Roxborough Castle facts for kids

Roxborough Castle in its heyday

Roxborough Castle was a large, beautiful house in Moy, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was built in 1738 and served as the main home for a noble family called the Earls of Charlemont. Sadly, the castle was deliberately burned down in 1922.

The Story of Roxborough Castle

How Roxborough Castle Began

Roxborough Castle was first built in the 1700s. It was designed to be a very important and grand home. It was the main residence for the Earls of Charlemont, a powerful family in the area. They also had another important place nearby called Charlemont Fort.

Making the Castle Even Grander

Over the years, Roxborough Castle was changed and updated many times. In 1842, a famous architect named William Murray made big changes for the second Earl of Charlemont.

Murray added new sections, called wings, to the castle. These wings had two floors and a basement. He designed them in a simple, elegant style that looked like Italian buildings. To make the old part of the castle match, he added triangular decorations above the windows.

The main entrance was also moved to the side of one of the new wings. This new entrance had a low, covered porch. After these changes, the castle looked a lot like a fancy French château, which is a large country house or castle.

Between 1850 and 1855, a special glass room for plants, called a conservatory, was added. It was designed by Richard Turner, who was known for his work with iron.

More Updates to the Castle

In 1864, the third Earl of Charlemont decided to make even more changes. He brought some beautiful fittings and decorations from the family's home in Dublin, called Charlemont House. The architect for these new updates was William Barre.

The End of Roxborough Castle

Roxborough Castle stood for many years as a grand family home. However, in 1922, it was sadly burned down on purpose by the Irish Republican Army. This event marked the end of a long and interesting history for the castle.