Parks Castle (English - Parke's Castle, Newtown Castle) - Park Castle, Newtown Castle, New Town Castle - one of the castles of Ireland , located in the county of Leitrim , on the shores of Loch Gill Lake. The castle is essentially a preserve from the time of the Ulster Plantation - the Anglo-Scottish colonization of Ireland in the 17th century.
| Castle | |
| Parks Castle | |
|---|---|
| A country | |
| Location | |
| Founding date | |
History
Parks Castle was built on the site of a more ancient castle that belonged to the Irish clan O'Rourke (We Ruairk), dating from the beginning of the XV century. English colonist Robert Park seized these lands in 1610 after the conquest of Ireland was completed by England and built a new castle here. The ancient walls were basically preserved - pentagonal in plan. But the ancient tower was destroyed and a new one was built. In the eastern side of the castle a new three-storey manor was built, new pipes and windows were built.
One of the two round flanks guards the northern wall. Another - protects the gate leading to the main building. In the courtyard there are stone buildings, a covered well. At the back of the castle there is a gate leading to the lake. In the 17th century, the water level in the lake was 3 m higher than the current one and the water approached the very walls of the castle. The lake was connected to a moat surrounding the castle.
The excavations in 1972-1973 opened the foundation of an ancient castle and the towers of the O'Rourke clan under the paving stones of the castle courtyard. Now these foundations are available for inspection. It was in this tower was Francisco de Queliar - an officer of the Invincible Armada of the Spanish fleet, whose ship crashed off the coast of Ireland. Here he spoke with the owner of the castle - Sir Brian O'Rourke. Later, Francisco de Queliar, returning to his homeland, wrote: "Although this leader is a savage, he is a good Christian and an enemy of heretics, and leads a constant war with them." O'Rourke was captured in English captivity, accused of "high treason" and executed in London in 1591. Robert Park, who subsequently acquired these confiscated lands, remained to live in Newtown, Parks Castle was basically standing empty.
Not far to the southeast of Parks Castle are the ruins of Durai Castle (from Irish Dubshraich) - another former fortress of the O'Ruirk clan. The ruins of Durai Castle are located on a small peninsula on Loch Gill Lake. Most of the foundations and ruins of this castle are now underground. Duroy Castle Ruins is located on the north coast of Loch Hill, near the main road Sligo - Dromgayer (R286).
At the end of the 20th century, a large-scale restoration of Parks Castle took place. The restoration was carried out by the Irish Public Works Office. Windows were restored, the wooden structures of the castle, the roof using the techniques of the XVII century.
The Park Castle is located 5 km (3 miles) northwest of the village of Dromahair, near the road to Sligo (R286), 12 km (7 miles) from Sligo. The castle is open to tourists from late March to late September.
Literature
- Tom Condit, Gabriel Cooney, Claire Foley and Colm Donnelly, Archeology Ireland Heritage Guide No. 62: Parke's Castle, Co. Leitrim, p. 1-2. Archaeology Ireland, Dublin, 2013.
- "Parke's Castle". Heritage Ireland. Retrieved 12 Oct 2016.