▁top ▁of ▁an ▁earlier ▁G ael ic ▁fort . ▁The ▁castle ▁was ▁to ▁guard ▁the ▁land ▁routes ▁from ▁D rog h eda ▁to ▁Down pat rick . ▁In ▁ 1 2 0 3 , ▁de ▁Cour cy ▁was ▁exp elled ▁from ▁Ul ster ▁by ▁fellow ▁Norman ▁Hugh ▁de ▁L acy , ▁ 1 st ▁Earl ▁of ▁Ul ster . ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁de ▁Cour cy ▁tried ▁to ▁re - take ▁the ▁castle ▁but ▁failed . ▁It ▁was ▁visited ▁by ▁King ▁John ▁in ▁ 1 2 1 0 , ▁who ▁spent ▁money ▁for ▁minor ▁works ▁to ▁the ▁castle ▁and ▁paid ▁for ▁a ▁g arrison ▁there . ▁▁ 1 5 th ▁Century ▁D und rum ▁castle ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁Ear ls ▁of ▁Ul ster ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁it ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁Mag enn ises ▁of ▁M our ne , ▁a ▁G ael ic ▁cl an . ▁In ▁ 1 5 1 7 , ▁the ▁Earl ▁of ▁K ild are ▁briefly ▁captured ▁the ▁castle , ▁as ▁did ▁the ▁Lord ▁Deput y ▁Leonard ▁Grey , ▁ 1 st ▁Vis count ▁Gran e ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 8 . ▁The ▁castle ▁was ▁surrender ed ▁to ▁the ▁English ▁Crown ▁in ▁ 1 6 0 1 ▁by ▁Ph el im ▁Mag ennis , ▁granted ▁to ▁Edward ▁Lord ▁C rom well ▁and ▁sold ▁to ▁the ▁Bl und ell ▁family . ▁The ▁Mag enn ises ▁re - to ok ▁the ▁castle ▁during ▁the ▁Irish ▁Confeder ate ▁Wars / E le ven ▁Years '