Portersgate

17 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Portersgate, from 133 m² to 381,987 m² (38.2 ha, 94.39 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 10 neighbouring parcels touch it.

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

No zone of a development plan covers Portersgate 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.

• 26 Mar 2025Granted (conditional)

  Permission for the installation of a new treatment plant and a sand filter

  Permission · Wexford County Council, 20250338

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

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: Hook Head SAC 000764
• Special Protection Area: Seas off Wexford cSPA 004237
• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Hook Head 000764

Recorded monuments

• WX049-016 Gateway
  Description

  Situated at the NE end or the landward side of the fairly level, low-lying and narrow part of the Hook peninsula (L c. 4.5km NE-SW; Wth c. 600m-1.5km NW-SE). It is at the point where the roads from Duncannon and Fethard meet before continuing SW to Slade. The earliest reference to Portersgate is 1577 when Alexander Redmond had land there (Hore 1900-11, vol. 4, 354). According to Walsh (1972, 7) the name is derived from a gateway which consisted of two piers, each topped with a limestone ball, that was situated between the roads, Two granite spheres (diam. c. 0.6m) are now atop two small piers to one side of the junction. Locally it is thought that the original piers were placed on either side of the road running SW to Slade. A granite stone plaque (Wth 0.71m; H 0.55m) is set into a roadside wall with an inscription that has almost worn away. It has been read (Colfer 2004, 143, Fig. 60) as ‘Porters-gate Park An Do 1703’ with ‘T. Power’ in the bottom left corner, perhaps a later addition. A small limestone plaque (Wth 0.53m; H 0.12m) is built into the wall of a nearby house and, although damaged, has the incised inscription ‘Loftus Hall / Esq 1680’. According to Walsh (1972, 7) this was part of an inscription that read in full ‘Henry Loftus of Loftus Hall, Esq. 1680’, which ran from one pier to the other. The piers were taken down c. 1930 (Colfer 2004, 145), but what remains indicates that they were similar to the gate-piers into the present Loftus Hall and another surviving set of piers further S that can be dated to the 18th century. If the inscriptions at Portersgate were on the piers, they might relate to a redevelopment of Redmond Hall (WX054-002----), c. 1.5km to the SW, that could have taken place c. 1700. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 5 February, 2014

• WX049-016001 Inscribed stone
  Description

  A granite stone plaque (Wth 0.71m; H 0.55m) is set into a roadside wall at the gateway (WX049-016----) and it has an inscription that has almost worn away. It has been read (Colfer 2004, 143, Fig. 60) as ‘Porters-gate Park An Do 1703’ with ‘T. Power’ in the bottom left corner, perhaps a later addition. If the inscription relates to the piers, it might be connected to a redevelopment of Redmond Hall (WX054-002----), c. 1.5km to the SW, that could have taken place c. 1700. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 5 February, 2014

• WX049-016002 Inscribed stone
  Description

  A small limestone plaque (Wth 0.53m; H 0.12m) is built into the wall of a nearby house at the gateway (WX049-016----) and, although damaged, has the incised inscription ‘Loftus Hall Esq 1680’. According to Walsh (1972, 7) this was part of an inscription that read in full ‘Henry Loftus of Loftus Hall, Esq. 1680’, which ran from one pier to the other. It might relate to a redevelopment of Redmond Hall (WX054-002----), c. 1.5km to the SW, that could have taken place c. 1700. (Hore 1900-11, vol. 4, 372; Colfer 1978, 52-3) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 5 January, 2014

• WX054-003001 Ecclesiastical enclosure
  Description

  The early church (WX054-003002-) known as St. Brecaun’s church is situated at the edge of a low clay cliff (H c. 5m) on the E side of the low-lying and narrow part (L c. 4.5km NE-SW; Wth c. 600m-1.5km NW-SE) of the Hook peninsula. The graveyard was regarded as eroded away long ago by the sea (Redmond 1898, 32-3), and archaeological excavation in 1987 found no burials anywhere. However, evidence of an enclosing ditch feature is confirmed in a fosse (Wth c. 2m) partly excavated c. 12m WSW of the church (Breen 1987). This feature (Wth c. 3m; D c. 0.8m) can also be seen in the cliff-face c. 25m N of the church. The final missing piece of the ogham stone (WX054-004----) was recovered in this excavation. A small granite cross (H 0. 0.39m; Wth 0.32m) with a square cross-section (dims 0.1m x 0.1m) had been moved c. 1900 from this church to the graveyard at Churchtown (WX054-009002-) (Colfer 1978, 13-4). It has an incised cross (H 0.21m; Wth 0.11m) with expanded terminals on one face. Compiled by: Michaeel Moore Date of upload: 31 March, 2014

• WX054-003002 Church
  Description

  Marked on the 1839 and 1925 eds of the OS 6-inch map and described in gothic lettering on both as Brecaun Church. Brecaun is a Welsh saint, and is the father of Dubhán, after whom the peninsula was named Rinn Dubháin Ailithir – the promontory of Dubhán, pilgrim (Redmond 1898, 20-1). Brecaun was also the father of Alloch, associated with Templetown (WX049-008001-) (Culleton 1999, 129). The church is situated at the edge of a low clay cliff (H c. 5m) on the E side of the low-lying and narrow part (L c. 4.5km NE-SW; Wth c. 600m-1.5km NW-SE) of Hook peninsula. The W gable (ext. L 4.55m) with a segmental arched doorway (Wth 1m; H 1.75m) and part of the N wall (ext. L 9.1m; max. H 1.75-1.95m) are extant, although c. 1900 the E gable with a small window survived (Hore 1900-11, vol. 4, 352-3). Fragments of an ogham stone were found in 1845 on the shore below the church (Barry1896, 127-8), and c. 1930 another fragment was found which enabled Macalister (1930, 54-5) to read the inscription as: SEDAN [1 MAQQI CAT]TABGBOTT AVVI DERCMASOC. He describes the stone as ‘3 ft. 10 ½ inches, by 1 ft. by 8 inches thick’ (c. 1.18m x c. 0.3m x c. 0.2m), and it is now in NMI. In the mythological history of early Ireland Derc Masoc was a son of Cathair Mór, who was said to have been one of the first kings to have ruled all of Ireland. Derc Masoc was the progenitor of Uí Deirc Mosaig, the ruling family of Ath Cliath Cualann, or the Dublin area. Archaeological excavation in 1987 found the final missing piece of the ogham stone and also revealed that the present structure was built on the foundations of an older church. However, the later W wall is c. 3m further W than the original, unmortared W wall, whose doorway was also in the W wall. No burials were recovered in the excavation, but evidence of an enclosing ditch feature is confirmed in a fosse (Wth c. 2m) partly excavated c. 12m WSW of the church (Breen 1987). This feature (Wth c. 3m; D c. 0.8m) can also be seen in the cliff-face c. 25m N of the church. Although no burials were recovered in excavation a small granite cross (H 0. 0.39m; Wth 0.32m) with a square cross-section (dims 0.1m x 0.1m) had been moved from the church to the graveyard at Churchtown (WX054-009002-) c. 1900 (Colfer 1978, 13-4). There is an incised cross (H 0.21m; Wth 0.11m) with expanded terminals on one face of this cross, which is probably 18th century in date, but this is the only physical evidence of a graveyard at St. Brecaun’s church. 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: 31 March, 2014

• WX054-003003 Cross-inscribed stone
  Description

  A small granite cross (H 0. 0.39m; Wth 0.32m) with a square cross-section (dims 0.1m x 0.1m) was moved c. 1900 from St. Brecaun’s church (WX054-003002-) to the graveyard (WX054-009002-) at Churchtown (Colfer 1978, 13-4). On one face is an incised cross (H 0.21m; Wth 0.11m) with expanded terminals. This cross (WX054-009004-) is probably 18th century in date and is now incorporated in a later memorial, but it is the only physical evidence of a graveyard at St. Brecaun’s church. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 31 March, 2014

• WX054-004 Ogham stone
  Description

  Fragments of an ogham stone were found in 1845 on the shore below Brecaun Church (WX054-003002-) (Barry 1896, 127-8), and c. 1930 another fragment was found which enabled Macalister (1930, 54-5) to read the inscription as: SEDAN [1 MAQQI CAT]TABGBOTT AVVI DERCMASOC. He describes the stone as ‘3 ft. 10 ½ inches, by 1 ft. by 8 inches thick’ (c. 1.18m x c. 0.3m x c. 0.2m), and it is now in NMI (DU018-274----). In the mythological history of early Ireland Derc Masoc was the son of Cathair Mór, who was said to have been one of the first kings to have ruled all of Ireland. Derc Masoc was the progenitor of Uí Deirc Mosaig, the ruling family of Ath Cliath Cualann, or the Dublin area. Archaeological excavation in 1987 found the final missing piece of the ogham stone (Breen 1988). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 31 March, 2014

• WX054-013 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on the level, low-lying and narrow part (L c. 4.5km NE-SW; Wth c. 600m-1.5km NW-SE) of Hook peninsula. The cropmark of a circular enclosure (diam. c. 40m) defined by a single fosse feature is visible on aerial photographs (MM (2) 8-11). No entrance is visible. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 31 March, 2014

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Portersgate.

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

About 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

Susceptibility moderately high, moderately low, low, on the 1:50,000 map.

Terrain model

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

Flooding

The flood maps of the Office of Public Works: floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency; Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland; both 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 Portersgate with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Wexford.

Name

Portersgate · Geata an Phóirtéaraigh

Area

560,660 m² (56.07 ha, 138.54 acres)

Civil parish

Hook, and its townlands

Barony

Shelburne

Electoral division

Templetown, the unit of the census

Census 2022

Templetown electoral division: 840 people in 261 households; 82% of households own their home; 40% of homes were built since 2001; 6% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 35% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Galgystown, Houseland, Loftushall

Placenames

Portersgate 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.