Raphoe

Raphoe is an old ecclesiastical centre in the fertile country of eastern Donegal. Its cathedral and bishop's residence reflect the town's long role as a seat of church authority. In the early seventeenth century Bishop Andrew Knox undertook repairs to the cathedral; his successor John Leslie built a fortified palace in the 1630s. The bishop's castle was besieged during the rising of 1641, and Leslie held it until relieved. It faced another siege during the Cromwellian conquest and surrendered in 1650, bringing the wars of the century to the bishop's own residence.