What is recorded here

Clooneen bawn stands on a slight rise above the Owenbeg, its western wall still reaching three floors while the rest has surrendered to modern rebuilding. Sir Frederick Hamilton claimed thousands of acres here and built a castle that resisted Irish rebels in 1642 before Clanrickard burnt it in 1652. The courtyard still hides a cobbled surface and basement, waiting for someone to remember what the stones forgot.

Situated on a slight rise about 200m NW of the original extent of Manorhamilton town (LE007-085----) and separated from it by a NE-SW section of the Owenbeg River. Sir Frederick Hamilton received a grant of over 5000 acres in 1621-2 which he proceeded to increase, and by 1631 had over 16,000 acres (Mac an Ghalloglaigh 1966, 59-60). He had undertaken to build a castle, which was probably not finished until 1636. In Jan. 1642 Manorhamilton was besieged by Irish rebels, who encamped at Lugranboy under leaders such as Brian McDonogh and Owen O'Rourke or Teige O'Conor, Sligo. On 30th Jan. they burnt the town but didn't capture the castle, and they lifted the siege on Apr. 3rd (ibid.72-5). In the following year Hamilton used the castle as a base for raids as far afield as Sligo and Donegal. Hamilton left Ireland in 1643-4 and died in Scotland in 1647, but the castle seems to have survived until it was burnt by the earl of Clanrickard in 1652 (ibid. 97). The house (LE007-079001-) is within the N part of a bawn (int. dims 59m N-S; 37m E-W) defined by a reconstructed wall at W and remnants of the N end of the E wall. The interior is flush with the surviving top of the S wall (ext. H c. 4m), but there is evidence of corner towers only at SW where the W wall survives to three floors, and at SE where the foundations of a tower are visible. Elsewhere the bawn is defined by more modern walls, but there is no indication of where the original entrance may have been. Archaeological testing in the vicinity of the castle and bawn has failed to produce any related material, but an excavation (06E0586) inside the bawn has produced evidence of a cobbled surface in the courtyard and evidence of a basement within the castle (MacManus 2009). (Faughnan 1943, file no. 142; Stalley 1991, 74-5) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 26 January, 2016

Sir Frederick Hamilton held Clooneen Castle in the 17th century following his grant of over 5,000 acres in the area. The castle is remembered as part of the historical expansion of Manorhamilton and the Hamilton family's influence in the region.

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