Castle

Built on the S side of crannóg (LE002-01401-), which is located c. 100m off the S shore of Lough Melvin close to Rosclogher church (LE002-015001-), which is c. 120m to the S. This is a castle of the McClancy clan which was visited by Captain de Cuellar, a survivor of the Armada, in 1588 (O'Reilly 1893), who provides a detailed account of life in the tower house. The castle is a rectangular masonry structure (int. dims 7.5m N-S; 6.55m E-W) of which only the W and S walls survive (max. H c. 9m at S) with dressed quoins. It had at least three storeys, and is now badly obscured with ivy. Architectural features do not survive and only fragments of window opes, a doorway and a mural passage are visible. An E-W internal division was inserted as a secondary feature at ground floor level. There is a low wall 3.15m from the W wall, with gun-loops facing the shore, which Captain de Cuellar built. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Leitrim' compiled by Michael J. Moore (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2003). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 September 2008

The castle at Lough Melvin was held by the McClancy clan, who were prominent in the area during the medieval period. It is remembered as part of the broader network of defensive and ecclesiastical sites in the region, reflecting the clan's influence and the strategic importance of Lough Melvin.