Portora Castle facts for kids

Portora Castle is an old castle located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It was built a long time ago, in 1612, for a person named Sir William Cole. This castle was placed in a very smart spot. It sits right where the River Erne flows into the Lower Lough Erne. This made it a great place to watch over the waterways. Today, it is a special historic monument cared for by the state.

Discovering Portora Castle's Design

In 1619, a person named Nicholas Pynnar described Portora Castle. He said it had a strong stone wall, about 2.5 meters (8 feet) square and 4 meters (13 feet) high. It also had four round towers, called flankers, and a stone house that was three stories tall.

What You Can Still See Today

Today, you can still see three of these round towers. Two of them are on the west side, next to the castle walls. These towers are about 3 meters (10 feet) wide. They have small openings called gun loops. These were used to fire weapons from inside the castle. If you look inside the castle, you can also see old fireplaces in the north and west walls.

The Fascinating History of Portora Castle

Portora Castle has a rich history, including being a home for an important family and seeing changes over time.

The Cole Family's Home

The Cole family, led by Sir Michael Cole, moved into Portora Castle in 1710. Their old home, Enniskillen Castle, had been damaged by a fire. The family lived at Portora Castle until about 1716. After that, Sir Michael's son, John Cole, started building a new, grander home called Florence Court.

An Important Waterway Crossing

The area around Portora Castle, especially the ford (a shallow place to cross a river), was very important for travel on the Erne Waterways. Many people and goods would have passed through here, both in times of peace and during wars. During a project to improve the Erne River between 1951 and 1960, old items like a bronze dagger and stone axes were found here. This shows how important this spot has been for a very long time.

How the Castle Became a Ruin

Today, Portora Castle is mostly in ruins. Part of the reason for this happened in the late 1800s. Some schoolboys from the nearby Portora Royal School (now Enniskillen Royal Grammar School) were experimenting. They caused a section of the castle to be damaged. They also tried digging under the building, which added to its ruined state.

Images for kids

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  Portora Castle in 2007