Quoile Castle


Quoile Castle, County Down
Photo © Aubrey Dale, 29 August 2006

Quoile Castle is a castle situated 1.5 miles (2.4km) from ( Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland, just off the main road from Downpatrick to Strangford, on the east bank of the River Quoile. It is a 16th century Tower house which was inhabited into the 18th century.[1] Quoile Castle tower house is a State Care Historic Monument in the townland of Quoile, in Down District Council area.

Features

The south corner of the building has fallen down and shows a cross-section of the castle. In the north east wall the doorway has been rebuilt and gives access to a straight mural stairway. This is protected by murder-holes at the bottom and at the top. The inner doorway at the ground floor opens into a chamber with a stone vault and many small gun-loops. Beyond this is a second similar chamber. The first floor has two rooms and one of them has a fireplace. The second floor is reached by another straight stairway within the north west wall. There is another fireplace at this level.[1]

Finds

In 1986 seven silver sixpence pieces dating from the time of Elizabeth I were found at the castle.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (1983). Historic Monuments of Northern Ireland. Belfast: HMSO. p. 107. 
  2. ^ Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (1988). Pieces of the Past. Belfast: HMSO. p. 97.

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