Originally a tower house inhabited by Connor McGarrett O’Doherty in 1601, the castle underwent repairs by Hugh Boy O’Doherty the following year. However, its fortunes took a dramatic turn during Sir Cahir O’Doherty’s revolt in 1608, when English forces burnt the structure to the ground. The castle’s strategic importance ensured it wouldn’t remain in ruins for long; it was granted to Chichester during the Plantation of Ulster and subsequently leased to Henry Vaughan, who by 1611 had strongly rebuilt the castle with an English-style parapet crowning its top, complete with preparations for a defensive bawn.

The Vaughan family made the tower house their residence until 1718, when Sir John Vaughan commissioned an impressive new house approximately 70 metres west of the original castle. This Georgian mansion, built on a grand scale, features seven bays across two storeys over a basement, with elegant single-bay pavilion wings flanking the main structure. Visitors approaching the house cross an 18th-century stone bridge with six graceful arches spanning the Crana River, a fitting introduction to the estate’s architectural splendour.

Today, the estate at Tullyarvan presents a fascinating architectural ensemble that spans centuries. Stone-built outbuildings stretch to the west of the main house, whilst to the south, remnant walls hint at what were once magnificent terraced walled gardens. These surviving structures, from medieval tower house to Georgian mansion, offer a unique window into how Ireland’s landed families adapted to changing political landscapes whilst maintaining their grip on power and prestige through successive eras.