Doon Hill

Doon Hill (Irish: Cnoc an Dúin, meaning 'hill of the fort')^[1] is a volcanic plug in the townland of Bunowen More, in the barony of Ballynahinch, near Ballyconneely in County Galway, Ireland.^[2] The hill, which is 67 m high, is a prominent landscape feature on the Errismore peninsula.^[2] Fishermen use Doon Hill as a landmark to guide them into Bunowen Pier at Aillebrack.^{[citation needed]} The Irish name for the hill, dún, means "fortress", possibly indicating an earlier fort on top of the hill.

At the top of Doon Hill are the ruins of a Napoleonic era signal tower (dating to c. 1806) and a concrete watch post dating from the period of The Emergency (WWII).^[3]

Nearby, Bunowen Castle was built in the mid-1700s.^[4] Built on lands originally associated the O'Flaherty family,^[5] following the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, the lands at Bunowen were "transplanted" to Art Geoghegan, a landowner from County Westmeath.^[6][7] The Geoghegan family rebuilt and extended the original O'Flaherty castle, and remained in the castle until the mid-19th century.^{[citation needed]} The castle was purchased by the Blake family in 1852, for use as a summer home.^[5] The castle, now in ruin, is owned by the McDonagh family.^{[citation needed]} Near the castle are the ruins of a medieval church, a cemetery, and a garden.^{[citation needed]}