Moyry Castle facts for kids

Moyry Castle is a cool old building in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It was built a long time ago, in June 1601, during a big fight called the Nine Years' War. A leader named Lord Mountjoy had it built. His goal was to protect a very important path called Moyry Pass, which was like a gateway to the North.

The castle is a small, rectangular tower with three floors. It sits inside a small walled area called a bawn, which helped protect it even more. Moyry Castle is built right on solid rock. It's almost square, about 8 metres (26 feet) on each side, and has three stories. You can see narrow openings called "musketry loopholes" on most of its walls. These were for soldiers to shoot through. The north wall is different because it had fireplaces, and you can see them sticking out on the outside.

History of Moyry Castle

Why Moyry Castle Was Built

After the castle was built in 1601, this area became known as Ballinemoyree, or "place of the moyre." In Irish, it was called "Bother a Mhaighre." A soldier named Captain Anthony Smith became the castle's boss, called a constable. He stayed there with twelve men to guard the important pass.

In 1606, King James I set aside some land to help keep the castle safe and running. This land included places like Dromintee and Carrickbroad.

The Man Behind the Castle

The person who ordered Moyry Castle to be built was Lord Deputy Mountjoy. A "Lord Deputy" was like the Queen's main representative in Ireland. His real name was Charles Blount. He was 36 years old when Queen Elizabeth sent him to Ireland. Lord Mountjoy was a soldier, a courtier (someone who attended the royal court), a scholar, and he loved books. He was also very religious and could speak French and Italian.

Mountjoy believed that even small stone towers could be strong enough to protect against attacks. He thought these "little keeps" wouldn't cost too much to build. After Moyry Castle was finished, the Moyry Pass became a much safer route for people traveling between the North and South of Ireland.

Battles and Journeys

Moyry Castle saw more action over the years. In 1641, a group called the Confederates used the castle as a base. Later, in August and September 1690, King William's army, led by a general named Schomberg, marched right through this pass. They were on their way from Belfast to Dundalk, heading towards a famous battle called the Battle of the Boyne.

One old story describes this area as having huge mountains with a big bog (a type of wet, marshy land) in between them. Through the middle of this bog was a long road with a deep ditch and a small stone bridge. This road led to a place called the Four-mile house, which is now known as the Half-way house. People think the bog mentioned is the Dun-a-ree bog, which is now part of a railway line.

The Legend of the Moyry Cat

The most famous story about Moyry Castle is about a mysterious cat! When Lord Mountjoy left his soldiers to guard the castle in 1601, the warder (the castle's guard) shot a local man. This man was thought to be a wizard, and the warder believed he was a spy.

The wizard's only friend was a huge black cat. The cat was furious and wanted revenge! It destroyed the castle's garrison (the soldiers and their supplies). The cat would sneak in, slit the throats of the army's sheep and cattle, and then carry them away. For a very long time after that, the "Cat of Moyry Castle" was a terrifying legend for the soldiers in the area.

See also

In Spanish: Castillo Moyry para niños