Buncrana Castle

Buncrana Castle (DG029-025001-) is a tower house described in 1601 as a small castle inhabited by Connor McGarrett O'Doherty, it was repaired early in 1602 by Hugh Boy O'Doherty. After Sir Cahir O'Doherty's revolt in 1608 it was burnt by English forces and may have been repaired soon after. It was granted to Chichester at the time of the Plantation and he leased it to Henry Vaughan who is described in 1611 as having 'buylte at Buncrannagh viz. The castle stronglie rebuylded w'th a parapitt on the topp of it, after the English fashion; . . . lyme burnte and other pr'parations made ready for a bawne aboute the castle' (Hunter 1975, 81). The Vaughan family resided there until the present house (DG029-025002-) was built c. 70m W of the tower house in 1718 (Davies and Swan 1939, 183-5). Built in 1718 for Sir John Vaughan, large seven-bay two-storey over basement house with flanking single-bay pavilion wings, approached by an 18th-century six-arched stone-built bridge over the Crana River. There is a range of stone-built outbuildings to W of the house, and walls to the S of the house represent remains of a once fine terraced walled garden. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: : 13 April 2016