Parke’s Castle
Walk in the footsteps of planters and Gaels
10:00 – 18:00
Site Closed
Admission
Adult: €5.00
Group/Senior: €4.00
Child/Student: €3.00
Family: €13.00
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
26 March – 08 November
Daily 10:00 – 18:00
Last admission 45 minutes before closing
Average Length of Visit: 1 Hour
Contact
Kilmore
Fivemilebourne
Co. Leitrim
F91 FP71
071 916 4149
parkescastle@opw.ie
Facilities
- Exhibition
- Guided tours
- Toilets
Restrictions
- 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 most impressive cluster of ancient stone tombs
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