Gatehouse, Drumdoe, Co. Roscommon
On the eastern shore of Lough Arrow, just 30 metres from the water's edge, stand the remains of a castle that once belonged to Mac Dermot Roe.
Gatehouse, Drumdoe, Co. Roscommon
This fortification consists of a bawn, essentially a defensive courtyard wall, though its western side has long since disappeared. The most substantial surviving feature is a three-storey house tucked into the southeastern corner of the enclosure, its stone walls still reaching skyward after centuries of weathering.
The southern wall of the bawn contains the remnants of a gatehouse near its western end. This two-storey structure measures roughly 3.4 metres north to south and 3.1 metres east to west internally, with sizeable openings at ground level on both the north and south sides; the northern entrance spans 2.2 metres wide. A single gun-loop survives, a reminder of the defensive considerations that shaped this building. The gatehouse would have controlled access to the castle complex, serving as both a practical entrance and a first line of defence.
About 115 metres south-southwest of the castle lies what appears to be a motte, an artificial earthen mound that may predate the stone fortifications. This suggests the site had strategic importance long before the Mac Dermot Roe family built their castle here. The proximity to Lough Arrow would have provided both a natural barrier and a vital resource, whilst offering commanding views across the water; a practical choice for any medieval lord seeking to control this part of County Roscommon.