House - 16th/17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

Ballyboyle Castle (site of): Ballyboyle Castle (DG099-008) is first mentioned in 1440 when it was taken by a son of the O'Donnell but subsequently returned to O'Boyle (AFM). Red Hugh O'Donnell drove out the English forces who had captured the castle in 1592 (Murphy Ed. 1895, 35), and in 1601 it was described as O'Boyle's chief house (CSPI 1600-1, 278). The lands of Ballyboyle were granted to Patrick Vans in 1610. In the following year Paul Gore had erected 'a fair stone house (DG099-008003-) out of the ruins of O'Boyle's old castle' but he was obliged to surrender it to George Murrey; the lands subsequently came into the possession of John Murrey, later Earl of Annandale (Hill 1877, 299, 500 ff.). In 1622, it was described as the 'ruinous castle of Ballyboyle; to which is adjoined the walls of a house, built about 7ft high by Sir Paul Gore' (Treadwell 1953-5, 513). It is noted in the Civil Survey, 1654-6, as 'ye old walls of ye Castle called Balliweill' (Simmington 1937, 72). There is no visible trace of this 'castle' and the out-houses are all that remain of the Cottage. To the S, the ivy-covered ruins of a subcircular corner tower and adjoining sections of wall, standing on the cliff edge, are probably the remains of a bawn (DG099-008002-). The foundations of the wall can be traced from the tower along the cliff edge to the E as far as a ruined gate-lodge. The outer section of the tower has fallen since Davies described the remains in the early 1940's (NMI topographical files); he noted four gun-loops at ground-floor level and that the tower was originally roofed by a mortared, corbelled vault. The doorway has a modern lintel and may have been inserted when some repointing and plastering were carried out here during the present century (Mac Hugh 1959, 169 n.24). Some 2.7m of adjoining NW wall survives, c. 1m high.

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