Castles in County Cavan.

Cabra Castle.

Situated near to Kingscourt, less than one hours drive north of Dublin, once owned by the ancient family O'Reilly until its confiscation by Cromwell in the 17th century. After passing through many hands, eventually in 1964 it was taken over by a local family "Brennan" who renovated it turning it into hotel.

In the castle grounds is a 9 hole golf course. Nearby you can find horse-riding, and fishing.

Castleroche Castle.

Castle Roche Click for larger image. an Anglo- Norman castle Castle Roche said to have built in 1236 by Lady Rohesia de Verdun, and a local legend associated with the castle and Lady Rohesia, who is said to have promised her hand in marriage to the architect who built the castle to her specifications, but that when he went to claim his prize she had him thrown from one of the high window, which is stiil know as the ' murder window.

Castle Roche is situatated on a rocky hilltop, commanding panaromic views of the Louth and Armagh, and is said to have marked 'the boundary between the Gaelic province of Ulster and the Anglo-Norman 'Pale' and is near the Dorsey (door) which is an ancient earthwork route into south Armagh.

It is a keepless courtyard castle with high curtain wall enclosing a triangular courtyard, in the center of the north side is a twin towered gatehouse. At the south east end is a roofless two storey building that was the great hall. Access was gained through a gatehouse with two towers may which may have been a drawbridge in front of the gatehouse, ditch at this side of the castle could have been moated. In 1561 a meeting of all the English forces in Ireland took place during the rebellion of Shane O'Neill.

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Complete List of County Cavan Castles.


Castle Name	Condition	Description	Founded By	Date	Parish/Townland	Map Ref
Bailieborough Castle (1)	No Remains	House and Bawn - "... a vaulted castle, with a bawn 90 feet square, and two flanking towers"	Grant given to - William Bailie	1610	Bailieborough Moybologue
Bailieborough Castle (2)	No Remains	House	Sir John Young	1830-76	Bailieborough/Moybologue, Bailieborough
Bailieborough Castle (3)	No Remains	House			Bailieborough/Moybologue, Bailieborough
Ballyconnell Castle	No Remains	Castle - "… a strong bawn 100 feet square and 12 feet high, with two flanking towers and a strong castle, three stories high, the whole occupying a site well adapted for the defence of the surrounding county."	Built by Capt. Culme and Walter Talbot (in the time of Jas. I)		Tomregan,Ballyconnell
Ballymagauran Castle Lissanover Castle, Lios-an-uabhair, "the fort of Pride")	Ruin	Tower-House - "It was originally a tower of two stories…"Destroyed by - Oliver Cromwell	Built by Felim Magauran [MacGovern/McGovern] -		Templeport, Lissanover
Belturbet Castle (Caislen Tairbeirt, Turbet Island Castle)	No Remains	Motte and Baily Castle -	Built by Hugh Connallach O'Reilly	C16th	Belturbet, Turbet Island	H 3617
Brogan's Castle		Castle - "… ancient Cavan contained another which tradition remembers to have been called "Brogan's Castle"			Cavan, Cavan
Castle Aubigny		Castle - "At a commission held in Castle Aubigny (Shercock) in 1629 to enquire into the progress being made by Bailie and the other grantees..."	Grant given to - Esme Stuart, Lord Aubigny		Shercock, Shercock
Castle Cavan (Walter Bradie's Castle)	No Remains	Stone House [Possibly Tower-House] -	Charter granted - Walter Bradie (erected by Garrett Fleming)	1610	Cavan, Cavan
Castle Cosby		Castle	1837 - Residence of - J. Whit-thorne, Esq.		Kilmore, Crossdoney
Castle Hamilton (1) (Keelagh, Killagh, Killaugh Castle)	Partial	Castle - "The castle was four storeys with flankers and turrets for defense. It had a bawn 60 feet square surrounded by a wall 12 feet in height."	Grant given to - 'Sir Alexander Hamilton	1610	Killeshandra/Killesandra,
Castle Hamilton (2)	Complete	Mansion House - "The big house that replaced the estate house that was burned in the fire is now owned by Joseph Fletcher"	1911 - Mansion House in possession of - Joseph Fletcher		Killeshandra/Killesandra,
Castle Saunderson	Partial	Castle -1997 - Castle and Estate sold to - Scouting Ireland	Saunderson family	1573	Annagh /Belturbet Belturbet
Castlerahan (Castleraghan, Castle of Rathain O' Raghallaigh, Caisleán Ráthain "Castle of the little rath. ")	No Remains	Castle - "the old castle of Rathain O' Raghallaigh which stood in what is now called the Moat in the heart of Castlerahan."			Castlerahan,
Cloughoughter Castle (Cloughtouthter)	Ruin	Round Tower-House - "The construction of the castle, in fact a circular tower house." "… it had loops but no entrance on the ground floor, three doorways and at least two windows at first-floor level and possibly a curtain wall on the west side."	Built by - William Gorm de Lacy	C13th	Kilmore, Killekeen lake/Lough Oughter	H3405
Cormey Castle (1) (Cormee Castle, Fleming's Castle)	Ruins	Castle - "This land which contained an old round tower castle, called Cormey Castle. The main building was in ruins - destroyed during the Cromwellian War."	Lands belonging to O'Reilly Family		Enniskeen, Kingscourt
Cormey Castle (2) (Cormee Castle, Cabra Castle )	Complete*	Castle - "… a superb baronial castellated mansion in the Norman style. of architecture	1808 - Appointed trustee of castle estate - Mr Henry Foster		Enniskeen, Kingscourt
Coroneary Castle		Castle - Anne, who married James Hamilton, third son of John Hamilton of Coroneary Castle.	Residence of John Hamilton Knockbride		Knockbride, Coroneary
Croghan Castle (Castlecraig)	No Remains	Castle "It was 35 feet in height and surrounded by a wall 240 feet in circumferenceThe faint traces of both these castles are still discernible."	1610 Grant given to Auchmothy brothers	1610	Kildallon, Croghan
Crover castle	Partial	Tower-House -	Built by Thomas O'Reilly	c1393	Ballymachugh, Crover
Danish rath (1)		Rath			Castlerahan, Ballyjamesduff
Danish rath (2)		Rath			Castlerahan, Ballyjamesduff
Derryragh or Darragh fort ("altar of the oaks")	Ruins	Hill Fort -			Templeport, hill of Darragh
Drumlane Church Round Tower	Ruins	Round Tower - "The oldest building on the site is a round Tower with round-headed door way and windows. On the north face, about six feet above the ground, are much weathered carvings of birds..."	Founder - St. Mogue	7th century	Drumlane, Drumlane	H340122
Fort Frederick		Plantation House - "...the improvements of Fort-George the residence of the rector of the parish, and also with the plantations of Fort-Frederick…"			Castlerahan,
Fort George		Plantation House - "...the improvements of Fort-George the residence of the rector of the parish, and also with the plantations of Fort-Frederick…"			Castlerahan, Bally James Duff
Fort William		Rath -			Drung, Drung
Killykeen Forest Park ( Killeshandra Rath, "Church of the Old Fort")		Church and Ring Fort - "This church was sited on an old semi-circular 'rath' or fort overlooking the lake that is now-a-days known as the Town Lake."			Killeshandra/Killesandra, Killeshandra
Kilmore Castle	Complete	Motte and Bailly - "Walter de Lacy constructed the motte and bailey in 1211 as part of a chain to control and contain the north for the Normans. Cathal O’Reilly dismantled the fort in 1224. It was rebuilt and today there remains an excellent example of a motte and bailey."	Built by Walter de Lacy	C13th	Kilmore, Kilmore	H 3804
Moneygashel Ring Fort	Ruins	Ring Fort - "The fort at Moneygashel consists of a circular stone wall, in places up to three metres thick. There are even two small staircases built into it."			Killinagh, Moneygashel	H058340
Muff Castle (Castle-Gearroid, Garrett's Castle, Castle of Clanchye)	Ruins	Castle -	Grant given to Garrett Fleming	1608	Enniskeen, Muff
Mullach Castle	No Remains	The site of the castle on the western side of the lake is now occupied by the cottage of Mrs. Finlay - Castle destroyed by - Cromwell around 1650	Erected by - Conor More O'Reilly		Mullagh, Mullagh
Tomregan Round Tower	No Remains	Round Tower - "Nothing remains of the monastery except the base of a round tower"	C7th - Founded by - St Bricin		Tomregan, Ballyconnell
Tully Mongain Fort (Gallow's Hill, Castle Hill Fort)	No Remains	Danish Fort - "there is a tradition that a castle stood within the circle of the fort. It is now called the Gallow's Hill but was anciently called Castle Hill."			Urney, Tullymongan
Tullymongen castle (Tully Mongan, Tulach Mongain, Bally-Reilly Castle, "Castle of the Cavan", O'Reilly's castle)	No Remains	Castle -Aurelies (O'Reillys on the hill over the Cavan."1468 - Castle Burned by - English (under the Lord-Deputy Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester) 1487 - Residence of - O'Reilly Family	Built by - O'Reilly Family	C13th	Cavan town