Burt Castle, Inishowen, Co. Donegal.

Finecast plasterwork Burt Castle atop an Inishowen Coastline base. Dimensions: 7″ X 7″ X 3″. Tabletop ornamental piece. Burt Castle, also known as O’Doherty’s Castle, was constructed between 1560 and 1580. It was a traditional stronghold of the O’Doherty’s during the reign of Henry VIII, overlooking and protecting the Southern edge of their Inishowen Lordship. The castle’s design is typical of the Scottish Z-Plan fortification structure, a defensive design that would be replicated during the Ulster Plantation in the following century. In 1600, while Cahir O’Doherty was in allegiance to the Crown, there was a garrison of 100 men stationed in the castle under the captainship of John Vaughan. This aided the Derry Governor, Henry Dowcra, to strengthen an offensive position against Red Hugh O’Donnell during the Nine Years War. O’Doherty, however, fell out of favour with Dowcra and Burt Castle became O’Doherty’s headquarters, from where he orchestrated and carried out the Burning of Derry on April 19th, 1608, sacking the entire town and taking prisoners to be held at the castle. Thus began what became known as O’Doherty’s Rebellion, resulting in Crown troops being sent from Dublin to quell the unrest in Inishowen and overrun Cahir’s positions. Burt Castle fell to the Crown following a violent siege and O’Doherty was killed shortly afterwards while fighting Crown Forces in the Battle of Kilmacrennen, he was 21 years old at the time of his death. His severed head was displayed for a time at Newgate, Dublin, as a warning to potential avengers. The castle was also the site of violent skirmishes during the Williamite Wars between 1688-1691 and as with most Irish castles, Burt is said to be haunted. It is said that an O’Doherty Nobleman who lived in the castle seduced a young local woman and forsook her upon news of her pregnancy. She waded into the Swilly one moonlit night and drowned herself and her unborn child, so distraught was she at this rejection. It is said that she can be seen on moonlit nights, walking the shores of the Swilly near to the Castle, wailing in despair for her estranged lover and father of her child. Burt Castle now sits atop an eminence known as Castlehill, a silent, dilapidated sentinel overlooking the main Derry to Letterkenny road, making it one of Donegal’s most recognizable fortifications.