History

  Called Old Castle to avoid confusion with the more recent Crom Castle, it is located on the shores of Lough Erne, close to the village of Newtownbutler, in County Fermanagh [1], to control the Erne waterway between Enniskillen and Belturbet [2].
  According to [1 4], it was built in 1611 by the Scottish planter Michael Balfour, the Laird of Mountwhinney, and consisted of a tower house with a bawn. In 1619, it was sold to Sir Stephen Butler, before being leased to James Spottiswood, Bishop of Clogher, in 1624, and later being inherited by Abraham Crichton of Aghalane in 1655 [1, 2].
  Also, it is reported [1, 3, 5, 6] that the castle beared two sieges by the Jacobites in 1689, during the Williamite War in Ireland. As stated in [5], Colonel Abraham Crichton managed to withstand against the Jacobites until reinforcements from Enniskillen arrived.
  Later in 1764, the castle was destroyed by a fire [1 6].
  In the first half of the 19th century, the Crichtons built the new Crom Castle where they moved, leaving the Old Castle, which continues to belong to the family but can be accessed and visited, as it was given to the National Trust by the 6th Earl of Erne in 1987 [1, 3, 5].
  It is worth to notice that some features, such as walls and circular flankers, were added in the 19th century to further enrich this historical site [1, 4, 6].

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Other useful links

Tips

  Managed by the National Trust, Croom Old Castle's remains, along with its wonderful surroundings, are the perfect choice for a day trip where history and wildlife come together and create an amazing and picturesque mix.
  It will cost you just a few pounds to enter and you can enjoy a full day here. You will find a place where to eat, enjoy a cup of tea and even a children playground. Dogs are allowed too. There are also several holiday cottages if you choose to stay overnight. You will be very well guided towards the remains of the Old Castle, with magnificent views of the Croom Estate, the Upper Lough Erne, the boat house and, if you dare a bit more, you can even get close to the Croom castle itself, although it is still privately owned and hence not accessible to public.