Parke’s Castle
Walk in the footsteps of planters and Gaels
17 March - 5 November 2023
Admission
Adult: €5.00
Group/Senior: €4.00
Child/Student: €3.00
Family: €13.00
Please note that there is no credit card terminal at this site .
Admission is by cash only .
Follow us
Parke’s Castle
Parke’s Castle occupies a striking setting on the northern shores of Lough Gill in County Leitrim.
A restored castle of the early seventeenth century, it was once the home of English planter Robert Parke. There is evidence of an earlier structure on the site, a tower house once owned by Sir Brian O’Rourke, lord of West Breifne. O’Rourke, whom one English governor described as ‘the proudest man this day living on the earth’, resisted crown rule and fled Ireland, but ended up in the hands of Queen Elizabeth’s forces. He was thrown into the Tower of London, tried and finally hanged at Tyburn.
Tragedy struck in 1677, when two of Parke’s children drowned on the lake. The castle then fell into disrepair. Only in the late twentieth century was it restored, using traditional Irish oak and craftsmanship.
Viewed at sunset, the castle cuts a stunning silhouette over the water.
Highlights

Gallery
Opening Times
17 March – 5 November 2023
Daily 10:00 – 17:30 Last admission 16:45
Getting Here
On the Sligo-Dromahair Road (R286), 11 km from Sligo Town or 7 km from Dromahair
Click the relevant icon below to open Maps directions
Facilities
- Exhibition
- Guided tours
- Toilets
Restrictions
- Assistance dogs only
- Uneven walkways
Nearby sites to visit
Parke’s Castle
Sligo Abbey
Where friars’ prayers echo among the ruins
Approx. 8.9 km from Parke’s Castle
Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery
Ireland’s oldest megalithic tombs set in a dramatic neolithic landscape
Approx. 12.1 km from Parke’s Castle
Seán Mac Diarmada Cottage
One of the cradles of the Rising
Approx. 21.8 km from Parke’s Castle
Resources
Parke's Castle Social Guide
Download, print and read our social guide (PDF) about visiting Parke's Castle. This will help first-time visitors to prepare for a visit to Parke's Castle.
Download the Social Guide