The Ordnance Survey’s 6-inch map marks this area as McSwyne’s Castle, spreading the placename across a broad expanse of rocky outcrop in what is now grazing land. According to local lore recorded in 1943, the castle supposedly stood on a large rock behind Stewart’s house, where an elevated platform of natural stone offered a commanding view of the surrounding countryside.

The mystery of the castle’s exact location has persisted through generations. When surveyed in the mid-20th century, a local woman, Miss Stewart, pointed out the elevated rock platform she knew as the site of “Castle Suibhe”, though she noted that even in her grandfather’s lifetime, no visible remains of any structure existed. The rocky terrain itself, with its natural defensive qualities and strategic position, certainly would have made an ideal location for a medieval stronghold, lending credence to the persistent oral tradition.

Archaeological testing in 2007, conducted as part of planning requirements for new development at nearby Sandhill, revealed that much of the area had been quarried in the past, with any potential archaeological evidence likely destroyed during that process. The investigation found only dumped material overlying bedrock, suggesting that if McSwyne’s Castle did exist at this location, its remains were removed long ago. Historical maps provide no definitive evidence of a castle structure here either, leaving only the enduring local memory of a Mac Swyne fortress that once watched over this corner of Donegal.