Fitzgeralds Hotel Donegal

Fitzgerald's Hotel Donegal is the ideal base from which to visit many ancient Castles and Round Towers both in Co Donegal and surrounding counties in the North West of Ireland. Many of these beautiful old castles have been sensitively restored and have visitor centres where you can learn more about their often turbulent past.

Parke's Castle

A beautifully restored castle of the 17th century, Parkes Castle is a fortified manor house with a stone bawne enclosure. The house itself forms one part of the defensive walls which feature round turrets on 2 of the 5 sides. Captain Robert Parke built the manor house on the grounds of a previous stronghold of the O'Rourkes in 1609.

Parkes castle rises 3 stories on shores of Lough Gill and boasts wide mullioned windows and gabled roofs. The interior of the castle has recently been restored using the old methods of fine workmanship in Irish oak.

The courtyard and the larger round tower castle (Castle of Newtowne) of the Parkes site, dates back to the 1100's King of Bréifne, Tiernan O Rourke. Inside the courtyard are many stone work buildings and a covered well.

History of Parke's Castle

The Uí Ruairc clan rule in area of Bréifne from about the 7th century up to the time of Cromwell. They are descended from Sean Ferghal O Ruairc, King of Connacht around 952.

In the mid 1100's a great rivalry started between Tiernan O'Rourke, King of Breifne, and Dermot MacMurrough Kavanagh, King of Leinster. Legend has it that Devorgilla (wife of O'Rourke) began an affair with Dermot on the shores of Lough Gill that was to last 2 years. In 1166 O'Connor (the high king), O'Rourke, and the Ostmen of Dublin banded together and deposed Dermot from his lands. Dermot fled to Wales and returned with the English Strongbow and his forces in order to regain his lands with the promise of his daughter as a bride. Thus began the invasion of Ireland by the English. When Dermot died 1171, Strongbow took over the kingship of Leinster.

The the Annals of the Four masters records:
The English Hugh de Lacy "treacherously killed" Tiernan O'Rourke in 1172.
Devorgilla in 1193, "died in the monastery of Drogheda Mellifont, in the eighty-fifth year of her age."

The last great lord of Castle Newtowne was Sir Brian O'Rourke. In 1591, he was captured by the English and taken to London to be hanged for his support of the Spanish Armada. In 1612 King James of England began dividing up the lands of the O'Rourkes to English settlers. In the 1620's the Parkes Castle site was granted to Captain Robert Parke, who built the 3 story plantation style house.

Parkes Castle is located on the Sligo Dromahaire road on the NE shore of Lough Gill.

• Open: 13th to 17th March & 1 April to End May, Tuesday to Sunday & Bank Holidays 10:00 - 17:00
• June to September, Daily 09:30 - 18:30
• October, Daily 10:00 - 17:00
• Guided tours available on request - maximum 25 people
• Access to the ground floor for visitors with disabilities
• Facilities: Exhibitions, audio-visual show, tearooms, public car/coach park close to site, toilets and disabled toilets.

Information obtained from www.of-ireland.info/castles/parkes.html