Saunderson Castle is located in Cavan County, Ireland. The original castle on this site was called Breffni Castle and was part of the Ulster plantation, which was inhabited by the O-Reilly’s of Breffni in the 14thcentury. The castle was acquired by the Saunderson family in 1676 and was destroyed by fire in 1689. The present castle was built by Francis Sanderson and dates from around 1779. In 1840, his son, Alexander redesigned the classical home into an Elizabethan gothic style castle. The castle’s north and south fronts are asymmetrical, the east facing, two story entrance has a three story castellated tower that is flanked by castellated octagonal turrets, with square turrets at opposing ends of the structure. In 1977, the Saunderson’s had still not lived at the property and they sold it to a businessman who was willing to undergo the restoration. The castle became a hotel for a short period of time and then it was sold again. The castle was destroyed by a fire in 1990 and left in ruins. In 1997, the castle and its grounds were acquired by Scouting Ireland. In 2012, the Castle Saunderson International Scouting Center opened on the castle grounds. The center provides indoor accommodations and campsites amongst the 34 acres.
