Charlemont, Schomberg and shot: traces of war in the cockpit of Ulster

Recent archaeological excavations have shown the indelible mark of warfare on the land and have revealed the historical events that brought Marshal Frederick Schomberg to our shores. 

The River Blackwater was once one of the most hotly contested places in Ireland throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. An enduring legacy of this turmoil has been the formidable stronghold at Charlemont. Constructed in 1602, it bore the brunt of three major wars, one of which brought Marshal Frederick Schomberg, the commander‑in‑chief of William of Orange’s expedition to Ireland in 1698.