What is recorded here

Bishop John Leslie demolished the Raphoe round tower in 1636 to build his palace, burying its ancient stones beneath newer walls. The church and town later rose around that hidden foundation, forcing everyone to walk past a ghost they could not see. Leslie wanted a grand home, but he also erased the local landmark that marked Raphoe for centuries.

There was formerly a round tower at Raphoe. It was demolished by Bishop John Leslie when he built his palace in 1636-7 (Wood 1937, 304-5). It can be inferred from a reference to it in John Lynch's De Praesulibus Hibernicis (O'Doherty, ed. I, 1944, 243) that the bishop's palace occupies the site of this tower (Ó Gallachair 1973, 323 also Barrow 1979, 74-75). The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated. Date of upload: 22 September 2008

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