Parkes Castle
Parkes Castle is a beautifully restored early seventeenth-century plantation castle on the shore of Lough Gill in County Sligo, managed by the Office of Public Works and open to visitors with an interpretive exhibition. Built by Robert Parke on the site of an O'Rourke stronghold, the three-storey tower house and surrounding bawn wall represent one of the best-presented plantation castles in Ireland, restored using traditional materials and techniques. The setting on Lough Gill is exceptional: the lake inspired W.B. Yeats's poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree, with Innisfree island visible from the castle shore. The combination of restored plantation castle, literary associations and the outstanding natural beauty of Lough Gill makes Parkes Castle one of the most rewarding heritage destinations in Connacht.