House - 16th/17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

The 1st and 2nd editions of the OS 6-inch maps show this single-ringed 'Fort' (DG069-022001-) to the E of 'Killynure Castle' site. A modern house of that name now occupies the area. R. Hunter (per. comm.) identifies this 'castle' as the plantation house erected by Wilson prior to 1622 (Treadwell 1953-4, 516) and said to have been built on 'a mount called Dundree'. Fagan in 1846 (Bk. 10, 8) when describing the remains of the nearby castle recorded that 'it seems to have for its site an artificial and oval-shaped fort raised of earth and stone considerably above the adjoining ground but now much disfigured'. It is difficult to determine now if any remains of this 'Fort' survives as the mound has a natural appearance. The owner of the house on the site records the tradition of a 'souterrain' (DG069-022004-) nearby. The site is located on a slight rise, on good land just S of the River Deel.
Killynure Castle (site of): By 1619, William Wilson had built a castle and a bawn (DG069-022005-). In 1622, it was described as a 'house of lime and stone and birch timber, slated, standing on a mount called Dundree, 50 ft long and 18 ft wide with 2 returns . . . a bawn from the forefront of the house of lime and stone 100 ft square and 12 ft high' (Hill 1877, 515; Treadwell 1953-5, 516). The Civil Survey, 1654-6, records it as 'a ruinous castle belonging to ye haire of Mr Wilson called Wilson's fort' (Simmington 1937, 23). Some small sections of bawn and castle walls which 'preclude a minute description of its extent or form', survived when Fagan described the ruins in 1846 (Bk. 10, 8). No visible trace of this castle remains, though the mound on which it stood is occupied by a house of the same name.

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.

Date of upload: 22 September 2008