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BALLINTOBER, COUNTY ROSCOMMON

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A large moated castle with a central courtyard, or bawn, of 1.5 acres, Ballintober dates from around 1290. It was built on an imposing scale, with enormous corner towers and small projecting turrets. It is thought the builder was William de Burgo, and that the castle’s large area was intended to permit an Anglo-Norman settlement within its walls but, within a few decades of being built, Ballintober came into the possession of the O’Connor clan and was the seat of the O’Connor Don until 1652. In 1598, the castle was taken by Red Hugh O’Donnell, who used cannons to bombard it and forced Hugh O’Connor Don to renounce his allegiance to the Crown. In 1641, it became a centre of Catholic resistance and it was confiscated in 1652. The castle and lands were restored to the O’Connors in 1677 and they remained there until 1701, when the castle was abandoned and fell into ruin.