Local folklore tells of a tunnel connecting the two but no evidence for this has been found. The castle was regarded as one of the finest Gaelic castles in Ireland. This was indicated by a report by the visiting English Viceroy, the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir Henry Sidney, in , in a letter to William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, the Lord High Treasurer, describing it as "the largest and strongest fortress in all Ireland", adding "it is the greatest I ever saw in an Irishman's hands: and would appear to be in good keeping; one of the fairest situated in good soil and so nigh a portable water a boat of ten tonnes could come within ten yards of it".
In the castle and its lands were granted to an English Captain, Basil Brooke. The keep had been severely damaged by the departing O'Donnells to prevent the castle being used against the Gaelic clans but was quickly restored by its new owners. Brooke also added windows, a gable and a large manor-house wing to the keep, all in the Jacobean style. The English monarchy quickly handed Donegal Castle over to Captain Basil Brooke as a reward for fighting for the crown in the war, and as part of a plan to colonize Ireland known as the Plantation of Ulster.
The Brooke family restored and expanded the castle and lived on the grounds until Unfortunately, the next owners allowed Donegal Castle to fall into disrepair and it sat in a ruinous state until it was handed over to the Office of Public works at the end of the s. Restoration work on Donegal Castle did not begin until the s. The partial reconstruction has been carefully carried out to maintain the historical look of the buildings, and has largely added new roofs and restored some rooms.
The most distinguishing feature of Donegal Castle is the tower house — the tallest part of the building complex. It is likely original, but the Brooke family expanded the tower and added windows and turrets when they lived here in the s. The Brooks also constructed the English Manor House directly below the tower in It has beautiful Gothic doors which were reserved for servants on the ground floor, and much more elaborate entrances on the second floor.
The elegant stone building is built near the mouth of Donegal Bay, nestled into a bend of the River Eske. Donegal Castle truly an unmissable stop whenever you are passing through town. It is open every day from 10 a. Donegal Castle has pride of place in the centre of Donegal town. Donegal County is situated on the wild North West coast of Ireland.
Donegal Castle is a multiphase Castle dating from the 15th century. The majority of the stonework used in the construction of the castle was sourced locally and is mainly limestone. The castle consists of a 15th-century rectangular keep with a later Jacobean style wing. The complex is sited on a bend in the River Eske, near the mouth of Donegal Bay, and is surrounded by a 17th-century boundary wall.
There is a small gatehouse at its entrance mirroring the design of the keep. Most of the stonework consists of locally sourced limestone with some sandstone. It is sometimes referred to as the Fort of the Foreigner, possibly because of a Viking fortress in the area that was destroyed in
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