Tully Castle

Tully Castle was built in 1612-1615. It has a turbulent history. A Scottish style Castle, built by Irish hands, it is located on the shores of Lough Erne, three miles north from Derrygonnelly. Tully Castle was built for Sir John Hume who hailed from North Berwick. He built a bawn with four corner flankers within which he built at strong castle. The windows are grooved for glass.

On Christmas Eve, 1641, the Castle, with the villagers seeking refuge inside, was surrendered to Rory Maguire by Lady Hume. The next day, Christmas Day, the Maguires massacred all 16 men and 69 women and children, sparing only the Humes. They then pillaged and burnt the Castle, which remains a ruin to this day.

Today, the stronghouse survives to almost full height, while the bawn wall and its rectangular flankers are ruined except for the northeast side. A ten-year programme of repair followed the acquisition of the Castle by the Department of the Environment in 1974. Excavation revealed that the bawn was divided by cobbled paths, which suggested that this area had been used as a garden.