Lough Oughter - Historic Settlement

Historic Settlement

Lough Oughter synonymous with the ancient monastic settlement on Trinity Island, once sustained a substantial resident native population around its shores back to the earliest times of settlement with several identified island crannog locations and megalithic wedge tomb structures. With the arrival of the Anglo Normans, who built the impressive Clogh Oughter Castle which stands on a tiny island in Lough Oughter from the thirteenth century. Circular in construction some 15.5 metres in outside diameter and standing around 18 metres high. The nearest shore is approximately 130 metres away close to the narrowest part of the lough at Inishconnell Rinn Point. Clogh Oughter castle has been at the centre of much of County Cavan's turbulent history and was probably built originally to protect the clan O'Reilly chieftains from their warring neighbours. During the seventeenth century the castle changed hands several times and was one of the last defended castles to hold out during the Confederate Wars. Before this Clogh Oughter castle was used as a prison, notably the Anglican Bishop of Kilmore, William Bedell was held hostage here and rebel leader Owen Rua O'Neil is reputed to have died here in 1649, having used the castle as a refuge. The rebel army were finally defeated in 1653, after which the lofty walls of Clogh Oughter castle were breached by cannon shot and have remained unoccupied ever since, apart from nesting crows and water fowl.

During the late nineteenth century water levels on Lough Oughter were lowered to alleviate flooding of low lying farmland. However plans are now afoot through Waterways Ireland to raise the levels again to facilitate tourism and allow pleasure boats to gain access into the lough from the River Erne right up to Killeshandra.