The O'Dowdas were Irish Chieftains in Norman times. They lived in their Connaughtesian manor (Sligo/Mayo) from 1447. Eventually, they were evicted and the manor was used as a Williamite military base during the Catholic-Protestant war. In the 1600s, the castle was rennovated and two new chimneys were constructed. After the Catholic-Protestant war, the castle ceased to be habited. Below is a link to a page that has the full story of the manor and many other Dowd stories [1]