Dunfanaghy
Situated about 14 km from the village of Dunfanaghy, Doe Castle was the traditional home of the Sweeney Clan. Built during the 16th Century, it changed hands many times, and was inhabited until 1843.
Today the castle sits majestic, but empty, and roughly a decade ago major renovation work was started to restore the it, and then the restoration work stopped! And so we are left with a fully rendered Keep surrounded by rough stone walls. It does look a little strange, but, in fact, this is one of the best examples of a 16th century castle in Donegal.
Inside the Keep, great work has been done to restore the old Oak floors and staircases, and it is superbly done, but unfortunately the keepers of the Keep do not permit visitors, due to the vandalism that was done to the castle several years ago. But the good news is that in the summer of 2015, the Keep was officially reopened, and there are now tours of the castle with a guide organised every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am during the summer months.
The old graveyard at the castle, which many people would miss if they did not know it was there, is one of the oldest burial grounds in Donegal, with some headstones dating from 1800. There is a path running from the right hand side of the car park which brings you into this beautiful, serene and interesting place.
