The shores of Lough Melvin comprise part of Leitrim, Fermanagh and Donegal. The lake is about six miles long and a mile and a half at its greatest width. The castle of Rossclogher is situated on an artificial island to the south, near the Leitrim shore, and it gives its name to the Barony of Rossclogher in that county.

The Four Masters record the miraculous formation of the lake in 4694 B.C., while during the preparation of the grave of Melghe Molbhthach the waters gushed forth. He had been King of Ireland for fourteen years and was killed in battle. The lake was then called Lough Melghe, from which comes the modern Melvin.

The castle belonged to the M’Clancys, who were chiefs of Dartraigh in 1241 according to the Irish annals. They were a subordinate sept to the O’Rourkes and the name is variously spelt Glannaghie, M’Glannough, M’Glanna, M’Glanathie, M’Glanchie, Maglanshie, &c.

The lake fortress of Rossclogher was built by one of this family before the reign of Henry VIII., but the exact date is unknown.

It is interesting to note that the island next it, to the east, is called Inisheher (Inis Siar), meaning western island, having evidently received its name long before the foundations of the castle were laid, which at the present time form the most western land in the lake.

The structure upon which the fortress is built is like that of the Hag’s Castle in Lough Mask, and Cloughoghter Castle in Cavan. It consists of a foundation of heavy stones laid in the lake and filled in with smaller stones and earth so as to form an island.

The castle consists of a circular tower surrounded by a wall about five feet in height. It is built of freestone taken from the mainland near, cemented together with lime and coarse gravel. The walls, which are very thick, were coated outside with rough cast, which is unusual in the ancient buildings of the neighbourhood. On the side nearest the land are the ruins of a bastion with holes for musketry. The water is very deep between the fortress and the land, which is about 100 yards distant.

On the mainland opposite the stronghold are the remains of earthworks which would seem to have been formed by some attacking party possessing military skill. On a hill above this is situated the ancient “cattle-booley” of the MacClancy clan. It is a circular enclosure of earth, faced with stone, and is about 220 feet in circumference.

The ruins of a church are also on the mainland, within hailing distance of the castle.

The Four Masters record a night attack made by the O’Rourks in 1421, by which they took MacClancy Oge prisoner, and became possessed of “Lough Melvin and its castle.” The attack, however, is said to have been made on the island of Inisheen, in consequence of the guards of the lake giving up the boats to the attackers. It was on this island the MacClancy’s wooden crannog was situated, and its plundering again in 1455 by Maguire is recorded.

In 1588 three ships belonging to the Spanish Armada were wrecked on Streedagh Strand.

In one of these was Captain Cuellar, whose graphic narrative of his adventures in Ireland, when he had escaped with his life from the sea, have been published of recent years.

After various wanderings, sufferings and ill-treatment in the neighbourhood, he met a priest who directed him, in Latin, to a castle six leagues off. “It was very strong, and belonged to a savage gentleman, a very brave soldier and great enemy of the Oueen of England and of her affairs, a man who had never cared to obey her or pay tribute, attending only to his mountains, which made it strong.”

On the road he fell in with a blacksmith who forced him to work at his forge until the same clergyman, passing that way, promised to ask the chief to send an escort for him.

The following day MacClancy despatched four of his own people and a Spanish soldier to fetch him. He states they were much grieved at his sore state and assisted him in every way, and he adds: “I remained there three months, acting as a real savage like themselves.”

He describes his hostess as “beautiful in the extreme,” and very kind to him. One day while sitting with her and some of her women friends he began to tell their fortunes by palmistry, and “to say to them a hundred thousand absurdities.” Soon this got abroad, with the result that hundreds of people flocked to him to have their hands told. At length he said he would have to leave, and then MacClancy ordered that no one should molest him in future.

While Captain Cuellar was thus spending his time at Lough Melvin, news arrived that the Lord Deputy, Fitzwilliam, had marched from Dublin with a great force, and was hanging all the Spaniards he could find and punishing those who had succoured them.

MacClancy (Cuellar calls him Manglana) decided to fly to the mountains with his people, most likely by a bridlepath still to be traced from the “cattle-booley.” It was two feet wide, and the paving was enclosed by a kerb. He asked Cuellar and eight other Spaniards what they wished to do. After a conference they offered to defend the castle against the Lord Deputy. MacClancy was delighted, and at once made all provision. They then retired to the castle, taking with them the church valuables, three or four boat-loads of stones, six muskets, six crossbows, and other arms.

Captain Cuellar describes the stronghold thus: “The castle is very strong, and very difficult to take if they do not (even though they should) attack it with artillery, for it is founded in a lake of very deep water which is more than a league wide at some parts, and three or four leagues long, and has an outlet to the sea; and, besides, with the rise of spring tides it is not possible to enter it, for which reason the castle could not be taken by water nor by the shore of the land that is nearest to it. Neither could injury be done it, because (for) a league round the town, which is established on the mainland, it is marshy, breast-deep, so that even the inhabitants (natives) could not get to it except by paths.”

As the Spanish captain never mentions the name of the fortress, its identification with Rossclogher has been called in question, chiefly because the measurements are much greater than those of Lough Melvin (a league equalling 3·66 miles), but all the distances in the narrative are greatly overstated. Again, Lough Melvin has not been open to the sea within the historic period. A map, however, of 1609 in the British Museum represents the river which drains it as being nearly as wide as the Erne, and we do not read that Cuellar personally explored its outlet.

In all other matters the castle accurately answers to his description, and no other building has ever been put forward as the probable scene of the siege.

When the Lord Deputy appeared upon the shore (with, Cuellar says, one thousand eight hundred men) he could not get nearer than a mile and a half on account of the marshy ground. From this it would seem that he arrived at the point of Rossfriar on the north-west shore of the lough. He then hanged two Spaniards as a warning, and demanded by a trumpeter the surrender of the castle, promising the garrison a free pass to Spain. This they pretended not to understand.

The siege lasted seventeen days, when a great snowstorm obliged the Deputy to return south.

Upon this episode the State Papers are silent; the Lord Deputy merely giving the following account of his northern expedition. “First, therefore, it may please your lordships, I undertook the journey the 4th November, and finished the same the 23rd of this instant, December, being seven weeks and one day, returning without loss of any one of Her Majesty’s army.”

When the English forces had retired MacClancy returned in great delight and fÊted the Spaniards. He offered his sister to Cuellar in marriage, but this was declined. The chief decided to keep the foreigners as his guard, by force if necessary, but they hearing this left secretly. After much hardship Cuellar eventually crossed to Scotland from Dunluce, and from thence to Antwerp.

In 1590 MacClancy’s death is officially recorded as follows: “M’Glannaghe ran for a lough which was near, and tried to save himself by swimming, but a shot broke his arm, and a gallowglass brought him ashore. He was the best killed man in Connaught a long time. He was the most barbarous creature in Ireland, and had always 100 knaves about him. He would never come before any officer. His country extended from Grange beyond Sligo till you come to Ballyshannon. He was O’Rourke’s right hand. He had some 14 Spaniards, some of whom were taken alive.”

Thus in trying to reach Rossclogher fortress MacClancy lost his life, his head being exhibited in triumph.

The estates of the sept were forfeited in 1641, and the island fortress now belongs to St. George Robert Johnston, Esq., of Kinlough House, the village of Kinlough being near the ruins.

Upon approaching Lough Melvin from one direction at about a mile distant the castle of Rossclogher bears a most remarkable resemblance to a ship in full sail upon the lake.