It is supposed to have been built by Barry Oge, or Barry the Younger, whose family displaced the O’Mahons in this district, being a descendant of Philip de Barry, the Anglo-Norman invader. The lands of Innishannon were granted to the Barry Oge family either in Henry III.’s or Henry IV.’s reign. In 1449 Barry Oge forfeited the confidence of the Crown, and his lands were seized for the King. But a letter of the time states that he was there “upon the King’s portion, paying his Grace never a penny of rent.” At this time wars at home and abroad had weakened the English power in Ireland, and it is most likely that Barry Oge built Dundaniel Castle to protect the lands he was holding in spite of the forfeiture. In 1548 mention is made of a pirate called Colle coming to Kinsale in a pinnace and marrying Barry Oge’s aunt, living in his castle, and not allowing any one to enter Kinsale. Probably this castle was Dundaniel, where the honeymoon was being spent, but the Barry Oge himself does not seem to have shared the odium in which his uncle-in-law was held. Pirates were a very grave trouble to the south coast for many years following. After the Desmond rebellion Barry Oge’s land was again forfeited in 1588, and bestowed upon MacCarthy Reagh, and in 1599 “Downdandier” is referred to as being in his possession. After the siege of Dunboy Castle, in 1602, Sir George Carew relates having sent some companies of foot soldiers to MacCarthy’s Castle of Dundaniel, to remain there until the army was leaving Munster. Eight years later the estate was purchased by the East India Company for the sum of £7,000. They constructed a dock, where they built two ships, and colonised three villages with some three hundred English settlers. They garrisoned the castle with “four light horse, six corslets, and ten muskets, trained at the Company’s charge.” But this form of industrious innovation was not at all to the liking of the native inhabitants, and they so harassed the company’s workers that they were obliged to appeal to the Government for protection in 1613. This does not appear to have been accorded, as a second petition in the same year asks for leave to place three or four pieces of ordnance in the castle for defence against the “wylde Irish.” The Company, still receiving no Government aid, relinquished their enterprise. In the “Castle Garden” slag, like the refuse of ironworks is still found, which is most likely the remains of the East India Company’s industry. After this the MacCarthys seem to have again taken possession of the castle, and a scion of the old house, named Teige O’Connor, occupied Dundaniel upon the breaking out of hostilities in 1642.