Dough Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dough Castle |
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Dumhach Ui Chonchuir
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Dough Castle ruins
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| General information | |
| Status | in ruins |
| Type | tower house |
| Town or city | Lahinch |
| Country | Ireland |
Dough Castle (Irish: Dumhach Ui Chonchuir, meaning "sandbank of the O'Connors") is a ruined tower house located in Lahinch, a town in County Clare, western Ireland. It was built by the O'Connors family in the early 14th century. Today, only parts of the castle remain standing.
Contents
Where is Dough Castle?
Dough Castle is found in a place called Dough, which is part of the Kilmacrehy area in County Clare. It sits south of where the Inagh and Dealagh rivers meet the sea.
The Story of Dough Castle
Building the Castle
The O'Connors, who were important lords of Corcomroe, built Dough Castle in 1306. It became their main stronghold. The castle was built in a very smart location. It was at the mouth of the Inagh River, which allowed them to control both land and water travel. Even though a castle was mentioned here in 1422, the parts you can see today were built later.
A Sad Event and a New Name
In 1471, the leader of the O'Connors was killed inside the castle by his nephews. He was buried at the end of what is now the main street in Lahinch. A pile of stones, called a cairn, was put up to remember him. This cairn gave Lahinch its official Irish name, Leacht Ui Chonchuir, which means "O'Connor’s Cairn".
Saving the Castle
By 1584, the O'Brien family owned the castle. One of them, Daniel O'Brien, was very kind to English settlers during the Irish rebellion of 1641. He gave them a safe place to stay. Because of his actions, Dough Castle was saved from being destroyed by the Cromwellian army. In 1654, a Cromwellian officer named Colonel Stubber made sure the castle was not torn down. By 1675, the castle still had its full tower and a two-story house attached. Old, narrow windows were replaced with larger ones.
Why the Castle Collapsed
The castle was built on sandbanks, which were not very strong foundations. Because of this, parts of the castle have fallen down over time. One side had already collapsed before 1839. A large section, including a chimney, fell in 1883.
Local stories say that the sandbanks were home to Donn Dumhach (Donn of the sandhills). He was a fairy prince who is said to still haunt the area. There are also tales of a secret underground passage filled with treasures leading from the castle to Liscannor, but no one has ever found it.
Dough Castle Today
Today, Dough Castle is mostly in ruins because of its weak foundations. Only a small part of the O'Brien tower remains. You can find it on the Lahinch Golf Course, close to where the Dealagh River meets the Inagh River. There was another castle nearby, O'Brien's Castle, built in 1588 to protect against the Spanish, but nothing is left of that one.
