Deel Castle 

Deel Castle by Mike Searle
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1954407

Deel Castle ruins or Caisleán na Daoile means castle of the River Deel.  Constructed by the sixteenth century Bourke’s as a tower house.  When Col. Thomas Bourke had fought on the side of King James during the Williamite wars the castle was forfeited: then awarded to the Earls of Arran the Gore family who renamed it Gore Castle.  The tower house had an additional large eighteenth century wing with a handsome rusticated doorway incorporated into the building.  The castle along with other lands were leased to Lord Tyrawley,  James Cuff at the end of the eighteenth century.  He erected a house beside the castle.  During part of the nineteenth century it was occupied by Cuff’s steward.  The house was burned down during 1922 but it was never rebuilt.  This link features several images of the ruins. [i]

James Cuff Lord Tyrawley constructed a house beside the old castle during 1791.  It was listed on the first edition Ordinance Survey Map as Deel Castle.  Later in the twenty-fifth-inch edition as Castle Gore.  The house was burned during 1922 but never rebuilt.  An image of the castle ruins with a location map feature at this link. [ii]

Deel Castle was built by the Burke family.  It stood roofed & entire during eighteenth century.  It was the estate of the late Colonel Cuff. [iii]

Deel Castle was a sixteenth century tower house of the Bourke’s close to the northern end of Lough Conn.  Following on from when Col. Thomas Bourke fought on the side of both King James 11 & 111 in the Williamite wars his castle was forfeited.  It was then given to the Earls of Arran  the Gore family who named it Castle Gore.  It was a large eighteenth castle with a rusticated doorway that possibly incorporated a seventh range.  The castle along with other lands were leased to James Cuff, Lord Tyrawley towards the end of the eighteenth century.  It was occupied by Cuff’s steward.  He built a house beside the old Burke castle in 1791.  The house was burnt in 1922 but was not rebuilt.  Further information is available in Bence-Jones Mark 1988’s revised ed.  Burkes Guide to Country Houses vol 1 (Ireland A Guide to Irish Country Houses. (Constable London) [iv]

Additional Information

Lee Johnson lists castles at this site: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/castles/irecastl-Mayo.htm

Mayo castles are listed in alphabetical order at this link: https://www.geni.com/projects/Historic-Buildings-of-County-Mayo/29699c

Castles in Co. Mayo castles are listed on this site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_castles_in_Ireland#County_Mayo

Images of several castles by Mike Searles may be viewed at this site; https://www.geograph.org.uk/

Footnoots

[i] Deel Castle (http://crossmolina.ie/heritage/deel-castle) [Assessed 12th February 2020]

[ii] Deel Castle (http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-show.jsp?id=191) [Assessed 12th February 2020]

[iii] Deel Castle (https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/M/Mayo-Antiquities.php) [Assessed 12th February 2020]

[iv] Deel Castle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deel_Castle) [Assessed 12th February 2020]

No Comments

Start the ball rolling by posting a comment on this page!

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.