Quoile Castle

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Quoile Castle

County Down

Quoile Castle, geograph.jpg
Quoile Castle
Type: Tower house
Location
Grid reference: J49634701
Location: 54°20’60"N, 5°41’57"W
History
Built Late 16th century
Information
Owned by: (State care)

Quoile Castle is a castle standing ruined a mile and a half from Downpatrick, in County Down, in the townland of Quoile. It is to be found just off the main road from Downpatrick to Strangford, on the east bank of the River Quoile.

The castle is a 16th-century tower house, which was inhabited into the 18th century.[1] Today, Quoile Castle is a State Care Historic Monument.

Features

The south corner of the building has fallen down and shows a cross-section of the castle. In the north east wall the doorway has been rebuilt and gives access to a straight mural stairway. This is protected by murder-holes at the bottom and at the top. The inner doorway at the ground floor opens into a chamber with a stone vault and many small gun-loops. Beyond this is a second similar chamber. The first floor has two rooms and one of them has a fireplace. The second floor is reached by another straight stairway within the north west wall. There is another fireplace at this level.[1]

Finds

In 1986, seven silver sixpence pieces dating from the time of Queen Elizabeth I were found at the castle.[2]

Partially reconstructed West wall of Quoile Castle, Downpatrick

Gallery

Outside links

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("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Quoile Castle)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (1983). Historic Monuments of Northern Ireland. Belfast: HMSO. p. 107. 
  2. Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (1988). Pieces of the Past. Belfast: HMSO. p. 97.