Though the history of Donore Castle is not entirely clear there is a distinct possibility that it was one of the ‘£10 Castles’ built in Ireland under the rule of King Henry VI. In 1429, due to the frequent incursions of Gaelic Lords into the ‘Pale’, ten pounds was granted by the English government to any of the Henry’s loyal subjects willing to build and occupy one of these tower houses to protect the boundary from attack. The three story tower house at Donore, is roughly 12 metres in height and measures 6 by 5 metres in width. The south west corner of the castle has a protruding round tower that once housed a spiral staircase, sadly the tower house is inaccessible without a key.
Though it is hard to know definitively who erected the castle, and its history seems destined to remain fragmented, the most chilling moment in its history happened during Cromwell’s conquest in 1650. At some point prior to Cromwell’s arrival the tower house had fallen into the hands of the McGeoghegan Clan, when the castle was seized by Cromwell’s forces over forty of the McGeoghegan clan’s men, women and children were cruelly slaughtered by a troop under the command of a John Reynolds. It is estimated that during the middle ages over 8,000 of these tower houses dotted the Irish landscape.
GPS: 53.49385, -6.94183
Again, loving your posts… Le sigh. <3
Thank you so much 🙂
Ireland is such a magical place. I could easily lose myself there to the throws of a windy trail off a beaten path leading me back in time.
I think, before I die, I need to live there for one year. doing this is a must.
We’d be delighted to have you here 🙂 Its the sheer density of sites in Ireland that always blows my mind.
I’ll be sure to let you know. I already have made so many great connections there. I can’t wait for my trip to Dublin in October, though short for TBEX. I really want to spend more time there.
Its a small place, you’ll see plenty even on a short trip 🙂
Fair enough, I explore deep. I am a creature of habit as well. Known to go to the same place over and over. When I find that perfect spot, it’s hard to not go back 🙂
Reblogged this on The Fairytale Traveler and commented:
I really enjoy this blog. Another Ireland favorite.
I love the way this tower stands so exposed and remote in the middle of an empty field. It looks very forbidding…
This is fascinating – especially as I just had a genealogical research breakthrough, and discovered a branch of my family from Meath and Westmeath 🙂
Hi Christy, will be putting up plenty more posts form the Meath/Westmeath area in the coming weeks, stay tuned!
What tight conditions in which to live. Imagine being under siege there.
Looking forward to more Meath posts, as that’s where I’m from.
Hi Rich,
Been to a ton of beautiful spots in Meath, if you use the tags at the top, they’ll all pop up, but yup more Meath coming soon!
Apologies for being 9 years late to this blog post, but thanks for publishing this bit of history. I’ve been researching my ancestry (McGeoghegan eventually became McGuigan) so it’s very helpful that someone has recorded Donore Castle.
One thing that caught my attention was when you wrote, “Sadly the tower house is inaccessible without a key.” Was the key lost? Are there any records from the time that made mention of who had it?
Thanks again!
Apologies Hannah I hadnt spotted this comment before. In regards access I imagine the key may lie with the local landowner or the OPW (Office of Public Works) but cannot be certain.