O'Doherty's Keep

O’Doherty’s Keep

The Keep is a 14th century Norman castle sitting on the banks of the Crana river close to where the river enters Lough Swilly.

It was originally a small two storey castle but in 1603 a third storey was added by Hugh Boy O’Doherty. In 1608 it was burnt down in retaliation for a revolt by Sir Cahir O’Doherty.

The castle was then restored by the Vaughan family and was occupied by them until 1718 when the family built the nearby Buncrana Castle and erected the Castle Bridge (a six-arched stone single lane bridge) across the River Crana leading up to the Castle.

The family used the new Buncrana castle and relocated the town south of the river Crana to its current location today, by creating the present main street.

In 2017 a group called the O’Doherty’s Keep Development Group was started, it is a project to restore the Keep through a conservation programme. Visit the group’s website here to read all about it.