Ballyshannon Castle was a castle at

Ballyshannon Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland. Location B ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. The castle was a stronghold of the O’Donnell's. No visual remains of the castle exist above ground.

History

Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill built Ballyshannon Castle in 1423 to command the ford over the

River Erne The River Erne ( , ga, Abhainn na hÉirne or ''An Éirne'') in the northwest of the island of Ireland, is the second-longest river in Ulster, flowing through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and forming part of their border. ...

. The castle was captured and sacked by Conn Bacach O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone in 1522. Sir

Conyers Clifford Sir Conyers Clifford (c. 1566 – 1599) was an English politician and military commander. Life and career He was the son of George Clifford, esq., of Bobbing Court in Kent, by his wife Ursula, daughter of Roger Finch. His elder brother, Henry ...

’s army was repelled by

Hugh Roe O'Donnell Hugh Roe O'Donnell ( Irish: ''Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill''), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell (30 October 1572 – 10 September 1602), was a sixteenth-century leader of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. He became Chief of the Name of Clan O'Donne ...

after the castle was besieged for three days during the battle of Ballyshannon in 1597. The castle was transferred to Henry Folliot after the decline of the O’Donnell’s fortunes in 1606. The castle was demolished in 1720 and a cavalry barracks built in its place. By the early 20th century, its site had been converted into a market yard to sell farm produce.

References

Buildings and structures completed in 1423 Castle Castles in County Donegal {{Ireland-castle-stub