Castle Saunderson



Castle Saunderson is a castle near Belturbet, County Cavan, Ireland. It was the family seat of the Saunderson family, who acquired the original castle in 1573 during the Ulster plantation. The original castle was inhabited by the O'Reillys of Breffni and formerly known as Breffni Castle since the 14th century. The present castle dating from the 1840s. A notable member of the family born there was Edward Saunderson, founder of the Ulster Unionist Party.

Captain Alexander Saunderson sold the Castle in 1977 to a businessman, who planned to use it as a residence, but this never transpired. It later served as a hotel, but was damaged by fire, the third fire to occur at the Castle. In 1997 it was acquired by Scouting Ireland (CSI). The subsequent formation of Scouting Ireland and financial difficulties had delayed its development as a cross-border Scout campsite, but substantial progress occurred with the announcement in November 2008 of EU funding for the project, amounting to over €3 million.

Michael D Higgins, President of Ireland, opened the €3.7 million European-funded Castle Saunderson International Scouting Centre in Cavan on 18 August 2012. The President was joined by dignitaries from both sides of the Border, including Northern Ireland Executive Ministers Jonathan Bell, Nelson McCausland and Jennifer McCann and Minster of State in the Republic Fergus O’Dowd.

The Saunderson Castle estate (currently only 103 acres) has an entrance in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These grounds include a church and family grave yard.