Kirk Castle - Castle of the Hen

 (Caislean-na-Circe) (Hill of Doon, Glann Rd., Oughterard)
Between Maam and Doon, Lough Obsen's (Lake Corrib's) deep, sometimes ominous waters flow, free from islands except for the rock on which the ancient Hen's Castle of the O'Connor's and the O'Flaherty's stands. The Lord Justice, in 1225, caused Odo O'Flatherty to give up Kirk Castle to Odo O'Connor, King of Connaught; for assurance of his fidelity.

Castle of the Hen is considered to be the oldest fortress of its kind in Ireland, and it is undoubtedly one of the best built. When first built and well-defended, with good food stores, this castle must have been impregnable. The rocks slope abruptly into the water on all sides. It is only accessible in a few places. The castle is steeped in history and legend.

One such mythical tradition suggests that the O'Flaherty's, Gaelic Lords of Connemara, realizing the difficulties of building a large Castle in such a place, hired a witch to build it using magic. In a day and a night of casting spells she succeeded in creating the castle. She left a magic hen to look after it, warning that as long as the hen was looked after, the castle would remain secure. Everything went well until severe weather conditions made life difficult and they were forced to use up food stores, as it was impossible to go to the mainland for fresh supplies. With empty bellies, they felt there was not any choice other than to eat the hen. Shortly after this, the Norman knight, de Burgo, laid siege to the castle. The garrison was starved out and the castle demolished. History states that in Elizabethan times there was a policy of 'Divide and Conquer', which was used effectively throughout the sixteenth century.

It weakened Gaelic power and the peace of Connaught was broken, as it meant the return of inter-tribal warfare, each sept attempting to take advantage of the situation. Granuaile's husband, Donal-an-Chogaidh, Tániste-elect to the Chieftain, had much to lose as the fight for power erupted among the O'Flaherty Septs. The old customs were under threat. Donal-an-Chogaidh died at the hands of his old enemies, the Joyces, in an attack on Kirk Castle. On account of his courage at defending the castle, they nicknamed him "Donal An Cullagh, (The Cock). The Joyces descended on "Cocks Castle", they thought it would be a 'pushover' but they had not bargained on Granuaille who, with her husband's clansmen, defended the castle with skill and bravery -- so much so that the castle was renamed 'Hen's Castle', (Caislean-na-Circa), the name it has to this day.

In the nineteenth Century this historic ruin was vandalized and hundreds of its stones were removed to build houses in the area. The interior of the Keep is now a mass of stones and weeds, but it is still a very impressive sight. It is not too hard to visualize what this Castle must have looked like hundreds of years ago.