Dunboy Castle
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Dunboy Castle (Caisleán Dhún Baoi) was a stronghold of the O'Sullivan Bere, a Gaelic clan leader and 'Chief of Dunboy'. The castle is located on the Beara Peninsula in south-west Ireland near the town of Castletownbere and was built to guard and defend the harbour of Berehaven. Its presence there enabled O'Sullivan Bere to control the sea fisheries off the Irish coast and collect sizeable taxes from Irish and Continental fishing vessels sheltering in the haven. It was also a centre for the import/export trade to and from the Continent. Today, much of the castle is destroyed but the ruins are open to the public.
Dunboy Castle was the scene of the famous Siege of Dunboy in the summer of 1602 which ultimately led to its destruction and the breaking of the power of the O'Sullivan Bere. At that time Donal Cam O'Sullivan Bere was in rebellion against the English crown and Elizabeth I had sent a 5000 strong army under the command of Sir George Carew to suppress the insurgents. Even with its small garrison of 143 men Dunboy Castle was thought to be impregnable but following a fierce artillery bombardment the walls were smashed and after some desperate hand-to-hand fighting amid the rubble the defenders were finally overcome. The 58 survivors of the two week siege were executed in the nearby market square.
Nearby stand the ruins of Puxley's castle. This castle is a nineteenth century stately home. It was burnt to the ground by the IRA in 1920 in reprisal for the destruction of houses that harboured IRA men and weapons by the Crown Forces.
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[edit] Dunboy Castle Hotel
Puxley House is currently undergoing a massive renovation project to turn it into a five-star luxury hotel. The hotel is being developed by a Dublin firm and it is due to be opened after Summer 2007. The hotel will be operated by a US firm called West Paces Hotel Group LLC. This firm is headed by Horst Schulze who is a legendary figure in the industry and ran the Ritz Carlton Group for many years. Mr. Schulze will be operating the hotel under his new top-tier brand Capella which promises to be a major player in the luxury Irish hotel industry.
[edit] References
- Pól Uí Súileabháin, "The Last Chieftain of Gaelic Ireland: The True Story of Donal O'Sullivan Bere", Published 2004 with the assistance of the Beara Historical Association.
- T. D. Sullivan, "Bantry, Berehaven and the O'Sullivan Sept", Tower Books, Cork, 1978.
- Gerard (Gerdie) Harrington, "In the Path of Heroes: Stories of Beara and Bantry", The Beara Historical Association.
