Castledonovan is a rectangular tower house built on a rock outcrop on the east bank of the River Ilen. The tower house consists of four storeys with an attic, accessed by a spiral stone stairs located in the NW corner of the structure. The tower house is partially enclosed by a bawn located to the west of the entrance. The castle was probably constructed by Domhnall na gCroiceann (of the Hides) between 1560 and 1584, and possibly on the site of an earlier structure. It was surrendered to the English government in 1592 by his son Donal II, and then regranted to him in 1616, along with other property and additional legal rights. The building was renovated in the 1620s, and a stone dated 1626 remains in a window embrasure within the castle. In 1650 the castle was attacked by Cromwellian forces. Recent archaeological excavations have shown the extent of the damage caused to the structure during this attack, with evidence that the upper floors and roof collapsed due to the fire. The remains of the castle and surrounding lands were confiscated again in 1654, but were granted to Lieutenant Nathaniel Evanson, a member of the Cromwellian army. The castle was not repaired and was never again in a habitable condition. Local information is that the SW portion of the tower house collapsed in December 1936. The site was bought in 1987 by a descendant of Domhnall na gCroiceann, and was taken into guardianship by the State in 2000. Since then, the National Monuments Service of the Office of Public Works has carried out extensive conservation work and a number of archaeological excavations have taken place since 2005.
External Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Donovan