The town of Arklow is thirty-nine miles and a half south by east of Dublin, in the County Wicklow.

Joyce thinks the name may have a Danish origin, but others believe it comes from the Irish word Ardchoch.

The ruins of the castle are situated on high ground on the south side of the Ovoca River, and consist of a ruined and now ivy-clad round tower, which protected the northern angle. This building is broken on the riverside to about 12 feet in height, but on the south side it measures some 46 feet.

About 10 feet from the ground is a pointed doorway, which leads to a stone floor formed by the arch of the lower chamber. Thirty-four stone steps in the thickness of the wall give access to the top of the tower from this platform.

This building is one of similar flanking towers which defended the walls still running south and west, the remains of some of the other turrets having only disappeared during the last century.

A barrack for two companies of soldiers was built near the former site of the castle, and the walls of the latter were incorporated with those enclosing the yard of the new building.

A monastery was founded at Arklow by Theobald FitzWalter, hereditary Lord Butler of Ireland, who also built the castle.

Lord Theobald Walter le Botiller died in the castle in 1285, and was buried in the convent of the Friars Preachers in Arklow, beneath a tomb ornamented with his effigy.

In 1331 the castle was attacked by the O’Tooles, but Lord de Bermingham came to its relief with a small party, and drove the enemy off with considerable loss. The same year, however, the Irish got possession of it by treachery.

The Lord Chief Justice again re-captured it in 1332, with the help of Dublin citizens and the English settlers in Wicklow, so that it was once more in the King’s hands, and at this time it was partly rebuilt.

In 1522-24 Sir Piers Butler was accused of being in league with the O’Mores, and of using the castle of Arklow to rob both by land and sea.

The following year the Earl of Kildare made a series of charges against the Earl of Ormond through Lord Leonard Grey, amongst which was that of keeping a ward of evil persons in Arklow Castle to rob the surrounding neighbourhood.

A few years later (1532) the Earl of Ossory and Ormond complained to Thomas Cromwell that the Earl of Kildare was trying to get some of his castles into his possession (amongst which he mentioned Arklow), under the plea of holding them by lease from the Earl of Wiltshire. He states these fortresses “bee the veray keyes of the cuntrey,” and that the King ought to prevent Kildare becoming too powerful. Sir Thomas Bullen had then been created Earl of Ormond and Wiltshire by Henry VIII.

During the rebellion of “the Silken Thomas” in 1536 the King had to send “an army royal” to get the castle of Arklow and others into his possession.

The following year the manor was re-granted to Peter Butler, Earl of Ossory and Ormond.

In 1578, when forming the county of “Wicklo or Arcklo,” the castle of the latter is mentioned as the chief place, and belonging to the Earl of Ormond, who was also Lord of Arklow.

The Lord Deputy placed a garrison there in 1581.

In March, 1589, Feagh M’Hugh O’Byrne seized the wife of Hugh Duff O’Donnell, uncle to Sir Hugh O’Donnell, who was a tenant of the Earl of Ormond in Arklow Castle. In the autumn of the same year O’Byrne tried to force an entrance into the castle “to execute his malice” upon Hugh O’Donnell.

The land was laid waste round the fortress in 1600, but the castle was held for the Queen by the Earl of Ormond at his own expense.

In the rebellion of 1641 the Irish surprised the fortress and killed the garrison. It remained in their possession until 1649, when it was captured by Cromwell’s forces, of which the following is the account:—

“The army marched through almost a desolate country until it came to a passage of the River Doro, about a mile above the Castle of Arklow, which was the first seat and honour of the Marquis of Ormond’s family, which he had strongly fortified; but it was upon the approach of the army quitted, wherein he (Cromwell) left another company of foot.”