Cloone (Leitrim) County Leitrim
"Construction of Castle McGrath commenced in the 16th century under James McGrath, Chief of the Termon and son of Archbishop Miler McGrath. The castle was a hugely important symbol of the status of the Clan McGrath in the area. **
Castle McGrath possesses some wonderful Elizabethan period military and domestic features, including fashioned gun loops in the lower ground floor and ornate window frames in the upper floors. The gun loops indicate the transition from blade to gunpowder during the mid 16th century.
It was largely destroyed during the siege and following the 1641 rebellion and the subsequent Cromwellian campaign in Ireland, the lands of the Clan McGrath eventually passed into the hands of others.
The castle is situated on private land, however there is public access ". **
My great-great grandfather, Patrick Maguire, was a tenant farmer on Augnahoo Glebe from 1847 till 1855.. His children used the ruined McGrath Castle as their private playground. However, after losing three of their six children within a two week period, Patirick and his wife Ann Noble decided to emigrate to Australia in 1856 with their three remaining children. Once in Australia he became a very successful farmer, starting with 40 acres and eventually owning 500 acres. Here they added another three "Aussie" children to their family, naming them after the three they had left in the little cemetery back home.
Patrick and Ann would have been very very proud of their children's and grandchildren's achievements in their adopted land, and despite him being illiterate I stand in awe of this wonderful Irishman and am proud to be his descendant.
**(Source: Clan McGrath Castles - https://clanmcgrath.org/castles/ - accessed 14th Oct..2021).
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Castles of Ireland - Clan McGrath. | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
May I add an amendment to the notation at the top of the page. Castle McGrath is located at Augnahoo, County Donegal - 2 miles from the border of County Fermanagh with the nearest town being Pettigo. It is not in Leitrim, which is many miles away, on the opposite side of Lough Erne.
