This five-storey tower house, built in 1598 by Brian McGeoghegan and his wife Catherine O’Connor, represents the final flourish of Gaelic castle building before English control tightened across Ireland. The castle’s Latin inscription from 1809 commemorates its original construction, whilst its impressive dimensions of 12.3m by 9.5m showcase the wealth and status of the McGeoghegan clan, who had long controlled this part of the Irish midlands.

The castle’s architectural details reveal both defensive necessity and surprising artistry. Its entrance features geometric patterns carved into the jambs, along with stone heads depicting a king and bishop; symbols that likely referenced both secular and religious authority. The original iron yett (gate) remains in place, complete with decorative tracery at its top. Inside, the third storey contains a fireplace and latrine, whilst the upper floors feature delicate lancet windows with carved spandrels. Strategic gunloops and angle loops provided defensive positions, including one accessed from the staircase in the south corner, reminding visitors that this was as much a fortress as it was a residence.

The castle’s history took a dark turn during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. In 1650, Parliamentarian forces under John Reynolds captured Donore, executing James McGeoghegan and his garrison of forty to fifty men; a brutal end to the castle’s role as a centre of Irish Catholic resistance. The Down Survey of 1654-56 noted it was still garrisoned at that time, having passed from the ownership of Conly McKeadagh Geoghagan, listed as an ‘Irish papist’ in 1640. Remarkably, despite having no proper road access, Donore Castle remained occupied until the mid-20th century, though it now stands as an evocative ruin in the Westmeath landscape.