Donoure Castle (in Ruins)

A long promontory extends into the sea north of Galley Head. A stump of masonry, on the seaward side immediately inside the narrow neck, marks the site of a castle; on the W side are sod-covered foundations. According to Westropp (1914, 105), the castle is "attributed to the O'Cowhig, but more likely built by the Barrys". The location of the castle on the promontory suggested that it may have been built on the site of a promontory fort. However, no visible traces of earlier defences were noted. On the landward side Casey (2003, 57) noted some undulations, which were reminiscent of the remains of enclosing banks but the evidence is insufficient to warrant accepting this as the remains of a promontory fort. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Updated by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 25 May 2015

Donoure Castle was likely built in the 15th or 16th century by an Anglo-Irish family to control the strategic coastal approach to West Cork. It is remembered for its dramatic location on a seaward promontory and as an example of late medieval defensive architecture in a remote and vulnerable frontier region.