There is little remaining of Doon Castle (), situated on a hill in the
townland of the same name, in the parish of
Aughagower
Aughagower or Aghagower () is a small village in rural County Mayo in western Ireland. It is located about 6 km from Westport. Aughagower has around 40 houses, 1 pub and a shop, with a clear view of Croagh Patrick from Reek View. It also ...
approximately four miles from
Westport in
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
.
In 1133,
Cormac MacCarthy
Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry (1411–1494), was an Irish chieftain. He founded Kilcrea Friary and built Kilcrea Castle.
Birth and origins
Cormac was born in 1411, the eldest son of Teige MacCarthy. His father was the 6th ...
and
Conor O'Brien invaded
Connaught
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
and plundered much of the country, destroying Dún Mughdhord (Doon Castle) and
Dunmore Dunmore from the ga, Dún Mór, link=no or gd, Dùn Mòr, link=no, meaning "great fort", may refer to:
People
* Dunmore (surname)
* Earl of Dunmore, a title in the Peerage of Scotland, includes a list of earls
* Countess of Dunmore (disambiguat ...
.
The Norman Castle of Doon appears to have been built on the site of the old Irish Dún Mughdhord.
[Aughagower by John Keville, Cathair na Mart Vol. 3 (Journal of Westport Historical Society)] The castle has almost disappeared.
The castle is in the townland of Dooncastle.
According to local accounts, the stones of the castle were used by Lord Sligo in the building of Westport House.
The castle is on a hill 150 feet in height and gave excellent views to the northeast to Islandeady and Aille, where the other McPhilpin castles were.
The space on the hill is in the shape of an ellipse 40-60 yards x 20 yards.
The castle was rectangular and measured about 40 feet x 27 feet.
The space between the main castle and the outer fortifications was not great.
According to Knox, the MacPhilbins held the castles of Ayle and Aghle and Doon in the
Barony of Burrishoole and Bellabourke and the New Castle near
Castlebar
Castlebar () is the county town of County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Developing around a 13th century castle of the de Barry family, de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal poi ...
in the
Barony of Carra.
[The history of the County of Mayo to the close of the Sixteenth Century by Hubert Thomas Knox 1908 pg. 301]
References
Castles in County Mayo
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