Harry Avery's Castle facts for kids
Harry Avery's Castle is a special old stone castle found near Newtownstewart in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It's quite rare because it was built by a Gaelic Irish chief, not by Normans or English settlers. We don't know everything about its past, but it's named after Henry Aimhréidh O'Neill, who was also known as Harry Avery. He died in 1392. Today, the castle's remains are protected by the government as a State Care Monument.
What Harry Avery's Castle Looks Like
The castle ruins stand on a small hill. This hill was made steeper by people long ago to help protect the castle. A strong wall, called a curtain wall, used to go all the way around the top of the hill. Most of this wall is gone now.
The part of the castle you can still see is a two-story building. It has two big, round towers shaped like the letter 'D' at the front. Even though it looks like a gatehouse, it was actually a simple tower house. The D-shaped towers were added to the front.
Inside, the ground floor had a vaulted basement. You could get into it through a large door between the two D-towers. Above this was a main hall on the first floor. You could reach this hall from the castle's courtyard.
The D-tower on the south side had a spiral staircase. This staircase connected the two floors. Both D-towers also had small rooms on the first floor. Each of these rooms had a single window in its round wall. There are also signs of a staircase leading up from the first floor. This suggests there might have been a walkway or wall on the second floor. Experts believe the whole castle was built at one time.
Castle Design and Inspiration
The way Harry Avery's Castle was built is similar to Elagh Castle in Inishowen. Elagh Castle also seems to have been built by native Irish people and has D-shaped towers.
It's thought that the design ideas came from Norman castles. Castles like Carrickfergus Castle and Castle Roche have true gatehouses with D-towers on each side. Harry Avery's Castle also shares its overall design with other old Irish forts. For example, Seafin in County Down was later surrounded by a curtain wall with a tower house.
Harry Avery's Story
Old records, called the Annals of the Four Masters, mention Harry Avery. They say he was "Enrí Aimhréidh mac Neill Móir Uí Néill" and that he died in 1392. These records praise him for being fair, noble, and welcoming to guests. However, there isn't much historical information about this specific castle site. This suggests it might not have been a very important place in its time.
