468:"A week or so after Easter, Sir Fredrick, with a party of horse and foot, burned some villages and killed a number of rebels two miles from Sligo town. He returned home via Newtown Castle and village, which he noticed had not been attacked at all by the insurgents. He was then informed that the rebels' cows had been allowed to graze right up to the bawn walls of the castle, without any interference by Robert Parke and his sixty-strong garrison, even while Manorhamilton was blockaded. Moreover, the Irish apparently passed freely by Parke's castle, with provisions from Sligo town, on their way to their camp at Cornastauk. So Hamilton decided there and then to burn Newtown village, which 'so long had relieved and sheltered the rogues', and to put some of the inhabitants to the sword. As for Parke himself, he would be made to answer for his collusion with the rebels on another occasion."
420:
503:
550:
52:
313:". A roughly circular rock-cut ditch with an opening to the east is probably the oldest feature of the site, and may predate the tower house by some time. The material excavated from the moat provided limestone to build a pentagonal bawn wall within the enclosure. More building materials for both Duroy Castle and Newtown Castle would have been quarried in Cartron Glen close by. The tower house probably dates from 1450 to 1500, and was one of several residences belonging to the ruler of
32:
482:
Newtown garrison to accompany
Hamilton on a dawn raid on Sligo town. Hamilton boasted that 300 rebels were put to the sword and the town burned during the raid. Parke was taken to Manorhamilton where Hamilton kept him prisoner for 18 months in his castle, ignoring a number of directives from the government to release the MP. When a year-long truce was declared, Parke was eventually released while Hamilton was away in
428:
defensive towers constructed on the north corners of the bawn wall. A pair of sentry turrets and a sally port, or water gate were added to the south wall. The height of the bawn walls were increased, and gun loops were added along the tops of the walls. Parke, having demolished the earlier tower house, had the interior of the bawn paved with cobbles, which removed any traces of the earlier Gaelic castle.
1103:
474:
463:) in 1635, was outraged by Parke's behaviour and lack of vigour in suppressing the rebellion. Hamilton, who was keen to crush the remnants of the O'Rourke's, had been besieged on a number of occasions in his own castle. Observing that Parke seemed to be under no threat and indeed was possibly collaborating with the Irish, Hamilton burned the village at Newtown in the spring of 1642.
416:. Robert and William Parke, natives of Kent, were related to Roger Jones, a well-connected business man, and Jones brought his young nephews with him to Sligo in 1606. Robert Parke had acquired the site of O'Rourke's castle at Newtown and 1000 acres of land by November 1628. William came into possession of the O'Rourke castle at Dromahair around the same time.
59:
518:. They had three children; Ann, Robert and Maggie. Robert Parke died in the autumn of 1671. His wife Ann is not mentioned anywhere else in the historical record after his death, so it is unclear how she spent the remainder of her life. Their eldest daughter, also called Ann, was the only surviving child of Robert and Ann Parke. She married
493:
on 10 July 1649. It is not clear whether Robert Parke was resident in
Newtown Castle at that time. In May 1652, Irish Royalist forces attacked, looted and burned the castle in Manorhamilton, effectively destroying its use as a fortification. Parke's Castle, occupied by Irish Royalists led by Donough
481:
Hamilton returned to Parke's residence, arriving at midnight on 1 July 1642. When the reluctant Parke finally admitted
Hamilton to the castle, he was ordered to assemble his garrison in the courtyard. Hamilton then arrested Parke in front of his own soldiers, and forced him and a contingent of the
427:
Robert Parke demolished the remains of O'Rourke's tower house at
Newtown, recycling the stones to build the gate tower around 1630 followed by the manor house, which appears to have been completed by 1635. The earlier ditch surrounding the site was filled in with rubble, and Parke had a pair of
407:
took place in the 1620, with half the county used to pay soldiers for the service during the Nine Years' War, when many large grants were made to favourite courtiers of King James I. The land at
Newtown was initially granted to Sir William Irving, a member of the
609:) and 11 km (7 miles) from Sligo. The restored castle is managed by the OPW, and is open to the public on a seasonal basis. The castle is open from late March to November in 2021. An admission fee is charged to visit, and guided tours are available.
260:
Whilst there are no records as to when the Gore family had left the castle, it was depicted on a drawing by Sir Thomas
Cocking from 1791. The illustration shows the castle as being in a ruinous state. It remained uninhabited for almost three centuries.
625:
clan. The ruins of Castle Duroy sit on a small peninsula which juts out into Lough Gill. Very little of this castle now remains above ground. The site of Castle Duroy is on the northern shore of Lough Gill, just off the main Sligo to
Dromahair road (the
431:
Parke appears to have prospered at
Newtown, acquiring more land by the end of the 1630s, and having enough resources to lend money to other settlers. He employed many Irish workers on his lands, and kept a harper, Dermond O'Farry in his residence.
568:
were a spacious pentagonal defensive area, with the O'Rourke tower house placed in the centre of the courtyard. The stones of O’Rourke's tower were used to build the three-storey manor on the eastern side, eventually adorned with
529:
The manor house was uninhabited for two centuries while the bawn was used as a farmyard and stables by local people. The site came into State ownership in 1935 and was used as a storage depot by the Office of Public Works.
394:
in the winter of 1602. O'Sullivan arrived with only thirty followers; nearly 1,000 of his kingdom's men, women and children had died on the journey. Little is known of any activities at
Newtown Castle during this period.
440:
Robert Parke, who became MP for
Roscommon in 1641, was considered to be a man of standing, importance and influence in the north Connaught region. However, he had a difficult time during the Rebellion which broke out in
1158:
279:
and a number of other structures within the bawn. The excavations also yielded various objects from the 19th century, indicating reuse of the site. It was later revealed that the
561:. The window glazing was reinstated, and local artisans restored the spiral timber stair and the mortise and tenon oak roof, using carpentry techniques of the 17th century.
494:
O'Hart, was surrendered to Confederate forces led by Charles Coote on 3 June 1652; it seems certain that from this time on Parke was back resident in his castle at Newtown.
506:
The Family Room in Parke's Castle, showing models of Robert Parke, his wife Ann, and his two younger children, Robert and Maggie, who were drowned in Lough Gill in 1677.
309:(New Town or Newtown) in 1546, when "great treachery was practiced by the sons of Alexander MacCabe against O'Ruairc in his own Town i.e. Baile Nua, his castle in the
546:. The site was excavated between 1971 and 1975, revealing the foundations of a number of buildings within the bawn walls, the well and the enclosing rock-cut ditch.
1138:
1153:
936:
1119:
271:
Archaeological excavations, directed by Claire Foley, were conducted between 1971 and 1975. The excavations revealed the foundations of the O'Rourke (
553:
The refurbished Banquet Hall in Parke's Castle. The floors and ceilings were restored with native Irish oak using 17th century carpentry techniques.
490:
1168:
332:
and Leitrim at this time. O'Rourke was knighted in 1585 but continued to defy the Crown, sheltering at least eighty Spanish sailors who had been
113:
798:
286:
The site was restored between 1980 and 1988, and the site has been open to the public as a visitor centre, on a seasonal basis, since 1990.
538:
In 1971, while installing a toilet in the building, a ditch was dug through the courtyard which revealed the base of the original O'Rourke
51:
257:
After Robert Parke died in 1671, the castle passed to the Gore family. The castle was then abandoned by the middle of the 18th century.
1115:
409:
1163:
1143:
860:
486:. During the twenty-one months of the rebellion, at least 150 refugees were living at Parke's Castle (also known as Newtown Castle).
1148:
929:
828:
758:
382:, inherited his title and continued his father's struggle against English invasion. O'Rourke harboured many Irish lords during the
647:
328:, O'Rourke damaged or "slighted" Newtown Castle in 1581 to make it unusable by the English. He also demolished his castles at
581:
entrance leading into the enclosure. Inside the courtyard are many stone work buildings and a covered well. There is also a
339:
Accused of high treason, O'Rourke was attacked in Breifne from three directions. He fled his territory, travelling first to
445:
in the autumn of 1641, when he attempted to remain neutral and carry on as normal, hoping the uprising would soon be over.
1082:
387:
922:
448:
383:
106:
246:. The castle and bawn had been purchased by Captain Robert Parke in the 1630s. He had been granted some of the former
184:
372:
333:
1042:
577:
guarding the north side of the bawn forms one end of the manor. The other end has the gate building with an
1017:
558:
265:
251:
712:
709:
Parke’s Castle, Co. Leitrim: archaeology, history and architecture. (Archaeological monograph series; 7)
557:
The castle had extensive and sensitive restoration carried out between 1980 and 1988, undertaken by the
489:
Parke's Castle (or Newtown Castle) was held by Parliamentarian forces, who surrendered the building to
379:
367:, who refused to give him an audience. O'Rourke was extradited to London, where, after a period in the
301:
419:
982:
627:
606:
352:
310:
99:
791:
Captain Francisco de Cuéllar: The Armada, Ireland, and the Wars of the Spanish Monarchy, 1578–1606
423:
The milestone on the road by Parke's Castle, indicating 7 miles to Sligo and 5 miles to Dromahair.
283:
had been used as a farmyard and stables by local residents right up until the early 20th century.
992:
1067:
1032:
967:
856:
824:
794:
754:
413:
318:
37:
1077:
1012:
1007:
977:
972:
880:
876:
612:
Five hundred meters south-east of Parke's Castle lie the remains of Castle Duroy (from the
1057:
1047:
1027:
1022:
391:
368:
914:
31:
1092:
1037:
1002:
997:
987:
962:
613:
456:
344:
229:
87:
1132:
519:
452:
364:
1087:
1072:
1062:
526:. The castle fell into disrepair in the years after Ann and Francis left Newtowne.
523:
404:
314:
238:
621:
543:
539:
356:
276:
247:
243:
224:, is a 17th century semi-fortified manor house. It is situated on the shores of
1102:
473:
586:
340:
225:
128:
115:
598:
515:
329:
325:
272:
502:
574:
954:
946:
549:
236:. The castle is built on the site of an earlier, 16th century O'Rourke (
582:
570:
511:
233:
682:
Archaeology Ireland Heritage Guide No. 62: Parke's Castle, Co. Leitrim
442:
348:
751:
Parke’s Castle, Co. Leitrim: archaeology, history and architecture
602:
548:
501:
483:
472:
418:
909:
578:
565:
510:
Robert Parke was married to Ann Povey, who originally came from
280:
918:
597:
Parke's Castle is located 7 kilometres (5 miles) north-west of
451:, a Scottish soldier and planter who had built his castle at
360:
904:
680:
Tom Condit, Gabriel Cooney, Claire Foley and Colm Donnelly,
36:
The outer bawn wall of Parke's Castle, originally built by
351:, where he remained for a year. He then travelled to the
477:
Sunset over Lough Gill with Parke’s Castle in Foreground
386:
and his castle in North Leitrim was the destination for
363:
Brian O'Rourke was eventually arrested on the orders of
573:
windows and diamond-shaped chimneys. One of two round
648:"National Monuments of County Leitrim in State Care"
953:
199:
191:
182:
178:
168:
160:
152:
144:
105:
95:
79:
74:
20:
1159:Historic house museums in the Republic of Ireland
375:for high treason in London on 3 November 1591."
930:
676:
674:
672:
8:
853:The Life and Times of Sir Frederick Hamilton
1120:Historic houses in the Republic of Ireland
937:
923:
915:
359:soldiers to help him reclaim his kingdom.
58:
17:
355:, where he attempted to raise an army of
305:first mention O'Rourke's tower house at
639:
181:
1139:Archaeological sites in County Leitrim
715:. pp. 11, 16, 17, 22, 56, 97-100.
657:. National Monument Service. p. 1
268:in 1935 and was then in state care.
744:
742:
198:
190:
7:
1154:National monuments in County Leitrim
846:
844:
842:
840:
814:
812:
810:
776:O'Rourke Strongholds of West Breifne
740:
738:
736:
734:
732:
730:
728:
726:
724:
722:
702:
700:
698:
696:
694:
619:), another former stronghold of the
1116:Historic houses in Northern Ireland
412:, who passed the property over to
294:
14:
1101:
707:Foley, C.; Donnelly, C. (2012).
334:shipwrecked at Streedagh in 1588
57:
50:
30:
491:The 1st Marquess of Clanrickard
159:
151:
1169:1610 establishments in Ireland
945:Castles and Historic Houses -
264:The site was purchased by the
1:
522:and went to live with him in
324:During his rebellion against
185:National monument of Ireland
164:1630 (Original tower house)
1185:
564:The walls of the original
1164:Museums in County Leitrim
1144:Castles in County Leitrim
1110:
1099:
774:Ui Ruairc, Dúnta (1994).
373:hung, drawn and quartered
211:
207:
45:
29:
1149:Houses completed in 1610
534:Restoration & Layout
390:infamous march from the
851:Rooney, Dominc (2013).
789:Kelly, Francis (2020).
711:. Vol. 7. Dublin:
378:His son and successor,
66:Location within Ireland
905:Leitrim County Council
749:Foley, Claire (2012).
559:Office of Public Works
554:
542:beneath the courtyard
507:
478:
471:
424:
398:
295:O'Rourke's Tower House
266:Office of Public Works
129:54.264768°N 8.334429°W
24:Caisleán Parke (Irish)
855:. Four Courts Press.
793:. Four Courts Press.
778:. The Sligo Champion.
713:The Stationery Office
552:
505:
476:
465:
449:Sir Fredrick Hamilton
422:
405:plantation of Leitrim
399:Robert Parke's Castle
347:in the north-west of
250:lands as part of the
414:Sir John Spottiswood
311:Barony of Drumahaire
145:Construction started
134:54.264768; -8.334429
983:Ballynahinch Castle
819:Weir, Mary (2009).
686:Archaeology Ireland
593:Location and access
353:Kingdom of Scotland
125: /
75:General information
40:in the 15th century
993:Classiebawn Castle
910:LeitrimTourism.com
655:heritageireland.ie
555:
508:
479:
461:Cluainín Uí Ruairc
425:
388:O'Sullivan Beare's
319:Sir Brian O'Rourke
302:Annals of Lough Cé
200:Reference no.
1126:
1125:
1078:Strokestown House
1068:Rockingham Estate
1033:Lough Rynn Castle
968:Aughnanure Castle
800:978-1-84682-875-1
380:Brian Og O'Rourke
215:
214:
148:late 15th century
25:
1176:
1105:
1013:Eyrecourt Castle
1008:Dunguaire Castle
978:Ballymote Castle
973:Ballymore Castle
939:
932:
925:
916:
892:
891:
889:
887:
881:Heritage Ireland
877:"Parke's Castle"
873:
867:
866:
848:
835:
834:
816:
805:
804:
786:
780:
779:
771:
765:
764:
746:
717:
716:
704:
689:
678:
667:
666:
664:
662:
652:
644:
520:Sir Francis Gore
343:in the north of
140:
139:
137:
136:
135:
130:
126:
123:
122:
121:
118:
61:
60:
54:
34:
23:
18:
1184:
1183:
1179:
1178:
1177:
1175:
1174:
1173:
1129:
1128:
1127:
1122:
1106:
1097:
1058:Portumna Castle
1048:Mote Park House
1028:Lissadell House
1023:Kilronan Castle
1018:Hazelwood House
949:
943:
901:
896:
895:
885:
883:
875:
874:
870:
863:
850:
849:
838:
831:
823:. THP Ireland.
818:
817:
808:
801:
788:
787:
783:
773:
772:
768:
761:
748:
747:
720:
706:
705:
692:
688:, Dublin, 2013.
679:
670:
660:
658:
650:
646:
645:
641:
636:
595:
536:
514:and settled in
500:
438:
401:
392:Beara Peninsula
384:Nine Years' War
369:Tower of London
297:
292:
222:Newtowne Castle
218:Parke's Castle,
187:
173:
172:Brian O'Rourke
133:
131:
127:
124:
119:
116:
114:
112:
111:
90:
86:
84:
70:
69:
68:
67:
64:
63:
62:
41:
22:
12:
11:
5:
1182:
1180:
1172:
1171:
1166:
1161:
1156:
1151:
1146:
1141:
1131:
1130:
1124:
1123:
1111:
1108:
1107:
1100:
1098:
1096:
1095:
1093:Westport House
1090:
1085:
1080:
1075:
1070:
1065:
1060:
1055:
1053:Parke's Castle
1050:
1045:
1040:
1038:Markree Castle
1035:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1015:
1010:
1005:
1003:Clonalis House
1000:
998:Clifden Castle
995:
990:
988:Castle Hackett
985:
980:
975:
970:
965:
963:Ashford Castle
959:
957:
951:
950:
944:
942:
941:
934:
927:
919:
913:
912:
907:
900:
899:External links
897:
894:
893:
868:
862:978-1846823961
861:
836:
829:
806:
799:
781:
766:
759:
718:
690:
668:
638:
637:
635:
632:
594:
591:
535:
532:
499:
496:
437:
436:1641 Rebellion
434:
400:
397:
345:County Donegal
296:
293:
291:
288:
230:County Leitrim
220:also known as
213:
212:
209:
208:
205:
204:
201:
197:
196:
193:
189:
188:
183:
180:
179:
176:
175:
170:
166:
165:
162:
158:
157:
154:
150:
149:
146:
142:
141:
109:
103:
102:
97:
93:
92:
88:County Leitrim
85:Fivemilebourne
81:
77:
76:
72:
71:
65:
56:
55:
49:
48:
47:
46:
43:
42:
38:Brian O'Rourke
35:
27:
26:
21:Parke's Castle
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1181:
1170:
1167:
1165:
1162:
1160:
1157:
1155:
1152:
1150:
1147:
1145:
1142:
1140:
1137:
1136:
1134:
1121:
1117:
1114:
1109:
1104:
1094:
1091:
1089:
1086:
1084:
1081:
1079:
1076:
1074:
1071:
1069:
1066:
1064:
1061:
1059:
1056:
1054:
1051:
1049:
1046:
1044:
1041:
1039:
1036:
1034:
1031:
1029:
1026:
1024:
1021:
1019:
1016:
1014:
1011:
1009:
1006:
1004:
1001:
999:
996:
994:
991:
989:
986:
984:
981:
979:
976:
974:
971:
969:
966:
964:
961:
960:
958:
956:
952:
948:
940:
935:
933:
928:
926:
921:
920:
917:
911:
908:
906:
903:
902:
898:
882:
878:
872:
869:
864:
858:
854:
847:
845:
843:
841:
837:
832:
830:9781845889630
826:
822:
815:
813:
811:
807:
802:
796:
792:
785:
782:
777:
770:
767:
762:
760:9781406427141
756:
752:
745:
743:
741:
739:
737:
735:
733:
731:
729:
727:
725:
723:
719:
714:
710:
703:
701:
699:
697:
695:
691:
687:
683:
677:
675:
673:
669:
656:
649:
643:
640:
633:
631:
629:
624:
623:
618:
615:
610:
608:
604:
600:
592:
590:
588:
584:
580:
576:
572:
567:
562:
560:
551:
547:
545:
541:
533:
531:
527:
525:
521:
517:
513:
504:
498:Later History
497:
495:
492:
487:
485:
475:
470:
469:
464:
462:
458:
454:
453:Manorhamilton
450:
446:
444:
435:
433:
429:
421:
417:
415:
411:
410:Privy Council
406:
396:
393:
389:
385:
381:
376:
374:
370:
366:
365:King James VI
362:
358:
354:
350:
346:
342:
337:
335:
331:
327:
322:
320:
316:
312:
308:
304:
303:
289:
287:
284:
282:
278:
274:
269:
267:
262:
258:
255:
253:
249:
245:
241:
240:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
210:
206:
202:
195:Park's Castle
194:
192:Official name
186:
177:
171:
167:
163:
155:
147:
143:
138:
110:
108:
104:
101:
98:
94:
89:
82:
78:
73:
53:
44:
39:
33:
28:
19:
16:
1112:
1088:Tyrone House
1083:Temple House
1073:Scregg House
1063:Rappa Castle
1052:
884:. Retrieved
871:
852:
820:
790:
784:
775:
769:
753:. Wordwell.
750:
708:
685:
681:
659:. Retrieved
654:
642:
620:
616:
611:
596:
563:
556:
537:
528:
524:County Sligo
509:
488:
480:
467:
466:
460:
447:
439:
430:
426:
402:
377:
338:
323:
315:West Breifne
306:
300:
298:
285:
270:
263:
259:
256:
237:
221:
217:
216:
174:Robert Parke
15:
617:Dubhshraith
585:gate and a
540:tower house
357:gallowglass
277:tower house
252:Plantations
244:tower house
132: /
107:Coordinates
1133:Categories
1043:Moore Hall
886:12 October
684:, p. 1–2.
634:References
587:sally port
341:Doe Castle
226:Lough Gill
161:Demolished
117:54°15′53″N
1113:See also:
599:Dromahair
571:mullioned
516:Roscommon
371:, he was
330:Dromahair
326:the Crown
307:Baile Nua
273:Ua Ruairc
239:Uí Ruairc
153:Completed
120:8°20′04″W
955:Connacht
947:Connacht
622:Ó Ruairc
575:flankers
248:O'Rourke
91:F91 FP71
80:Location
821:Breifne
601:on the
583:postern
544:cobbles
512:England
290:History
234:Ireland
100:Ireland
96:Country
83:Kilmore
859:
827:
797:
757:
661:2 July
605:road (
579:arched
443:Ulster
349:Ulster
169:Client
651:(PDF)
614:Irish
603:Sligo
484:Derry
457:Irish
228:, in
888:2016
857:ISBN
825:ISBN
795:ISBN
755:ISBN
663:2020
628:R286
607:R286
566:bawn
403:The
299:The
281:bawn
156:1635
630:).
361:Sir
254:.
203:390
1135::
1118:•
879:.
839:^
809:^
721:^
693:^
671:^
653:.
589:.
459::
336:.
321:.
317:,
275:)
242:)
232:,
938:e
931:t
924:v
890:.
865:.
833:.
803:.
763:.
665:.
455:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
