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Land was granted to Sir John Hume, Berwickshire, in 1610 and in 1613 a castle was built at Tully Point on the west shore of Lower Lough Erne.
The three storey strong castle, 15m long and 6m broad, was protected by a bawn of lime and stone 3m square and 4m high, containing four flankers. Considerable details of the castle protection seen from both outside and inside the bawn, together with interpretation of the castle, have been published by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland through the Historic Monuments and Buildings Branch. Although heavily fortified the isolated location of the castle may have contributed to later tragic events.
To recapture family land Rory Maguire raided the castle on Christmas eve in 1641. Most of the male Humes were away and Lady Hume, in good faith of being spared, surrendered. On Christmas day Rory Maguire escorted Lady Hume and her family to Monea Castle. The others were butchered. After only 30 years the castle had been burnt down and has since remained a ruin. The family never returned to Tully Castle and their new castle, Castle Hume, although also on the shores of Lower Lough Erne, was far distant from the original castle.
In the 1970's the castle site was cleared of ivy and undergrowth. The paths of an old garden were found inside the bawn. The gardens and herb garden close to the castle have been faithfully and artistically restored.
The castle ruins are in state care.
Ely Lodge -
located on the southern shore of Lower Lough Erne , has an association through marriage with the Hume family. The Earl of Ely married the daughter of Sir Gustuvus Hume of Hume Castle and they resided in Ely Castle.
In 1870 the castle was thought to be in danger of collapsing and was blown up. In some circles it was reputed that this action was taken to avoid an expensive projected visit to Ireland by Queen Victoria. The stable block remained and was extended to become Ely Lodge.
In 1948 Ely Lodge became the home of Colonel Robert Grosvenor, later to become the Duke of Westminster. The Duke's mother was Lady Mabel Crighton of Crom, where he had happily spent most of his youth. Ely Lodge remained part of the Westminster Estate until the 1980's and is now, once more, the home of the Cathcart family.