Monea Castle is a striking Plantation era ruin situated near Lower Lough Erne, its design reflective of the Scottish origins of its builder. An earlier castle would have stood on this site as the area was controlled by the Maguires prior to the Ulster Plantation and a crannog is situated nearby. The castle was built in 1618 for Rev Malcolm Hamilton, Rector of Devenish, who went on to become archbishop of Cashel in 1623. Initially only the main castle keep was built with the bawn wall being added around the time Hamilton became archbishop. During the Irish rebellion of 1641 the castle was attacked by Rory Maguire who, ‘slew and murthered eight Protestants’ but did not capture the castle. It was occupied by Gustav Hamilton, the governor of Enniskillen in 1688 after he had suffered serious financial losses in the Williamite Wars. Gustav died in 1691 his wife and children remained at the house but due to being almost bankrupt sold the entire estate in 1704. Monea castle was destroyed by fire a year later.

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