Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

This area is marked McSwyne's Castle on the 3rd edition of the OS 6-inch map. There is a local tradition that the castle stood on an elevated platform of rock here. No trace of the castle now exists. Its reported position is a commanding one in grazing land marked by the occurrence of rock outcrop. The precise location of this castle has not been identified, the placename 'Mc Swyne's Castle' on the OS 6-inch map extends over a large area of rock outcrop, the castle if there was one at this location may have been located somewhere within the vicinity of this placename. In 1943 the ITA Survey recorded, there was a 'tradition that a castle of the Mac Swynes stood on a large rock at the back of Stewarts house in Woodhill (SMR File). The Donegal Survey recorded that a 'local woman (Miss Stewart) described an elevated platform of rock as being the site of "Castle Suibhe". According to Miss Stewart there was no trace of the castle during her grandfathers lifetime' (SMR File).

The proposed development at Sandhill, Dunfanaghy, consisted of a house, garden and car parking area. As part of the planning conditions, an assessment was requested due to the site’s close proximity to the site of McSwyne’s Castle, DG016–020----. Testing was carried out by Eoin Corcoran, Archaeological Development Services Ltd, under licence No. 07E0353 as per the planning condition. No archaeological features, deposits or artefacts were identified during testing. The site appears to have been quarried out in the past and all deposits noted during the testing consisted of dumped material over bedrock. Therefore any potential archaeological material that may have existed on the site was removed during the quarrying process. Documentary sources also indicate that the classification of the site as a castle was based on local tradition rather than extant remains. Cartographic evidence also does not indicate the presence of a castle at the site (Bennett 2010, 82).

The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated.

Compiled by Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload/revision: 18 November 2011