This castle is situated in the townland of the same name upon the shore of Ballyteigue Lough, in the County Wexford. The name signifies “O’Teige’s town.”

The old fortress forms part of a modern dwelling-house, and the keep has always been kept roofed and in good repair.

It was erected by Sir Walter de Whitty, one of the Norman settlers, the name being spelt variously—Whythay, Whythey, Wytteye, Whittey, Wythay, in old documents.

Sir Richard Whitty was summoned to Parliament as a baron by Edward III., and his son Richard held three carucates of land in Ballyteigue in 1335.

In 1408, as we learn from a MS. in the British Museum, the Castle of Ballyteigue was burnt by Art M’Murrough Kavanagh on Tuesday, the morning after the Feast of St. Barnabas.

Richard Whitty, of Ballyteigue, died in 1539, and his son Robert being only fourteen at his father’s death, the custody of Ballyteigue was granted to John Devereux during his minority. The estate contained 3 manors, 3 carucates, and 523 acres.

The manor and castle of Ballyteigue were in the possession of Richard Whittie in 1624 and 1634.

The estate was forfeited in the time of the Commonwealth, and was granted to Colonel Brett. It afterwards passed into the hands of the Sweenys, and subsequently to the Colcloughs, a branch of the family of Tintern Abbey.

In 1798 the castle was the residence of John Colclough, one of the leaders of the Wexford insurgents. He was only twenty-nine when the rebellion broke out.

As soon as Bagnal Harvey heard that Lord Kingsborough’s terms for the surrender of Wexford would not be ratified, he hastened to Ballyteigue, but Colclough and his wife and child had already fled to one of the Saltee Islands, about ten leagues from Wexford. He followed them, but the island was searched, and the fugitives taken in a cave. They were conveyed to Wexford, and Harvey and Colclough were immediately tried and hanged. Colclough’s head is buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Wexford.

His little daughter and only child inherited Ballyteigue. She afterwards married Captain Young, and both lived in the castle until their death. Their only daughter sold the house to Mr. Edward Meadows, from whom it passed to Mr. Thomas Grant.

A legendary tale of “Sir Walter Whitty and his cat,” published some years ago by the late M. J. Whitty, editor of the Liverpool Post, may have originated from the lion which is represented in the Whitty arms.