[Illustration: THE CASTLE OF MONEA, COUNTY OF FERMANAGH.]
The Castle of Monea or Castletown-Monea--properly _Magh an fhiaidh_, i.e.
the plain of the deer--is situated in the parish of Devinish, county
of Fermanagh, and about five miles north-west of Enniskillen. Like the
Castle of Tully, in the same county, of which we gave a view in a recent
number, this castle affords a good example of the class of castellated
residences erected on the great plantation of Ulster by the British and
Scottish undertakers, in obedience to the fourth article concerning the
English and Scottish undertakers, who “are to plant their portions with
English and inland-Scottish tenants,” which was imposed upon them by
“the orders and conditions to be observed by the undertakers upon the
distribution and plantation of the escheated lands in Ulster,” in 1608.
By this article it was provided that “every undertaker of the _greatest
proportion_ of two thousand acres shall, within two years after the date
of his letters patent, build thereupon a castle, with a strong court or
bawn about it; and every undertaker of the second or _middle proportion_
of fifteen hundred acres shall within the same time build a stone or
brick house thereupon, with a strong court or bawn about it. And every
undertaker of the _least proportion_ of one thousand acres shall within
the same time make thereupon a strong court or bawn at least; and all the
said undertakers shall cause their tenants to build houses for themselves
and their families, near the principal castle, house, or bawn, for their
mutual defence or strength,” &c.
Such was the origin of most of the castles and villages now existing in
the six escheated counties of Ulster--historical memorials of a vast
political movement--and among the rest this of Monea, which was the
castle of the _middle proportion_ of Dirrinefogher, of which Sir Robert
Hamilton was the first patentee.
From Pynnar’s Survey of Ulster, made in 1618-19, it appears that this
proportion had at that time passed into the possession of Malcolm
Hamilton (who was afterwards archbishop of Cashel), by whom the castle
was erected, though the bawn, as prescribed by the conditions, was not
added till some years later. He says,
“Upon this proportion there is a strong castle of lime and
stone, being fifty-four feet long and twenty feet broad, but
hath no bawn unto it, nor any other defence for the succouring
or relieving of his tenants.”
From an inquisition taken at Monea in 1630, we find, however, that this
want was soon after supplied, and that the castle, which was fifty feet
in height, was surrounded by a wall nine feet in height and three hundred
in circuit.
The Malcolm Hamilton noticed by Pynnar as possessor of “the middle
proportion of Dirrinefogher,” subsequently held the rectory of Devenish,
which he retained _in commendam_ with his archbishopric till his death
in 1629. The proportion of Dirrinefogher, however, with its castle,
was escheated to the crown in 1630; and shortly after, the old chapel
of Monea was converted into a parish church, the original church being
inconveniently situated on an island of Lough Erne.
Monea Castle served as a chief place of refuge to the English and
Scottish settlers of the vicinity during the rebellion of 1641, and,
like the Castle of Tully, it has its tales of horror recorded in story;
but we shall not uselessly drag them to light. The village of Monea is
an inconsiderable one, but there are several gentlemen’s seats in its
neighbourhood, and the scenery around it is of great richness and beauty.