The keep is situated in Swan park and is a fine example of a medieval tower house that was built on the site of a Norman foundation, which had been demolished.
O’Doherty’s Keep was captured from the O’Doherty clan after the rebellion of Sir Cahir O’Doherty , which resulted in his death and the flight of the Earls. The Keep was then granted to Sir Arthur Chichester –an English nobleman who had already seized lands from O’Doherty on Inch Island.

Chichester leased it to Sir John Vaughan and the Vaughan family who are linked with the development of the modern town of Buncrana. The Vaughan Family lived here until 1718, when they then demolished the bawn wall of the keep and used it to build part of their new house- Vaughan Castle.

Within the building can be seen a fireplace and mural stairs