Pofol .. .. WaH l.ilt.ilt IJ,Y a ludy named Quinn who afterwards married one of the Mac Swine family a C'Ouple of years before the reign of Queen Elizabeth (3) ... .it was since fortified by t_hc grandfather of the present ~fr. Mac Sweeney of Dunfanaghy" ( 4). Our first historical reference to Doe Castle is in the year 1544 and is the sequel to the capture of its chieftain, at Rutland Island, by a fleet belonging to the O'Malleys ( 5). Mac Sweeney Doe died in captivity, in Connacht, the following year and when the news of his death reached Tirconail, Doe Castle became the fratricidal cockpit of the dead chieftains sons. One of them was killed with a numbe:- of his followers and another, Eoghan Og I succeeded to the title. He managed to survive the vengeance of hii'i brother'f family and friends until, some nine years later, they corne.:-ed him and slew him at Cloghaneely. The lordship of Doe remained in his family as his son, later known a.; 1.\Iurrough (67 was elected chief. This cltiettain of Doe Castle is well documented in the Anna:!> and vividly remembe:ed in t:-adition. He was slain at Dunnalong by ~ome of the :\lac Donnells and was sue· ceeded in the chieftainry lly his brother Eoghan Og II. Eoghan Og II. wa.> the MacSweeney Doc wlto gave hope and san•·tuary to some of th~ many unfortunate sailors who escaped from the Spanish Armada ships lost along the coa~ts. of County Donegal. He was cl;l.o oen b~· Ingheen Dubh as one r»C t"he fo~h,r falht!l':> (7) for hl'r son, Red Hugh (>'Donnc:i, and as a patron o{ the Bards, hi~ l1ospitality .is still eni-hrincd in the works of Eorhaid 0 hEoghusa and Tadg dall 0 Ulginn, two great masters of that g:eat period. (8) This great chieftain of Doe Castle was cordially hated by the Queen's deputies in Dublin on account of his befriending the Spaniards and was marked for punishment akin to that administered t-0 O'Rourke fo;,· a i;imilar crime. O'Rorke was driven from iBreifny and the English commanders made. an abortive attempt to do likewise with Mac Sweeney Doe; .but having failed to cross the River Swilly they quickly withdrew from Tirconail (9) . The hunted O'Romke spent a full year as Mac·Swceney's guest in \Doe Castle and from there went tc; Se:otland "in the hope -Of obtaining protection or as:>istance" a fatal venture wh'ich ended with his execution at Tyburn (10). Eoghan Og II. MacSweeney Doe was -0ne of the campa:atively few Tirccnail chieftains. who attended Red Hugh \>,:hen that i:oun"' man was inaugurated i.,o.·d.,of the Cinel Conail at Kilmacrenan in 1592. The Four Masters were well pleased with him and in their recording of bis obituary notice, 1596, described him as "an influential and generous man ·- JIUissant to sllstain, brave to attack . . . .with the gift of good sense and coun;:el, in peace and war" They alS-O reco:·d that f:-om the day that this .\'lac Sweeney assumed the lordship
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