Family home The Saunderson family acquired the original
castle during the
Plantation of Ulster. The original castle was inhabited by the
O'Reillys of Breffni and was formerly known as Breffni Castle from the 14th century. Robert Sanderson, who fought on the side of
William of Orange, inherited the castle from his father in 1676.
James II's troops burned the castle in 1689. Months later, 400 of King James's soldiers were ambushed here while on retreat from the battle at
Newtownbutler. They were driven toward the Finn River and many drowned. The present castle dates to 1840 and was destroyed by fire in 1990. Major Frederick John Sandys Lindesay of Loughry and Tullyhogue died there while a guest in 1877.
The Hon. Barry Maxwell, eldest son and
heir apparent of
The 10th Baron Farnham, died in a cycling accident on the estate in 1879. The last Saunderson who owned the castle was Edward's grandson, Captain
Alexander "Sandy" Saunderson. He sold the property to a businessman in 1977. He had planned to use it as a residence, but this never transpired. It later served as a hotel, but was damaged by fire, the third fire to occur at the castle. The Castle Saunderson
Demesne, currently only , has entrances in
County Fermanagh in
Northern Ireland and
County Cavan in the
Republic of Ireland. The demesne includes a church with crypt and family graveyard.
International Scout Centre In 1997 the castle and its grounds were acquired by
Scouting Ireland (CSI). The subsequent formation of
Scouting Ireland, and financial difficulties, delayed its development, and put the campsite project in doubt. With support from the
American Ireland Fund and
Cavan County Council, substantial progress occurred, with the announcement in November 2008 of EU funding for the project, amounting to over €3 million.
His Excellency Michael D. Higgins,
President of Ireland, opened the €3.7 million European-funded Castle Saunderson International Scouting Centre in
County Cavan on 18 August 2012. The President was joined by dignitaries from both sides of the Border, including
Northern Ireland Executive Ministers
Jonathan Bell,
Nelson McCausland and Jennifer McCann, and Minister of State in the Republic, Fergus O’Dowd. In February 2015, Minister
Heather Humphreys announced the approval of the restoration by
Waterways Ireland of a canal, part of the
Ulster Canal, connecting the site to the
Erne basin. The site delivers programmes which complement the
Messenger of Peace Award. The centre has been used by the
Health Service Executive as a mass testing centre during the
COVID-19 outbreak in Ireland. ==References==