Monellan Castle facts for kids
Monellan Castle was a large, castle-like house located near a small village called The Cross. This village is just outside Killygordon in the eastern part of County Donegal, Ireland.
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What Was Monellan Castle?
Monellan Castle was built in the 1700s. It looked like a castle but was actually a big mansion. It was a grand home for a family.
Who Lived at Monellan Castle?
The castle was built for the Delap family. They were an Ulster-Scots family. They bought the land and built the castle in the late 1700s. The Delap family also owned other large properties in Buckinghamshire, England.
The Land Around Monellan Castle
A small stream, called the Monellan Burn, flowed near the castle. It ran along the western and north-western sides of the castle's large estate. This stream flowed into the River Finn, which was very close to The Cross village. The Monellan Burn also separated the castle's land from a nearby area called Ballynaman.
What Happened to Monellan Castle?
In the 1930s, the castle and its land were bought by the Irish Land Commission. This group helped to share out large areas of land. Their goal was to give land to local farmers who had been renting it. This was a common policy at that time in Ireland. After the land was shared, the castle itself was taken down. The Irish Government supported this decision.
