Deel Castle


Deel Castle was built in the 16th century by the Bourkes and later renamed Castle Gore. It is located near the town of Crossmolina, County Mayo, in Ireland

History

As the name suggests, the translation means 'the Castle of the River Deel'.
Deel Castle is a 16th-century tower house of the Bourkes which is close to the northern end of Lough Conn. After Col. Thomas Bourke had fought on the side of King James II & VII in the Williamite Wars, the property was forfeited and given to the Gore family, afterwards Earls of Arran, who renamed it Castle Gore. The tower house had a large 18th-century wing with a handsome rusticated doorway added to it; possibly incorporating a 17th-century range. They also acquired the Manor of Belleek from the O'Haras, Barons Tyrawley, and owned an estate in County Donegal in Ulster.
The castle along with other lands was leased to James Cuff, Lord Tyrawley, towards the end of the 18th century. It was occupied by the Cuff's steward for part of the 19th century.
James Cuff, Lord Tyrawley, built a house beside the Old Bourke Castle in 1791. This country house was also called Castle Gore. The house was burnt by the IRA in 1922 and not rebuilt.
The old castle, which was still intact in the early 20th century, is now a ruin.