was to become the principal market town for North Kilkenny. Much of Castlecomer and the surrounding area was owned by members of the Wandesforde family until the 21st century. Castlecomer House, the family home of the Wandesfordes, stood on the opposite side of the Athy-Kilkenny road (now the N78). The building was said to have been on a grander scale than the original Wandesforde residence in Yorkshire, and to have been a testament to the fortunes of the Wandesfordes in Ireland. The original house, which was reportedly built in 1638, was burned down during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The second Castlecomer House was built on the same site in 1802 at the behest of Lady Anne Ormonde. The house itself was described as being more imposing than its predecessor. It was reputedly notable for its castellated, Gothic revival style, including 365 windows (i.e. one for each day of the year), large porchway and the Wandesforde coat of arms displayed prominently on the outside. The approach to the residence included a sweeping avenue, and a bridge over a moat (formed by diverting river waters). By the mid-1970s, the house was no longer occupied and had fallen into disrepair; most of the building was demolished in 1975. However, the property's main entrance and avenue, as a well as a lodge building survived. Access and facilities To the east of the town is Castlecomer Golf Club and Sawney's Woods. The courthouse is located in Market Square. The town square has Georgian houses surrounded by the Lime trees. Approximately 100 buildings of architectural or historical relevance within Castlecomer are listed for preservation. Road links Castlecomer is on the National Primary Route that links Kilkenny and Athy as well as the M9 motorway. Castlecomer Bridge, locally known as 'the Dublin bridge' or 'the Big bridge', dates from 1763 and spans the River Dinin (Deen). It was built to designs prepared by George Smith and is a five-arch rubble limestone Classical-style road bridge (Reg. No. 12301001). It is one of a number of bridges rebuilt by Smith following the "Great Flood" of 1763 (others include Green's Bridge, Graiguenamanagh Bridge and Inistioge Bridge). Robust details exhibiting high-quality stone masonry enhance the Classical quality of the composition. Marking a crossing over the Dinin (Deen) River the bridge forms an appealing landmark on the road leading into the town from the east. The JJ Kavanagh and Sons route