The historical significance of ancient Newtownstewart castle

Nestled in the heart of Newtownstewart is a castle which has withstood centuries of strife and conflict. Despite enduring two major arson attacks and the ravages of time, remnants of Stewart’s Castle still stand.

Its origins trace back to the aftermath of the Flight of the Earls during the Ulster Plantation, when English crown forces seized the Earl’s land and granted it to English and Scottish gentry.

Among these newfound land owners was Sir Robert Newcomen, a prominent figure in Anglo-Irish politics, who arrived in Newtownstewart and commenced the construction of the castle in 1615.

Placed on a bend in the Strule river, the castle was completed in 1622.

It was recorded to have three stories on top of a basement level built out of limestone, encircled by a bawn with two flanking towers.

The castle’s unique interior design also included a distinctive eight-pointed-star-shaped brick chimneystack.

But Sir Newcomen’s tenure at the castle was short-lived, lasting only seven years before he sold the property to his son-in-law.

In 1629, Sir William Stewart, an esteemed army officer hailing from Newtown Stewart in Galloway, Scotland, acquired the castle after marrying Sir Newcomen’s daughter, Frances.

Proud of his Scottish heritage, he renamed the castle and the settlement that evolved around it after his home town.

Sir Stewart was both a military man and politician who had arrived in Ireland 20 years prior to purchasing the castle and inventing our own Newtownstewart.

Insurrection

He was initially assigned to the Emerald Isle in 1608 to take charge of 200 Scottish soldiers, and help quash an attempted insurrection by the Lord of Inishowen, Sir Cahir O’Doherty,

After a lengthy battle which saw violence in Tyrone, Armagh and Derry, Sir O’Doherty was shot by an English soldier in Donegal, ending his attempted rebellion.

With the war over, Sir Stewart swapped the battlefield for the political arena and became a Member of Parliament, whilst enjoying his residence at the castle in Newtownstewart with Frances and their five children.

This relative peace lasted until 1641, when a sudden and unexpected rebellion against the British by Sir Phelim O’Neill, an elected member of the Irish parliament, startled Sir Stewart who fled back to Scotland with his family. It’s a good job he did, as the the O’Neill forces sought to rid the land of British settlers and they set fire to Stewart’s Castle.

The damaged building lay vacant for 47 years, until it was caught up in another famous Irish conflict.

In 1688, just before the siege of Derry, King James II reportedly spent a night in Stewart’s Castle on his way to the Maiden City.

However, months later when King James returned to the area with his tail firmly between his legs following defeat in Derry, he ordered that the Stewart Castle, and the town, be burnt down.

Subsequently, the castle lay dormant for many years until the townsfolk repurposed its remnants as a market during the 19th century.

Today, some of the distinctive features of the castle remain, such as its triple gable walls, a tall English-style chimney, Scottish-style stepped gables, mullioned windows, fireplaces and towers.

In 1999, an excavation by the Department for Environment unearthed artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age at the castle site.

Among the discoveries was a tomb containing ashes and food bowls dating to around 4,000 years ago.