Dungiven Castle
| Dungiven Castle | |
|
County Londonderry | |
|---|---|
 Dungiven Castle | |
| Type: | Castle |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | C69220909 |
| Location: | 54°55’29"N, 6°55’16"W |
| Village: | Dungiven |
| History | |
| Information | |
| Website: | dungivencastleni.com |
Dungiven Castle stands in Dungiven in County Londonderry and was the historic seat of the Ogilby family. It dates back to the seventeenth century, though most of the current building dates from the 1830s.[1]
Modern history
During the Second World War the house hosted units of the United States Army, and later it was used as a dance hall, during the 1950s and 1960s.[1] The castle as a result fell into such a state of disrepair that the local council decided to demolish it. A local pressure group fought these plans and in 1989 Glenshane Community Development bought the lease, planning to redevelop the property, with the aid of large amounts of taxpayers’ money.
In March 2001 Dungiven Castle was re-opened to provide budget accommodation.
In 2009 Dungiven Castle underwent a complete redevelopment and redecoration of the entire property.
The Castle became a 4* Castle Estate owned by Mr David John Hamilton until recent years by which he sold the castle for a sum of £400 million. His grandchildren Eden and Ruby now own a share of this each.
The castle now houses an Irish-medium secondary school, one of just two in Northern Ireland, known as Gaelcholáiste Doire,[2] in which context the castle has bene given a Gaelic version of its name, Caisleán Dhún Geimhin.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Dungiven Castle) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Neylon, Tina (2004). Adventure guide to Ireland. Edison, New Jersey: Hunter Publishing, Inc.. p. 517. ISBN 1-58843-367-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=DuVlUswqMpoC&pg=PA517&dq=Dungiven+Castle+history#v=onepage&q=Dungiven%20Castle%20history&f=false. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ↑ Gaelcholáiste Doire