TOPICS

DUNGIVEN TOWN
DUNGIVEN CASTLE
DUNGIVEN PRIORY
DUNGIVEN TOWNLANDS
BANAGHER GLEN
BANAGHER CHURCH
THE SKINNER’S COMPANY
PELLIPAR ESTATE
ACCOMMODATION
GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES
FOLKLORE
SONGS OF DUNGIVEN
BOOKS OF DUNGIVEN
XTRAS

DUNGIVEN CASTLE

For years in Dungiven, it has been thought that the grand and beautiful castle in Dungiven was a 17th Century Plantation Bawn. Recent archaeological excavations, however, have proved this notion to be completely untrue.

Nick Brannon, an archaeologist that studies sites such as Coleraine and Belfast came to investigate the Old Priory in the 80's with one thought- that there might be just a bit more to it than what everyone thought. You can read in the Old Priory section that the Old Priory was a former Plantation Bawn built by Edward Doddington etc. But until the outcome of the excavations was known, people believed that the town Castle was the bawn built by Edward.

We know that Dungiven Castle is not the bawn, we know that Dungiven Priory is, but what we don't yet know is what Dungiven Castle is.

Dungiven Castle, on the town site, is not the first to be built there. Now is the time to read the Old Priory & the Skinners to save confusion before you read on. When Lady Cooke passed her lease of the estate of Pellipar on to Edward Carey, her grand nephew, he did not intend to use Skinner's Hall. Instead he built himself a one storey castle on the site of Dungiven Castle (2nd MHoP). After he died his son, Colonel Edward Carey took over the estate and the castle. This landlord of Pellipar was a popular one whom did not bother alot about strict rent. He held games and sports in the castle regularly. His son Henry Carey then became leasee of Pellipar Estate and after years of a well managed estate, Henry sold his lease to a wealthy linen merchant from Limavady, Robert Ogilby.

Robert Ogilby did not use the Carey castle but built a beautiful Gentleman's manor by the River Roe on Lackagh Townland. It was known as Pellipar House. But orders came from the Skinners company later in his Pellipar days that he was maintain and uphold the Carey Castle (both of them thought that this castle was a bawn- probably the origin of that thought came from them). Ogilby started work on improving the castle, transforming it into a two storey Gothic Mansion. But when he died the castle was never finished by the next leasee of Pellipar (the last). Although it was never finished the main building was stable and what was left to do was construct an interior. This was never done until three or four years ago when the plan to turn it into a Self Catering Accommodation came about.

But there was one more plan for the poor elaborate exterior castle. The servitor of the Skinners drew up a plan to restore it when the Skinners became direct landlords of Pellipar (they later washed their hands of the estate altogether). However the Skinners never advanced on it.

The castle was sold to James McCloskey in 1925 after it passed through the hands of several Ogilbys.

Now the castle also has beuatiful gardens on at its front door and is regularly inhabited.