O'Doherty's Keep &
Buncrana Castle
The Crana River and the arched bridge which leads to the castle
are in a heavily wooded area. The walk along the banks of the river
evoke a medieval atmosphere.
Unlike the other O’Doherty castles, the history of the Keep is
relatively placid. It was used more as a home than as a base for
battle because of its relatively secluded position. Sir Cahir
O’Doherty also used it as a place to congregate his followers. In
the 17th century after the plantation, Chichester leased it to Sir
Henry Vaughan who lived here after alterations, until the building
of Buncrana Castle, the adjacent manor house, in 1718. The bawn was
supposedly dismantled during the construction. Wolfetone was held
at Buncrana Castle after his capture in Lough Swilly.
Sir John Vaughan built Vaughan Castle in 1718 (which is the date
inscribed in the main doorcase) and it is the earliest and most
important house in the Inishowen peninsula. The house occupies the
site of old Buncrana, which had grown up round O’Doherty’s Keep -
Vaughan re-sited this settlement across the river on a long curving
main street. The castle is approached grandly the c18th Castle
Bridge, which is stone built of six arches with cutwaters and
pedestrian recesses. Bridge, house and an extended driveway with
pillars are on an axis with a formal walled court between, terraced
on the north and south and closed by the tall façade of the castle
on the west.
The castle is plain but imposing, the frontage is on 28m which
is broken back in the centre, it is a 7-bay 2 storey block on an
unusually high basement with flanking single bay pavilion wings,
the same height but thrusting forwards and given hipped roofs to
distinguish them from the main block. The house is 2 rooms thick
and has no other regular elevation. The castle is hailed, but
appears to be originally red-bricked, there are stucco-quoined
strips to the wings along with curved vault insets. The window
proportions are long and thin: 18 sash panes on the main floor and
twelve above. Refinements on the castle are the bolection-moulded
frame to the door, which has an opened scrolled pediment. Inside
are wainscoted rooms, tall 8-panelled doors and a handsome
staircase with fluted balustrades and acanthus scrolled tread
ends.
In the forecourt there is a modern monument to Sir Cahir
O’Doherty- last lord of Inishowen and a plaque to Wolfe Tone, who
landed here on 3rd of November 1798 as prisoner on the British
captured French warship the “La Hoche”.
The Cache
The cache is a pill box wrapped in black tape and is located on
a path that runs to the left of the entrance to the house. Please
beware that this is a local walking path that can be very busy at
times and muggles can appear from nowhere.
Please take care to rehide properly to avoid detection. Bring
Your Own Pen
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forum HERE