Dungannon Castle

Dungannon Castle stands as ruins on Castle Hill in County Tyrone, the former stronghold of the O'Neill dynasty who ruled much of Ulster until the early 1600s. Hugh O'Neill burned the castle in 1602 as English forces closed in, marking the collapse of Gaelic power and the beginning of the Plantation of Ulster. The hill still dominates the countryside, offering views across seven counties, while the empty foundations remind visitors that empires rise and fall on the backs of the people who build them.