Parke’s Castle (also known as Newtown Castle and O'Rourke's Castle, Sligo, Ireland,

Описание: O'Rourke's tower house at Newtown, Baile Nua, in 1546 when "great treachery was practiced by the sons of Alexander MacCabe against O'Ruairc in his own Town i.e. Baile Nua, his castle in the Barony of Drumahaire". The tower house probably dates from 1450-1500, and was one of several residences belonging the ruler of Breifne, Brian O'Rourke.

During his rebellion against the Crown O'Rourke damaged or "slighted" Newtown castle in 1581 to make it unusable by the English. He also demolished his castles at Dromahair and Leitrim at this time. O'Rourke was knighted in 1585 but continued to defy the Crown, sheltering at least eighty Spanish sailors who had been shipwrecked at Streedagh in 1588.

Robert Parke's Castle
The plantation of Leitrim took place in the 1620, with half the county used to pay soldiers for the service during the Nine Years' War, when many large grants were made to favourite courtiers of King James I. The land at Newtown was initially granted to Sir William Irving, a member of the Privy Council, who passed the property over to Sir John Spottiswood. Robert and William Parke, natives of Kent, were related to Roger Jones, a well-connected business man, and Jones brought his young nephews with him to Sligo in 1606. Robert Parke had acquired the site of O'Rourke's castle at Newtown and 1000 acres of land by November 1628. William came into possession of the O'Rourke castle at Dromahair around the same time.

Robert Parke demolished the remains of O'Rourke's tower house at Newtown, recycling the stones to build the gate tower around 1630 followed by the manor house, which appears to have been completed by 1635. The earlier ditch surrounding the site was filled in with rubble, and Parke had a pair of defensive towers constructed on the north corners of the bawn wall. A pair of sentry turrets and a sally port, or water gate were added to the south wall. The height of the bawn walls were increased, and gun loops were added along the tops of the walls. Parke, having demolished the earlier tower house, had the interior of the bawn paved with cobbles, which removed any traces of the earlier Gaelic castle.

Parke appears to have prospered at Newtown, acquiring more land by the end of the 1630s, and having enough resources to lend money to other settlers. He employed many Irish workers on his lands, and kept a harper, Dermond O'Farry in his residence.



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