Harry Avery's Castle

Harry Avery’s Castle stands half a mile south-west of Newtownstewart in County Tyrone. It is a rare stone castle built by a Gaelic Irish chief in the late 14th century. The castle is named after Henry Aimhréidh O’Neill, who died in 1392. His name was anglicised as Harry Avery, and the Annals of the Four Masters record his justice, nobility, and hospitality. The structure is one of the few surviving examples of a Gaelic-built castle in Northern Ireland. The standing part of the castle is a two-storey rectangular tower with massive D-shaped twin towers at the front. These towers were added to a simple tower house rather than being part of a gatehouse. The basement is vaulted and entered through a large door between the D-towers. Above this is a hall on the first floor, reached from the courtyard. The southerly D-tower contains a spiral stair linking the two storeys, while both towers have small rooms with single windows. Traces of a mural stair lead up from the first floor, and a latrine chute suggests at least a parapet at the second floor. The castle’s design resembles Elagh Castle in Inishowen and was likely inspired by Norman castles such as Carrickfergus and Castle Roche. It also shares similarities with other Gaelic fortresses like Seafin in County Down. The ruin is now a State Care Monument under the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.