Castle Donovan, 16th-century tower house in County Cork, Ireland
Castle Donovan is a 16th-century stone tower house that stands on a rocky outcrop beside the River Ilen, with thick defensive walls and an internal spiral staircase. The structure rises over 60 feet high and contains multiple floors that once provided views over the surrounding landscape.
Originally called Sowagh, the tower was officially renamed Castle Donovan in 1615 when King James II granted it to the O'Donovan family. This royal grant established their formal hold over the property and marked it as a seat of their territorial authority.
The castle served as the main home for the O'Donovan family, an important clan that governed the lands around County Cork for generations. Visitors can still sense how this place embodied the power and influence of this local ruling family.
The tower has been fully restored and made safe for visitors through preservation work completed between 2001 and 2014. Before visiting, check access conditions as the site's location on a rocky outcrop may affect how easily you can reach and enter it.
During the 1640s, soldiers under Cromwell's command used explosives to damage the castle as retaliation for the O'Donovan family's loyalty to the Stuarts. Some of these scars from the attack remain visible on the structure today, marking a violent chapter in Irish history.
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