Ruined castle in County Donegal, Ireland
Mongavlin Castle
also known as Mongevlin Castle
[2]
is a ruined castle on the west bank of the
River Foyle
, approx 3 km south of
St Johnston
,
County Donegal
,
Ireland
. It was once a stronghold of the
O'Donnell's
, Lords of Tyrconnell.
History
[
edit
]
In the sixteenth century Mongevlin was the chief residence of
Inion Dubh
, who was the daughter of
James MacDonald, 6th of Dunnyveg
, and mother of
Red Hugh O'Donnell
.
The State Paper recording her possession of the castle:
"From Cul-Mac-Tryan runs a bogg three myles in length to the side of Lough Foyle in the midst of the bog is a standing loughe called Bunaber here at Bunaber dwells O'Donnell's mother (Ineen Dubh M'Donnell). Three miles above Cargan stands a fort called McGevyvelin (Mongivlin) upon the river of
Lough Foyle
O'Donnell's mother's chief house."
When Ineen Dubh came to Ireland to marry
Aodh mac Maghnusa O Domhnaill
(Anglicized: Sir Hugh O'Donnell), she brought a force of 100 of the biggest men she could find in Scotland. These soldiers were her bodyguards, 80 of these were of the name
Crawford
. When the
O’Donnell's
eventually abandoned Mongavlin the Crawford's settled and married in the locality. Many of their descendants can still be found in the area to this day.
[
citation needed
]
In April 1608 following the
Flight of the Earls
(14 September 1607), Sir
Cahir O'Doherty
the last Gaelic Lord of Inishowen and rebel leader lays siege to the City of
Derry
. He had been angered that his lands had been confiscated for the plantation of Ulster. While Sir Cahir was trying to capture Derry he sent Sir
Niall Garve O'Donnell
to
Lifford
castle to repel any attempt by the English to send reinforcements to Derry by the river crossing at Lifford. Niall Garve being greedy wanted to be close to the action and have a chance of getting a good share of the spoils when Derry would be sacked. He instead of going to Lifford went to Mongavlin Castle and evicted Ineen Dubh. Here he began plundering the local area and on hearing the news of Niall Garve's actions, Sir Cahir in turn evicted Niall Garve and reinstated Ineen Dubh in Mongavlin. Sir Cahir eventually
sacks and burns Derry
killing the Governor, Sir
George Paulet
in the process. Shortly after this the castle was abandoned due to the in-fighting of the O’Donnell clan.
[
citation needed
]
The present ruin was built by Sir
John Stewart of Methven
, an illegitimate son of the
Duke of Lennox
, who was also governor of
Dumbarton Castle
until he was convicted of cruelty and adultery. The castle was recorded by Captain Nicholas Pynnar in his Survey of the Escheated Counties of Ulster in 1619 where he wrote that Sir John Stewart had built a very strong castle at ‘Magerlin’ with a flanker at each corner. There had been a flag stone over the archway with the inscription 'J.S.-E.S.T.-1619' which went missing in the early eighteenth century. Though the account that the castle had been completed in 1619 is contradicted by a later Survey (in 1622) of the Escheated Counties of
Ulster
that reads; Sir John Stuart, assignee of the
Duke of Lennox
‘has built a castle of lime and stone on the banks of the River Foyle 50’ x 25’ x
3
+
1
⁄
2
stories, slated, with 4 flankers at the top thereof. And an iron door portcullis wise; the principal timber and joists of the floor being oak are laid but not boarded or the partitions made, the iron grates for the windows being within the castle ready to be set up’.
[3]
Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox
was granted Mongevlin Castle and lands of 1,000 acres by royal patent on 23 July 1610.
[4]
On the death of Ludovic on 16 February 1624 the title of
Duke of Lennox
and the castle and lands at Mongavlin passed to his brother
Esme (3rd Duke of Lennox)
. Esme married
Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton
in 1609 and they had eleven children. After the death of Esme in August 1624, Katherine then married
James Hamilton (2nd Earl of Abercorn)
circa 1632.
James Hamilton
, 6th
Earl of Abercorn
, and
Viscount Strabane
erected a plaque in memory of his mother, The Hon. Elizabeth Hamilton in 1704.
James II of England
visited here on his way to the
siege of Derry
in 1690. From here he sent a letter proposing surrender, it was rejected.
[2]
The castle is now in ruins with only a small portion of it left standing.
References
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Notes
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Sources
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External links
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