placenamesFoulkesmill
Muileann Fúca
The Corock River links Foulkesmill’s mill and bridge, while the surrounding district witnessed a major encounter during the 1798 rebellion.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Muileann Fúca · Irish · main form · validated name
- Foulkesmill · English · main form
- Foulksmills · English · main form · local name
Place & story
The corn mill
The old corn mill beside the river dates from 1851. When photographer Albert Bridge visited in July 2006, he recorded that its waterwheel remained intact. The building preserves a visible connection between the village and the processing of local grain: water drawn from the river supplied the power needed to grind corn. The surviving mill stands beside the crossing, placing this former industry close to the village’s road network. [2] [4]
A miller’s household
The nearby farmhouse at Raheenduff was built in 1859 for Richard Purcell and his family. Its formal entrance, reached by granite steps, has columns and a fanlight, while the house retains sash windows and interior joinery. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage traces its later connections with James Purcell, recorded as a miller in 1901, and William Day, described as both farmer and miller in 1911. It documents the domestic side of the local milling economy. [3]
A crossing on the Corock
Foulkesmill Bridge was already standing in 1798. Three segmental arches carry the road over the Corock, with pointed cutwaters facing upstream to divide the flow. The heritage inventory records damage in 1920 and notes a surviving, much-eroded Ordnance Survey benchmark. The bridge therefore carries evidence of several histories at once: river engineering, road traffic and the surveying of the surrounding countryside. [4]
The battle of 1798
In June 1798, Crown troops commanded by Major General Sir John Moore fought a rebel force led by Father Philip Roche near Foulkesmill. The National Army Museum dates the encounter to 20 June, immediately before the Battle of Vinegar Hill, and describes Moore’s victory as opening the route towards the recapture of Wexford. Its collection includes a coloured engraving published by G. Thompson that August, evidence of how quickly the fighting entered contemporary visual accounts. [5]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Foulkesmill. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Old corn mill, Foulksmills, photographed 13 July 2006 · Albert Bridge / Geograph
- Raheenduff farmhouse, Foulkesmill, NIAH 15704024 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Foulkesmill Bridge, NIAH 15704025 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- The Battle of Wexford in Ireland fought June 20th 1798, accession 1971-02-33-471-1 · National Army Museum
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.