Cloughoughter Castle is a superb ruined castle on a small island in Lough Oughter, 4 kilometers from the village of Killeshandra in County Cavan. Magnificent, it’s a charming sight!
The construction of Cloughoughter Castle is said to have been commissioned by William Gorm de Lacy, an Anglo-Norman who took possession of the Lough Oughter territory in the 13th century. Although the date of the castle’s creation is imprecise, it is estimated that the first stones were laid in the early 13th century.
However, the O’Reilly clan took possession of the territory as early as 1233, along with its castle. The clan resumed construction where the Anglo-Normans had left off, and managed to maintain the building despite numerous conflicts with the O’Rourke clan.
It wasn’t until the 17th century, during the plantation era, that the château was wrested from the ‘O’Reillys, in favor of Hugh Culme, a wealthy British man charged with setting up a plantation. Strangely enough, Culme preferred to turn the castle into a military barracks, and live on the banks of the Lough Oughter river. Unfortunately for him, he was captured in 1641 during the Irish Rebellions and imprisoned for many years in the castle that served as his barracks.
The O’Reilly clan held on to the castle for 12 years, until the terrible onslaught of Oliver Cromwell’s forces. The château was bombarded and abandoned in 1653.
Since then, the castle has been in ruins, and is now a magnificent tourist attraction!
Access to Cloughoughter Castle is rather difficult, due to its geographical location. Unless you own a boat, you can only admire the architecture from the shore! Magnificent even from a distance, the castle has a dark charm, with its ivy-covered walls. It is first and foremost a 3-storey fortified tower, punctuated by “meurtières”, with particularly thick, slightly cylindrical walls. (an exceptional shape compared to other Anglo-Norman castles of the period!)
Set on a tiny island less than 100 metres in diameter, the castle is surrounded by Lough Oughter. Don’t try to cross the river on foot to reach it: the water depths on the outskirts of the island are very great!
The château was slightly restored in 1987. Since then, it has remained one of the most beautiful castles in the Cavan region!
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site not accessible except by boat
