Carrickabraghy Castle

Carrickabraghy Castle
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Carrickabraghy Castle photo 1
Carrickabraghy Castle photo 2
Carrickabraghy Castle photo 3

About

A small 16th-century O'Doherty tower house perched on a rocky promontory at the head of Pollan Bay on the Isle of Doagh, with Atlantic views and a sea blowhole that erupts at high tide.

Things to Do

Explore the castle ruins

Walk up the short hill to the restored keep, round tower and bawn walls built of rough local quartz, with gun loops and wall thickness of about 3 ft 9 in. The site, conserved in 2013 by the Carrickabraghy Restoration Society, was one of four surviving O'Doherty castles in Inishowen and was last inhabited in 1665.

Explore the castle ruins

Take in the panoramic views

From the exposed summit the eye reaches Malin Head, Glashedy Island, Fanad Head, Five Finger Strand and the Knockamany Bens across Pollan Bay. Clear days reward photographers, and the site is part of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Take in the panoramic views

Watch the Hissing Rock blowhole

In the rocks at the base of the headland a fissure known locally as the Hissing Rock spouts seawater several metres into the air when the tide is in. Time your visit for high tide and check tide times before setting out.

Walk Pollan Strand

The long sandy beach below the castle is good for a walk and birdwatching in spring and autumn; you can also walk the strand all the way from Ballyliffin to reach the castle. Quieter Lagacurry Beach is about 1.2 km away via the coastal path.

Visit Doagh Famine Village nearby

About 1 km away, this open-air museum of 19th- and 20th-century rural life has the nearest toilets, café and shop if you need them.

Plan Your Visit

  • Hours: Open year-round from sunrise to sunset (outdoor site)
  • Admission: Free — donations box on site
  • Parking: Free parking in the lay-by opposite the site
  • Food: No food on site; eat in Ballyliffin village or at Doagh Famine Village nearby

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