Thatch Cottages (Doonamona Crossroads)
Situated at the same crossroads as Doonamona castle and Tuffy’s pub are a set of thatched cottages, which have been renovated to become self-catering cottages (Michigan State University, 2009). What are thatched cottages? Speaking generally, thatched cottages represent a time of strong oppression in Ireland’s history (Michigan State University, 2009). It was in the 1700’s […]
Tuffy’s Pub near Doonamona Castle
Tuffy’s pub is situated at the crossroads beside Doonamona castle, which is in the Clogher area. It was named ‘Tuffy’s Public House’ and was built in 1841. Since then, five generations of Tuffy’s have lived there. The venue was a great location for traveling patrons in times gone by, as it is located at a […]
Connacht’s Brutal Knight and Doonamona Castle
Sir Nicholas Malby (c.1530–1584) was a soldier and President (or Governor) of Connacht. In 1576, toward the end of his life, Malby was knighted and appointed military governor of Connacht. We highlight Malby here because our local area of Clogher bears a strong but gruesome link to his harsh rule, namely in the shape of […]
Cloghannageeragh Enclosure (Doonamona)
On a site overlooking Doonamona castle, from a high ridge to the east, lies well-defined remains of what looks to be a ringfort. The high ridges that overlook the site from the south-west and the east now support improved pasture and cattle grazing (Michigan State University, 2009– Cloghannageeragh). Earthwork (Possible Ringfort) “The term ‘earthwork’ is […]
Doonamona Fair Green
The oldest, and at one point the largest, fair in Mayo was in the Clogher area. It was known as the Fair at Doonamona. The fairs were held on the 17th of October and on the 26th of May (Michigan State University, 2009). The fairs at Doonamona were well attended and large in magnitude. The […]
Doonamona Wetland (Crannog)
Close to the ruins of Doonamona castle, the trail passed through a marshy low-lying area consisting of poor draining natural wetland. A large amount of this wetland is covered by rushes, however in the midst of this area lies a possible crannog, which is now overgrown with bushes. Although not ideal for farming purposes, this […]
Doonamona Castle
Doonamona Castle and the surrounding acreage have been central to the history of south Mayo for centuries. Although Doonamona is referred to as a castle, it was actually built by the Normans as an ‘Irish Tower House.’ The castle was called “10-pound castle” when it was built– because a grant of 10 pounds was given […]