Donegal Castle
Donegal Castle was once the home of the O’Donnell family and then later the Brooke family.. The O’Donnell clan was one of the most powerful Gaelic families in Ireland from the 5th century to the 16th century. The castle was built by Sir Hugh O’Donnell in 1474 and is now known as one of the finest Gaelic castles in Ireland. In 1607, the O’Donnell clan left Ireland in the Flight of the Earls and had intentions to destroy the castle so that the English could not use it against the Gaelic; however, before they had time to completely destroy it, the castle was granted to the Brooke’s, an English family. In 1611, the castle officially belonged to the Brooke family and they quickly restored it. The castle was, indeed, used as a base to attack the Irish. The castle stayed in the Brooke family until the 18th century, when Cromwell invaded. Later, in 1898, the castle was given to the Office of Private Works.
The structure of the castle is currently partly renovated/furnished and is partly still in ruins. The restoration took place in the 1990’s after being in total ruins for about two centuries. The castle was originally built in the 15th century as a rectangular shaped center with a Jacobean style wing. There are many architectural techniques that were built into the castle as a defensive mechanism, such as the trip stairwell. The trip stairwell is made up of steps with different widths that would cause invaders to trip over. Also, the stairs were built curving to the right-hand side because the O’Donnell’s were all right-handed; they would have the advantage while sword-fighting any invaders in the stairwell. When the Brooke family took over, they made improvements to the castle when they renovated it. They added windows, a gable and a large manor-house wing all in a Jacobean style.
The location of the site was strategically placed on a bend in the River Eske, near Donegal Bay. A boundary wall that was built in the 17th century encompasses the castle. The location was chosen as a defensive mechanism that was later used by the English against the Gaelic even though the O’Donnell’s created the original strategy.
The historical significance of the Donegal Castle has played the role of both sides of the story. First, while the O’Donnell clan was the residence, the building stood as a fortress for the Gaelic and symbolized power to the Gaelic community. This drastically changed when the English family took over and the building, then symbolized terror for those same Gaelic people that once saw the castle as a fortress. The change of roles that the castle has had to Ireland very distinctly shows how quickly something can change in Irish history. Today, Irish people view this castle as the O’Donnell Castle because he built it; however, an English person might think of this castle as the Brooke Castle since they were the last to have owned it. The perspective changes the significance. The Irish can look back to all the great things the O’Donnell family did for Ireland and appreciate their loyalty to their country. In Irish culture, there is much pride in loyalty.
As it was said previously, the Office of Private Works now owns the Donegal Castle and renovated it about 20 years ago. The structure has new roofing and flooring; however, the renovation is as close to how it would have been built in the 15th century. The castle is now open to the public and is a main tourism spot for the town of Donegal. It also is used for events, such as, Gaelic cultural evenings. The castle stands as a symbol of the powerful dynasties of Ulster. The castle tells two very distinct stories by the way the house was originally built by traditional Irishmen and then remodeled by a different family in a different time period with different power.
Personally, this site has helped me have a better understanding of the battle between the Irish and the English in history. I also see that there is always more than one perspective to each story in history. As an outsider, the way I view the story depends on who tells the story. I have also appreciated all the things that the architecture of the castle has told us. It has told us about each of the families that lived there, their culture, defensive mechanisms, and the style of living from each of their time periods.
The structure of the castle is currently partly renovated/furnished and is partly still in ruins. The restoration took place in the 1990’s after being in total ruins for about two centuries. The castle was originally built in the 15th century as a rectangular shaped center with a Jacobean style wing. There are many architectural techniques that were built into the castle as a defensive mechanism, such as the trip stairwell. The trip stairwell is made up of steps with different widths that would cause invaders to trip over. Also, the stairs were built curving to the right-hand side because the O’Donnell’s were all right-handed; they would have the advantage while sword-fighting any invaders in the stairwell. When the Brooke family took over, they made improvements to the castle when they renovated it. They added windows, a gable and a large manor-house wing all in a Jacobean style.
The location of the site was strategically placed on a bend in the River Eske, near Donegal Bay. A boundary wall that was built in the 17th century encompasses the castle. The location was chosen as a defensive mechanism that was later used by the English against the Gaelic even though the O’Donnell’s created the original strategy.
The historical significance of the Donegal Castle has played the role of both sides of the story. First, while the O’Donnell clan was the residence, the building stood as a fortress for the Gaelic and symbolized power to the Gaelic community. This drastically changed when the English family took over and the building, then symbolized terror for those same Gaelic people that once saw the castle as a fortress. The change of roles that the castle has had to Ireland very distinctly shows how quickly something can change in Irish history. Today, Irish people view this castle as the O’Donnell Castle because he built it; however, an English person might think of this castle as the Brooke Castle since they were the last to have owned it. The perspective changes the significance. The Irish can look back to all the great things the O’Donnell family did for Ireland and appreciate their loyalty to their country. In Irish culture, there is much pride in loyalty.
As it was said previously, the Office of Private Works now owns the Donegal Castle and renovated it about 20 years ago. The structure has new roofing and flooring; however, the renovation is as close to how it would have been built in the 15th century. The castle is now open to the public and is a main tourism spot for the town of Donegal. It also is used for events, such as, Gaelic cultural evenings. The castle stands as a symbol of the powerful dynasties of Ulster. The castle tells two very distinct stories by the way the house was originally built by traditional Irishmen and then remodeled by a different family in a different time period with different power.
Personally, this site has helped me have a better understanding of the battle between the Irish and the English in history. I also see that there is always more than one perspective to each story in history. As an outsider, the way I view the story depends on who tells the story. I have also appreciated all the things that the architecture of the castle has told us. It has told us about each of the families that lived there, their culture, defensive mechanisms, and the style of living from each of their time periods.