Cloughoughter Castle, Medieval castle ruin on an island in Lough Oughter, County Cavan, Ireland.
Cloughoughter Castle is a medieval ruin on an island in Lough Oughter, featuring a round stone tower that rises three stories with walls about 5 meters thick. The compact design uses the island location as a natural defense, with the surrounding water serving as the primary barrier.
The structure was built in 1233 by the de Lacy family as a strategic fortress for Anglo-Norman settlers. Over centuries it became a prison, and Commonwealth forces took it in 1653, ending its years as an active defensive stronghold.
The fortress represented power and control for local clans and remained central to their ongoing rivalries. Visitors walking through the ruins today can sense how this place embodied the authority that determined the region's fate.
Reaching the castle requires a boat trip across the lake from the mainland, which only works in decent weather. Wear sturdy shoes and expect wet conditions, as landing on the island can be slippery.
The round tower design differs from the square or rectangular layouts common in other Irish castles. This unusual style made it stand out architecturally among medieval lake fortresses.
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