castles historical donegal

Donegal Castle is located in Donegal town in County Donegal in the Northwest of Ireland. The Castle is situated in the centre of the town on a rock outcrop overlooking the River Eask. It was built by one of the O'Donnell chieftains in the 15th century.
Donegal Castle was the residence of the O'Donnell Family, who were originally loyal subjects of Queen Elizabeth I. This changed when the last of the family "Red" Hugh O'Donnell, with his friend, Hugh O'Neill rebelled and fought a bloody n...

O'Doherty's Keep was originally a small Norman castle but it became an important landmark during the nine years war, when Hugh "Boy" O'Doherty renovated it in 1602. O'Doherty's Keep was intended for use by the Spaniards who were supposed to land on the Inishowen peninsula to assist the Irish rebels against Queen Elizabeth. Unfortunately the Spanish arrived in the wrong part of the country. O'Doherty's Keep was shortly burned by the English. It is uncertain whether it was renovated during th...

The castle is first mentioned in 1544 in connection with internecine wars between the sons of MacSweeney Doe. Wrecked sailors from the Spanish Armada were granted refuge here in 1588. By 1600 it had been taken over by Eoghan Og MacSweeny, an ally of the English, who was unsuccessfully besieged there by his brother Rory in 1601. Red Hugh O'Donnell attacked the castle unsuccessfully in 1601, but shortly afterwards the castle was granted by the Crown to Rory O'Donnell. Taken again by the MacSwe...

A small oblong tower, with two three-quarters round turrets (one a staircase) at diagonally opposite corners, and dating to the late 16th century. It was originally surrounded by a strong wall and traces of the ditch outside this wall still remain. It was taken by Docwra in 1601 but returned to Sir Cahir O'Doherty in 1603. It was besieged again in 1607 but not take by the English until 1608 and was later granted to Sir Arthur Chichester. For a long time it remained an important English garrison....

The rugged Donegal highlands may be one of the bleakest places in Ireland, but in a secluded valley beside a mountain lough is a most remarkable garden....

Buncrana Castle dates from the early 17th century but has not survived the test of time very well. It now stands in ruin, a mere shadow of its once magniciant self. It still gives an excellent impression of what it was once like....