‘We’re discovering secrets all the time’: Hidden room found in 800-year-old Co Wexford castle

A centuries old secret room has been discovered during conservation works at Johnstown Castle in Co Wexford.

The discovery was made on Sunday by a joiner carrying out window repairs in the 800-year-old castle on the outskirts of Wexford town, which was donated to the State in 1945.

Contractors from the National Gates and Joinery Company broke through a section of wall and found the hidden room, which had remained untouched for generations.

Jamie Coleman, who made the discovery, said he has worked in joinery for 15 years and, up to now, his most exciting finds on the job had been old coins, a pair of scissors, and a couple of handwritten letters.

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“We never found rooms, as such, that were untouched for so long,” he said. “This is another thing that probably will never happen again. It’s been a mad auld experience, this, definitely.”

He said it was clear that there were two windows on the third floor of the tower that did not have an entry point for doing the window restoration works.

Bricked-up archway

“We had to make our entry in through the window and, once we did, we discovered that there was a bricked-up archway that had been closed up, I think in 1950 or thereabouts, with concrete blocks,” he said. “So we just kind of went through then and took down the wall and there was the archway.”

It is the second hidden room to be uncovered in the castle in recent times, with another found last year under a tower next to a lake on the site. That room can only be accessed by boat.

Brenda Comerford, manager at Johnstown Castle, speculated that the latest room discovered may have been sealed-off due to a tragedy that happened in times past.

“There is quite a tragic family history associated with Johnstown Castle,” she said. “This room has been covered up for a very long time. It is part of one of the towers and on initial inspection we think it was most likely a small turret bedroom. We’re discovering secrets all the time here at Johnstown Castle.”

Renovation work was completed in April on the east wing of Johnstown Castle before it was officially opened to the public. It spans over three floors where, historically, parties and events would have taken place. The wing once housed a ballroom, oratory, billiard room and science laboratory.

Makeover

The Johnstown Castle Estate Museum and Gardens is in the care of the Irish Heritage Trust since 2019, and underwent a €7.5 million makeover, including conservation of the castle itself, the construction of a new visitor centre and the restoration of an 86 metre underground servants tunnel.

The castle was privately owned for centuries and went through a number of aristocratic families before coming into public ownership.

Anne O’Donoghue, chief executive of the Irish Heritage Trust, said finding another secret room on the property was “really incredible”.

“It is highly unusual to find additional hidden treasures in heritage properties and this is the second time that this has happened at Johnstown Castle,” she said.