The stone castle that once stood here was documented in 1593 as being held by William Clifford, though it had previously belonged to the O’Hara family, one of the region’s prominent Gaelic clans. Today, visitors to the area would find it hard to believe that a formidable fortress once commanded this spot; the castle has vanished entirely from view, leaving only whispered stories and hidden foundations beneath the soil.

The transformation of this historic site tells a familiar Irish tale of conquest, abandonment, and agricultural reclamation. Where defensive walls and towers once stood, potato gardens now flourish, and farm buildings occupy the traditional castle grounds. The current landowner reports an intriguing phenomenon: when digging in certain areas, workers occasionally strike mortared stone foundations, silent witnesses to the structure that dominated this landscape for generations. These chance encounters with buried masonry serve as the only tangible proof that Tullyhugh Castle was more than just a name on old maps.

This information comes from the Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo, compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman, Sheila Ronan, and Connie Murphy, and published by the Dublin Stationery Office in 2005. The inventory represents one of Ireland’s systematic efforts to document archaeological sites before they disappear completely from memory and record. Sites like Tullyhugh Castle remind us that Ireland’s medieval heritage often lies just beneath our feet, waiting to be rediscovered with each turn of the spade.