Townland of White Castle

Area: 109 acres
Irish Name: English Plantation Name
Spelling Variations: none

A prolific name element, castle may owe its ultimate origin to the Latin castellum, but it is deployed in Ireland as an English term marking or connoting the presence of castles in the landscape. Such castles may be medieval or modern and may indicate Old English and New English influences respectively. The balance, however, strongly favours the former. Castle may also be indicative of Gaelic proprietorship, especially when it is construed from the Irish Caisleán ('castle'). Taken from Atlas of Irish Place-Names. (By Patrick J. O'Connor).

Whitecastle was a small castle, occupied in 1600 by Brian Oge McLaughlyn, and was demolished before 1835, probably before 1665. It was included in the Carey estate. The present house is 18th century, but its vaulted cellars are doubtful claimed as older. In the garden we saw a mullion of a large 16th century rectangular window, unglazed and with bar holes. (O.Davies and H.P. Swan. Ulster Journal of Archaeology, July 1939).

Site of White Castle (Medieval)
1.25 miles N.E. from Quigley's Point on Moville Road at Mearingland river, just before road crosses Roosky River, avenue leads mainly E. down to present house near lough shore.

Nothing of the original castle remains. The present house retaining the name White Castle, is an 18th century building. There are two small hand querns in front of the house.
Reference: Davies, O. and Swan, H.P. The Castles of Inishowen

Fort (Iron Age, or later)
A road branches N.W. off main road to Roosky Near; site is in second field up from main road, and on N.E. of side road. It is half way along near upper or N.W. field wall. Arable. Unrestricted view except at N.W. The level centre of this fine double ring earth fort has been cultivated. The outer bank has mainly disappeared except on the N. and E. with some slight signs of it in cultivated land to the W; it slopes down slightly to the S. There are rushes growing in the trench between the two banks and some also in a slight depression outside the outer bank on the W. The inner bank is broken in places. The banks are much overgrown with bushes and brambles. Whins and some broom grow nearby.

Taken from The Heritage of Inishowen by Mabel R. Colhoun

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