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At a glance
- TypeCastle - tower house
- Date or period mentioned1541
- Recorded sizeext. 12.05m x 9.05m
- StatusNational Monument
What to look for
- Wall-walk and parapet
- Bawn wall
- Gun loops
Picked out from the Archaeological Survey description below.
Visiting
- National Monument in State care, listed by the National Monuments Service as a monument to visit.NMS Monuments to Visit · official page
- May be on private land and not open to the publicNational Monuments Service advice
- Wear suitable footwear and clothingNational Monuments Service advice
- Uneven ground: not suitable for everyone, especially wheelchair usersNational Monuments Service advice
Opening times and fees change: check with the operator before you go.
About Parke's Castle
- 16th centuryThe Courtyard grounds contain evidence of an earlier 16th century Tower House structure…
- 1591The Courtyard grounds contain evidence of an earlier 16th century Tower House structure…
- early 17th centuryA restored plantation castle of the early 17th century, picturesquely situated on the…
Its history
- A restored plantation castle of the early 17th century, picturesquely situated on the shores of Lough Gill, once the home of Robert Parke and his family.
- The Courtyard grounds contain evidence of an earlier 16th century Tower House structure once owned by Sir Brian O'Rourke who subsequently was executed at Tyburn, London in 1591.
What you'll see
- Access for visitors with disabilities to ground floor.
Stories and folklore
- The Castle has been restored using Irish oak and traditional craftsmenship.
Text: National Monuments Service, Monuments to Visit (CC BY 4.0). Sentences grouped by topic by ErinSites; the wording is unchanged.
History and description
Full archaeological record 280 words
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
References
- Amended: 3 January 2020
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Compiled by Michael Moore · Updated 6 December 2012 · Based on the The Archaeological Inventory of County Leitrim' compiled by Michael J. Moore. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
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Around Parke's Castle
Other heritage nearby
- Magheraghanrush Court TombMegalithic tomb · 3.4 km
- Church Island ChurchAncient church · 3.6 km
- Creevelea FriaryAbbey or friary · 4.1 km
- Killerry ChurchAncient church · 4.5 km
- CasheloreRingfort · 6.7 km
- Tobernalt WellHoly well · 7.6 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 106 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 8 megalithic tombsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 6 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 5 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 promontory fortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 stone circlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 holy wellArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 hillfortArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 abbey or friaryArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 standing stoneArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- O'Rourke’s Table TrailWalking Trail · 0.9 km · nearest point 2.4 km
- Deerpark - Court Tomb TrailWalking Trail · 2.5 km · nearest point 2.8 km
- Clogher Beg TrailWalking Trail · 1.2 km · nearest point 2.8 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- Slish WoodForests · 5.8 km
- HazelwoodForests · 6.0 km
- Rosses Point BeachBeaches · 16 km · Excellent Quality (2025)
- Ballygilgan, Lissadell Nature ReserveNature reserves · 16 km
- SligoWalled towns · 8.9 km
- Schoolhouse at AnnaghmoreHistoric stays · 19 km
- Temple HouseHistoric stays · 23 km
Other attractions nearby
- Lough GillNatural Landscape · 3.5 km
- Creevelea AbbeyHistoric Houses and Castle · 4.1 km
- Shanakee AdventuresWalking · 4.2 km
- Adventure GentlyNature and Wildlife · 4.4 km
What's on nearby
- Broadway and Beyond2026-11-11 · 9.3 km
- Broadway and Beyond2026-11-12 · 9.3 km
- Broadway and Beyond2026-11-13 · 9.3 km