Marshall Doran Collection at Belleek Castle

The highlight of the tour at Belleek Castle is the Marshall Doran Collection which is one of the finest collections of arms and armour, fossils and antiques in Ireland. You will also see the Grace O’Malley room and the last wolf shot in Connaught.When taking part in the tour you will see private dining rooms decorated in opulent romantic style, including the Medieval Banquet Hall, the Spanish Armada and the Tween Deck rooms. Belleek Castle was built between 1825 and 1831 on the site of a medieval abbey, one of four along the River Moy. Belleek Castle was commissioned by Sir Arthur Francis Knox-Gore. The manor house was designed by the prolific architect John Benjamin Keanes, and the neo-gothic architecture met the taste of the time when medieval styles become fashionable. The Knox-Gores lived in Belleek Castle until the early 1940’s.Marshall Doran, a merchant navy officer and an avid collector of fossils and medieval armour, acquired the run down property in 1961, and restored it. Some of the rooms are still in the 19th century style, whilst most of the interior design has a medieval and nautical touch. Marshall, being quite a craftsman, did a lot of the work himself, assisted by John Mullen, and supervised the restoration expertly. Today the castle is managed by Marshall’s son Paul Doran and Ms Maya Nikolaeva.