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Description of O’Doherty

Castles

Near our World H.Q. stands
the castle of Inch, now in a
ruined condition. It was but
one of the castles of the
O’Donertys, chiefs of Inis
Eoghain. It is believed to have
been built in or about the year
1440, at the same time as
Buncrana, Burt and Aileach
Castles, which it resembles in
architecture and design. The
builder employed by the
House of O’Doherty was
Neacnton O'Donnell. All four,
of these latter O’Doherty
Castles, were designed with a
common objective, which
obviously was the defence of
the peninsula of Inishowen.
It appears that each ot
these four castles consisted of
a lofty square keep, with semi­
circular towers projecting
from two of its angles, and
strengthened by an outward
ballium. There were
numerous embrazures for
cannon and musketry. The
walls were, as a rule, almost
four foot thick. No wood was
used in any part.
Burt Castle, less than a
couple of miles distant as the
flow flies, was, the chief
fortress and H.Q. of the Clann
O’Dochartaigh, but Aileach,
nearer Derry, must also have
been very important. Besides
these four, the O'Dohertys
possessed other castles. There
was one at Castlequarter,
Fahan, which the late W.J.
Doherty refers to as ‘Fahan
Abbey Castle1, which may be
presumed to be of much
greater antiquity. Yet, it has
long since disappeared and,
the site is given over to
agriculture.

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