and there is an entrance to an oubliette or hidden chamber below built into the barrel-vault. The garderobe at the SE angle is entered through a lintelled doorway, and there is a double ogee-headed window in the E wall. The fireplace with an oversailing canopy supported on corbels is in the centre of the S wall, and the chimney flue is supported on corbels on the outer face of the wall. The S wall has a single ogee-headed window with seats W of the fireplace. An embrasure at the S end of the W wall led to the wall-walk of the S bawn wall, but this is reduced to a single rectangular window now, while the ceiling was supported on corbels in the N and S walls. The mural stairs continue in the N wall to the upper floors that are now inaccessible. The third floor has a fireplace in the S wall, a double ogee headed window in the E wall, and single ogee-headed windows in the S (blocked) and W walls, There is a garderobe at the SE angle, and an antechamber in the N wall, while the ceiling is supported on corbels in the N and S walls. The mural stairs continue in the N wall to the fourth floor which has small lintelled windows with seats in the E, S and W walls, a single light in the N wall and antechambers at the NE and SE angles. There are corbels in the N and S walls for the ceiling, which suggest that there may have been an attic in the roof that was probably hipped as there are no gables on the wall-walk above. The stairs continue in the N wall and emerge on the wall-walk at the E side. There are stepped crenellations and look-out platforms above all the angles except the NW, which overlooks the bawn. The SE and SW look-outs are supported on columns, allowing passage beneath them, and steps attached to the inner face of the wall-walk parapets allow access to the look-outs. The tower house is at the SE angle of the bawn (int. dims 25.5m E-W; 20m N-S), whose walls survive complete with a wall walk (H 7.3m), except on the S where a house with walls 1.5m thick at one time abutted the tower house (Wexford People 15-07-1911). A pointed gateway (Wth 1.9m; H 2.55m) protected by machicolation is on the E wall, immediately N of the tower house. There is machicolation on the NE angle and the remains of machicolation at the NW angle. An 18th or 19th-century house inside the W wall of the bawn is still occupied. Rathmacknee church site (WX042-029001-) is c. 30m to the S. This is a National Monument in state guardianship: No. 434. See the attached view from E and two aerial views from N. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 28 May, 2013 Amended: 3 January, 2014

• WX042-029002 Church
  Description

  Situated on a slight rise in a low-lying landscape. The church of St. Martin at Rathmacknee was granted by the bishop to the Augustinian canons of All Hallows (All Saints) (DU018-02004-) in Dublin in 1333, confirming an earlier grant of William Marshall (c. 1200), and it was still listed amongst its possessions in 1538 (Hore 1949, 23). The bishop retained the right of installing new clergy in the parish. In 1460, an ecclesiastical court, convened by Archdeacon Nevelle and held at the church of St. Nicholas (WX045-012007-) in Clonmines, found a candidate for the Rathmakcnee church unworthy (Doyle 1925). According to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 the vicar, Patrick Kelly, was guilty of adultery and deprived of office but the state of the church is not recorded (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 267). This is the site of the parish church of Rathmacknee within a subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 40-50m E-W; c. 30-40m N-S) defined by masonry walls except at the W where there is an earthen bank with trees. Part of the W wall (L 3.3m) and adjacent part of the S wall (L 3.5m) survive (H c. 0.5m) in the graveyard that also has the ruins of the Church of Ireland church of Rathmacknee that was built in 1813 (Lewis 1837, vol. 2, 502). A fragment of a window jamb is used as a grave-marker. I the graveyard there is also a sandstone chamfered graveslab (dims 2.23m x 0.38-0.52m; H 0.25m) with a pointed head. It has an incised cross that has a three-step calvary at the base and a double ring surrounding a diamond shape at the head. Beside it here is a trapezoidal limestone graveslab (dims 1.92m x 0.33-0.56m; H 0.21-0.5m) with chamfered edges and a cross in relief that has a knop below the crux and fleur-de-lys terminals. It has a secondary inscription commemorating a George Walsh who died in 1757. (FitzGerald 1903) According to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 the graveyard was within a rath (O’Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 291) that is depicted on the 1839 ed. of the OS 6-inch map as an earthen bank or double bank surviving NW-NE of the graveyard (ext. c. 100m), but if this is an early ecclesiastical enclosure there is no other evidence of an early origin for the church. Rathmacknee tower house (WX0420929001-) and bawn (WX042-029005-) are c. 30m to the N, and the site of St Martin's Well (WX042-029003-) is c. c. 100m to the NE. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 27 June, 2013 Amended: 16 August, 2013; 2 Sep. 2013

• WX042-029003 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Marked on the 1839 and 1925 eds of the OS 6-inch map and described in gothic lettering on both as St. Martin’s Well. It is located c. 15m from the E bank of a small N-S stream on a level, low-lying landscape and c. 100m NE of the site of Rathmacknee church (WX042-029002-). According to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 the pattern was held for a whole week beginning on the 11th of November, until it was abolished c. 1810 (O’Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 291). It is not visible at ground level in pasture. The dedication is to St. Martin of Tours. He was a Christian and a soldier in the Roman army, renowned for his charity. He was a devotee of St. Hillary, bishop of Potiers, who provided him with land for a monastery at Potiers, the first to be built in Gaul, and in 371 Martin became bishop of Tours. He continued to live a severe monastic life, founding the monastery of Marmoutier at Tours, and he died in AD 397. (Butler 1883, 161) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 28 May, 2013 Amended: 15 January, 2014

• WX042-029004 Enclosure
  Description

  Situated on a level, low-lying landscape. According to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 Rathmacknee graveyard (WX042-029006-) was within a rath (O’Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 291) that is depicted on the 1839 ed. of the OS 6-inch map as an earthen bank or double bank surviving NW-NE of the graveyard (ext. diam. c. 100m), but if this is an early ecclesiastical enclosure there is no other evidence of an early origin for the church (WX042-029002-). Alternatively it may be ringwork castle on a site later developed as a tower house (WX042-029001-). It is not visible at ground level in pasture. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 28 May, 2013

• WX042-029005 Bawn
  Description

  Situated on a fairly level landscape. Rathmacknee tower house (WX042-029001-) is at the SE angle of the bawn (int. dims. 25.5m E-W; 20m N-S) whose walls survive complete with a wall walk (H 7.3m), except on the S where a house with walls 1.5m thick at one time abutted the tower house (Wexford People 15-07-1911). A pointed gateway (Wth 1.9m; H 2.55m) protected by machicolation is on the E wall, immediately N of the tower house. There is machicolation on the NE angle and the remains of machicolation at the NW angle. An 18th or 19th-century house inside the W wall of the bawn is still occupied. Rathmacknee church site (WX042-029001-) is c. 30m to the S. (Leask 1953) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upoad: 28 May, 2103

• WX042-029006 Graveyard
  Description

  Situated on a slight rise in a low-lying landscape. The site of the parish church of Rathmacknee (WX042-029002-) is within a subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 40-50m E-W; c. 30-40m N-S) defined by masonry walls, except at W where there is an earthen bank and trees. According to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 the graveyard was within a rath (WX042-029004-), but if this is an early ecclesiastical enclosure there is no other evidence of an early origin for the church. There are two graveslabs (WX042-029008-; WX042-029009-) in the graveyard. Rathmacknee tower house (WX042-029001-) and bawn (WX042-029005-) are c. 30m to the N, and the site of St Martin's Well (WX042-029003-) is c. c. 100m to the NE. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 28 May, 2013 Amended: 16 August, 2013

• WX042-029007 Gateway
  Description

  Rathmacknee tower house (WX042-029001-) is at the SE angle of the bawn (WX042-029005-) whose walls survive complete with a wall walk (H 7.3m), except on the S where a house with walls 1.5m thick at one time abutted the tower house (Wexford People 15-07-1911). A pointed gateway (Wth 1.9m; H 2.55m) protected by machicolation is on the E wall of the bawn, immediately N of the tower house and covered by the double-splayed loop that is the only feature in the ground floor chamber of the tower house. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 28 May, 2013

• WX042-029008 Graveslab
  Description

  In the graveyard (WX042-029006-) of Rathmacknee church there is a sandstone graveslab (dims 2.23m x 0.38-0.52m; H 0.25m) with a chamfered edge and a pointed head. It has an incised cross that has a three-step calvary at the base and a double ring surrounding a diamond shape a the head. (FitzGerald 1903, 497) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 16 August, 2013

• WX042-029009 Graveslab
  Description

  In the graveyard (WX042-029006-) of Rathmacknee church there is a trapezoidal limestone graveslab (dims 1.92m x 0.33-0.56m; H 0.21-0.5m) with a chamfered edge. It has a cross in relief that has a knop below the crux and fleur-de-lys terminals. It also has a secondary inscription commemorating a George Walsh who died in 1757. (FitzGerald 1903, 497) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 16 August, 2013

Architectural heritage

• Saint John's Church (Rathmacknee), church/chapel, 1810–1815 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay double-height single-cell Board of First Fruits Church of Ireland church, built 1813, on a rectangular plan; single-bay three-stage tower (west) on a square plan. Dismantled, 1961. Now in ruins. Pitched roof now missing with cut-granite coping to gables, and no rainwater goods surviving on cut-granite eaves. Rendered walls on rendered chamfered plinth; rendered surface finish (tower) on rendered chamfered plinth with cut-granite diagonal obelisk pinnacle-topped "arrow loop"-detailed rendered piers to corners (bell stage). Pointed-arch window openings with cut-granite sills, and cut-granite monolithic surrounds framing wrought iron fittings. Pointed-arch window opening (east) with cut-granite sill, and cut-granite monolithic surround framing wrought iron fitting. Lancet window opening (tower) with cut-granite sill, and cut-granite monolithic surround framing wrought iron fitting. Square-headed blind openings (second stage) with cut-granite sills, and cut-granite monolithic surrounds with hood mouldings framing rendered infill. Pointed-arch openings (bell stage) with cut-granite sills, and cut-granite monolithic surrounds with hood mouldings. Interior including vestibule (west) with limestone flagged floor; round-headed door opening into nave with no fittings surviving; interior in ruins with encaustic tiled stepped dais to chancel (east). Set in unkempt grounds on a slightly elevated site with piers to perimeter having cut-granite shallow pyramidal capping supporting wrought iron double gates.

• Rectory/glebe/vicarage/curate's house, 1805–1810 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey Board of First Fruits Church of Ireland glebe house, built 1809, on a rectangular plan. Sold, 1922. Reroofed, 2007. Now disused. Replacement hipped slate roof with clay ridge tiles, paired rendered central chimney stacks having rendered capping supporting yellow terracotta octagonal pots, and uPVC rainwater goods on rendered stepped eaves. Rendered, ruled and lined walls on rendered chamfered plinth. Segmental-headed central door opening approached by flight of six cut-granite steps, cut-granite doorcase centred on keystone framing glazed timber panelled double doors having overlight. Square-headed flanking window openings in tripartite arrangement with cut-granite sills, timber mullions, and concealed dressings framing two-over-two timber sash windows having one-over-one sidelights. Square-headed window openings (first floor) with cut-granite sills, and concealed dressings framing two-over-two timber sash windows. Square-headed window openings to rear (west) elevation with cut-granite sills, and concealed dressings framing three-over-six timber sash windows. Interior including (ground floor): central hall retaining carved timber surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors; and carved timber surrounds to door openings to remainder framing timber panelled doors with carved timber surrounds to window openings framing timber panelled shutters. Set in unkempt landscaped grounds with lichen-covered cut-granite monolithic piers to perimeter.

• Bridge, 1800–1840 · Regional interest
  Description

  Single-arch road bridge over stream, extant 1840. Part creeper- or ivy-covered walls with lichen-covered hammered limestone rounded coping to parapets. Single segmental arch with limestone ashlar voussoirs. Sited spanning stream with unkempt banks to stream.

• Rathjarney Villa, farm house, 1842–1903 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached four-bay single-storey farmhouse with half-dormer attic, extant 1903, on a H-shaped plan with single-bay full-height gabled projecting (west) or single-bay full-height gabled advanced (east) end bays. Occupied, 1911. Now disused. Pitched slate roofs on a H-shaped plan with roll moulded clay ridge tiles, paired or grouped rendered red brick Running bond chimney stacks on cushion courses on rendered bases having rendered capping supporting terracotta pots, timber bargeboards to gables on timber purlins, and remains of cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered slate flagged eaves retaining cast-iron octagonal or ogee hoppers and downpipes. Part creeper- or ivy-covered lime rendered walls with concealed flush quoins to corners. Square-headed window openings in tripartite arrangement (ground floor) with square-headed window openings in bipartite arrangement (half-dormer attic), cut-granite sills, timber mullions, and concealed red brick block-and-start surrounds framing four-over-four (ground floor) or two-over-four (half-dormer attic) timber sash windows. Square-headed window openings in tripartite arrangement (west) with cut-granite sills, timber mullions, and concealed red brick block-and-start surrounds framing two-over-two timber sash windows having one-over-one sidelights. Square-headed window openings in bipartite arrangement (east) with cut-granite sills, timber mullions, and concealed red brick block-and-start surrounds framing four-over-four timber sash windows. Set in unkempt grounds with rendered piers to perimeter having pyramidal capping supporting looped wrought iron double gates.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Radon

At the centre of the townland of Rathmacknee Great, about 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as low, partly inferred.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of the townland of Rathmacknee Great.

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

No address of the register names Rathmacknee Great with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Wexford.

Name

Rathmacknee Great · Ráth Mhac nAodha Mór

Area

706,534 m² (70.65 ha, 174.59 acres)

Civil parish

Rathmacknee, and its townlands

Barony

Forth

Electoral division

Killinick, the unit of the census

Census 2022

927 people lived in 339 households in the Killinick electoral division. 89% of households owned their home. 27% of homes were built since 2001. 6% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 5% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Bloomhill, Hobbinstown, Knockangall, Knockruth, Milestown, Owenstown, Rathjarney, Rathmacknee Little

Placenames

Rathmacknee Great on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address. Old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.