Donegal Castle

Right in the heart of Donegal is this charming castle full of history. Do try to take the walking tour because the guide will have more information than the self-​guided sheets you can get when you purchase your ticket to go inside the grounds. Even though the castle is not very big it still has impressive fireplaces, a hidden stairwell, and plenty of history including the many owners and how they changed the appearance of the castle to keep you entertained when you spend some time in this fantastic piece of history.

Pretty cool castle, but not what you think of when the word pops into your head. We caught the end of a tour of the castle, which was very good and there are plenty of photo opportunities to be found here.

A smallish, yet majestic, well restored, beautifully presented castle in Donegal Town. Gina H’s review covers the history, so I won’t recap. I liked the friendly OPW lady’s service at the door (I have to say, the OPW and their staff I have found to be always excellent). They have resisted the temptation to turn this into a singing dancing roadshow with films and interactive rubbish and the like. Instead you get a traditional restoration job, plenty of clear, well written information panels, and some interesting furnishings, tapestries and art work. My only gripe is that they had run out of the photocopied info leaflets in English when I visited. Still a cracker of a castle though, and the town-​centre location makes it even more special.

In my opinion, no visit to Donegal is complete without a visit to Donegal Castle if only because it is steeped in history.
Built on the foundations of what was originally thought a Viking fortress, the original Donegal Castle was built in 1505 by Sir Hugh O’Donnell, Sr., a wealthy chief of the O’Donnell clan, At the time, the castle was regarded as one of the finest Gaelic castles in Ireland.
The castle was severly destroyed after the Nine Years War by the departing O’Donnell Clan to prevent the castle being used against the remaining Gaelic clans. In 1611 the castle and its lands were granted to an English Captain, Basil Brooke. Brooke renovated the castle and also added windows, a gable and a large manor-​house wing to the keep, all in the Jacobean style. The Brooke family owned the castle for many generations until it fell into a ruins. In 1898 the then owner, the Earl of Arran, donated the castle to the Office of Public Works.
When I was a kid and going to stay with my aunty in Donegal Town. sometimes we would take wee trips to the Castle to have a look through the gate but there was never much to see, only the walls and the graveled ground.
But now the castle has been restored and opened to the public. The keep has had new roofing and flooring added, in keeping with the original styles and techniques used in the 15^th and 17^th centuries. The stone work has been restored and the manor wing has been partially roofed. The oak timbers used came from the Brookeborough Estate in County Fermanagh. The castle is now open to the public and often hosts events like Gaelic cultural evenings.
Head across the street after your visit, to the Castle Bar for a wee pint or two to slake your thirst.

This tiny castle is worth a visit if only to marvel at how good the renovations have been. There is very little truly original parts of the structure left, but it provides an interesting snapshot of the history of Donegal. Built originally in the 15^th century, extended in the 17^th and renovated in the 20^th, go and spend an hour looking around.

Yeah, Its beautifully up there.
The castle is worth a look but the whole town is great to walk around (especially in summer).

Built in 1474, this castle remain an imperious monument to both Irish and Enlish might.
It was built by the O’Donell family and served as the seat of their great power until 1607, when the English decided to get rid of Irish chieftains. Even in defeat, Rory O’Donnell was no push over, and set fire to the castle before fleeing to France in the infamous Flight of the Earls.
Their defeat led to the Plantation of Ulster by thousands of newsly arrived Scots and English Protestants. The beginning of the ‘Troubles’.
The castle was rebuilt in 1623 by Sir Basil Brooke, together with the adjacent three storey Jacobean house. Much of the Castle is gutted today, but it’s still worth a look around.
There is fishing in the Eske, just by the Castle and as Donegal city is closeby, it is a great place to stay and explore other historical places.
Donegal is romanticly beautiful, moody, misty at times and with much left untouched.
Love it!