Dunluce Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dunluce Castle |
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| Dún Libhse Dunluce Caissle |
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| County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom | |
Dunluce Castle, 2018
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 Dunluce Castle
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| Coordinates | 55°12′41″N 6°34′45″W / 55.21139°N 6.57917°W |
| Type | Castle |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Northern Ireland Environment Agency |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | In ruins |
| Site history | |
| Built | Late Middle Ages and 17th century |
Dunluce Castle ( from Irish: Dún Libhse) is an amazing old castle that is now in ruins. It's located in Northern Ireland, right on the edge of a tall, rocky cliff! This castle was once home to powerful families like the MacDonnells. Its dramatic location, surrounded by steep drops, made it a strong fortress and a special place for people long ago, including early Christians and Vikings.
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Looking After Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle is a very important historical site. Because of this, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency takes care of it. This means it's a "monument in state care," which helps protect it so people can visit and learn about its past for many years to come.
The Castle's Long Story
The first castle at Dunluce was built way back in the 1200s by a person named Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster. The earliest parts you can still see are two big round towers. These towers were part of a fort built by the McQuillan family.
From McQuillans to MacDonnells
The McQuillans were in charge of the area called "the Route" from the late 1200s. But then, the MacDonnell family came along. After two big battles in the mid-1500s, the MacDonnells took over.
Dunluce Castle then became the home of the chief of the Clan MacDonnell of Antrim. This clan was also connected to the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg from Scotland. A famous chief, John Mor MacDonald, was the son of a Scottish lord.
In 1584, another MacDonnell, Sorley Boy MacDonnell, took control of the castle. He made it even better, adding Scottish-style features. Sorley Boy promised to be loyal to Queen Elizabeth I. Later, his son Randal became the first Earl of Antrim under King James I.
The Spanish Shipwreck
Four years later, something exciting happened! A large Spanish ship called the Girona was wrecked in a storm near the castle. It was part of the Spanish Armada. The cannons from the ship were brought to the castle and used in its gatehouses. The rest of the ship's valuable cargo was sold, and the money helped fix up the castle.
A Castle Legend
There's a local story that part of the castle's kitchen once fell into the sea. The legend says only a kitchen boy survived because he was sitting in a corner that didn't collapse. However, the kitchen you see today is actually still there and mostly intact! What really happened is that a different part, the north wall of the main living building, fell into the sea much later, in the 1700s.
The Castle Becomes a Ruin
Dunluce Castle was the home of the Earls of Antrim until 1690. After a big battle called the Battle of the Boyne, the MacDonnell family lost a lot of their wealth. Over time, the castle fell into disrepair. People even took stones from it to build other buildings nearby. That's why it's a ruin today.
The Lost Town of Dunluce
Next to Dunluce Castle, archaeologists made an amazing discovery in 2011. They found the remains of a "lost town" that was destroyed in an uprising in 1641.
A Modern Town Long Ago
This town was built around 1608 by Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim. It was built even before the official "Plantation of Ulster" began. This town might have had some of the most modern houses in Europe at the time! It even had indoor toilets, which were very new back then. The town also had a clever street plan, like a grid. Most of this old town is still waiting to be discovered!
Visiting Dunluce Castle
You can reach Dunluce Castle by train to Coleraine or Portrush. From there, local buses can take you closer. There's also a lovely walk from Portrush that goes right past Dunluce Castle.
See also
