doe castle

The castle is first mentioned in 1544 in connection with internecine wars between the sons of MacSweeney Doe. Wrecked sailors from the Spanish Armada were granted refuge here in 1588. By 1600 it had been taken over by Eoghan Og MacSweeny, an ally of the English, who was unsuccessfully besieged there by his brother Rory in 1601. Red Hugh O'Donnell attacked the castle unsuccessfully in 1601, but shortly afterwards the castle was granted by the Crown to Rory O'Donnell. Taken again by the MacSweeneys in 1606, it was captured again by Rory O'Donnell in the following year.

In the same year it was granted to Sir Basil Brooke, but was taken in 1608 by Sir Cahir O'Doherty's allies and shortly afterwards retaken by Crown forces. It was then granted to a number of English men before it fell into Irish hands again in 1641. In the following year it greeted Owen Roe O'Neill back to Ireland. Captured by surprise by Coote for the Cromwellians in 1650, it later served as a Royal garrison under Charles 11.