What is recorded here

Castle Kilmore stands on the north shore of Lough Gill, where O’Rourke’s Newtown once lived and Brain na Murtha O’Rourke destroyed it in 1581 rather than lose it to an enemy. The surviving bawn, gatehouse, corner towers and moat suggest a place built to be seen, defended and inhabited, not merely forgotten. Parke’s later house reused that old frame, turning a lost residence into a continuing landmark on the lake’s edge.

Situated on the N shore of Lough Gill. Annalistic references to O’Rourke’s Baile Nua – Newtown – date from 1541, and in 1581 Brain na Murtha O’Rourke destroyed the Newtown himself to prevent it falling to an enemy (McDermott 2019, 113). This reference described it as O'Rourke’s usual residence. The foundations of a tower house (ext. dims. 12.05m x 9.05m) were recovered in excavations by Claire Foley (1972; 1973; 1974). The tower house was within a subrectangular bawn (max. int. dims 36m E-W; 26m N-S at W; c. 38m N-S at E) defined by a masonry wall (T c. 1.4m) which survives almost complete (H c. 5m plus) with its original wall-walk and crenellations with gun loops. (Foley and Donnelly 2000, 58-65) The bawn has a two-storey gatehouse (ext. dims 8.5m N-S; 7.7m E-W) at the centre of the E side with an entrance passage (Wth 2m; H 3.3m). There are circular corner-towers at the NW (ext. diam. c. 4m) and NE (ext. diam. c. 5.5m) angles, smaller corner-turrets at the SW and SE angles, and an outer moat (Wth 8m; D 2m) on the W, N and E sides, while the S wall backs on to the lake. The foundations of rectangular outbuildings were found against the E, S and W walls. In the early seventeenth century, Captain Parke built a fortified house (LE010-03702-) on the site incorporating the bawn and gatehouse. The base of the tower house is conserved as a part of the Parke’s Castle National Monument, which is usually open to visitors April to October for a modest fee; see this web-page accessed on 03/01/2020 http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/north-west/parkescastle/ This is a National Monument in state ownership: No. 390 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. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 6 December 2012 Amended: 3 January 2020

Built by the O’Rourke clan, likely in the 16th century, Castle Kilmore was strategically located on the northern shore of Lough Gill. It is remembered for its role in local Gaelic resistance, particularly when Brian na Múirthi O’Rourke destroyed Newtown (Baile Nua) in 1581 to prevent its capture by English forces.

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