in l\farch, 1G07, Doe Castle was again under seige by Rory O'Donnell and during the fighting •which took place the Earl's principal ally, Sir Niall ,(;arb O'Donnell, was so seriously wounded that l:'.e was not ex:oected to 0recover from his wounds. When eventually the defenders capitulated it was found that the principal rebels had escai,;ed to the woods of Kilmacrenan and the besiege1·s had to content themselves by hanging, en the spot. some three or four of the unfortunate garrison. Soon afterwards the promoters having come in and submitted to the King'~ mercy their lives were spared because "if these young men can be rntisfied with a reasonable portion of land they may be preserved to good purpose to sway the greatness of others in these parts" (;24). These erave M'Ords were written by Chichester, one of the architects of the Plantation of Ulster, and the master .mind which enginee<:"cd the Flight of the Earls. Doe Castle was one of the p.awns in his game and although it was part of Earl Rory's possessions he i!,(- norcd the Earl's title to it ·and nominated as its garrison a company of soldiers from Hansard'~ men in Lifford. He then immediately set about to indemnify his illegal act by Tecommending that Doe Oastle be reserved for His Majesty's l:ands "being of great strength and standing in a dangerous place where it had hitherto been a great annoyance to the quiet settlement of these parts" (25). To which the Lords in Coundl. in Lon.don, at onee rl~plied. that they approvecl Chichester's action and thus fortified, he compelled the Ear] of Tirconail to allow Captain Basil Brooke to dwell in Doe Cast~e and to pass him a lease of four quarte::"s of the best land around it; at terms very much 1o B-rooke's advantage ( 26). Brooke, however, had his eye on much more valuab;e and less contentious property and he merely u:;- ed Doe Castle as his first foothold in Ireland (27). A few months later his lease wa2. nulified by the Flight of the Earls and Doe Castle and its lands was again in the King's hands. During Sir Cahir O'Dohe;rty's rebellion Doe Castle fell into the hands of his ames some time in the month <Jf April, 1608. It \vould. appear that its garrison, then consisted of six warders placed there by Captain Henry Vaughan (28) and that these were betrayed by the Castle';; cowherd "who was brought by n friar to give the alarm that seven or eight wolves were among the cattle; by which device they we:e drawn. all save one, slain and the castle taken" ('.l9). Soon after O'Doherty's defeat and death near Kilmacrennan. Doe Castle was besieged by a mixed Ang1o Irish force which included Sir Niall Garbh O'Donnell and Sir Miles Mac Sweeney. This expedition finished its mopping up operations witb the massacre of the Irish garrirnn on Tory Island (30). One account of this seige tells that Doe Castle only yielded after a demi-cannon fired one hundred balls into it (:H). Repairs were quick;y carried out :rnd its garrison strengthencxl : first under Captain ~lling~ and ~ms.
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