Ballymote Castle (Caislean Bhaile an Mhota), which was built by Richard de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster (also known as the Red Earl) around the year 1300 to protect his newly won battle possessions.
It is a large rectangular-shaped, enclosure castle, the most symmetrical of all the Irish "keepless" castles, built very much along the lines of Beaumaris Castle in Wales.
The walls of the castle are around 10 feet thick, with the interior of the castle measuring about 30 square metres and it has three-quarter round towers at all four corners and also in the middle of the east and west walls.
Ballymote Castle changed hands many times since it was built around 1300. It was captured by the O'Connors of Sligo in 1317, but was taken by the Mac Diarmada, during the course of local struggles, in 1347. By 1381 it had passed to the McDonaghs.
In more recent years the Office of Public Works have carried out extensive preservation works on the castle.
Distance from St Angela’s: 32km
