Olderfleet Castle facts for kids
.jpg)
Olderfleet Castle is an old building that was once a four-storey towerhouse. A towerhouse is a tall, strong house built for defense. The remains of Olderfleet Castle stand on Curran Point, which is south of Larne Harbour in Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The name Olderfleet might come from Ulfrecksfiord, which was the Viking name for Larne Lough. This name means "Ulfried's Fjord."
Olderfleet Castle is a special place that is protected as a State Care Historic Monument. It is located in the area called Curran and Drumaliss.
Contents
History of Olderfleet Castle
The first towerhouse on this spot was probably built around 1250. It was likely built by the Bissett family from Glenarm, who were a powerful family in the area. However, the castle you see today is thought to be a different building. It might be what was known as Curran Castle, built in the 1500s. On a map from 1610, it was indeed called Coraine Castle.
Important Events at the Castle
In 1315, a Scottish leader named Edward Bruce landed at Olderfleet. He came with a large army of 6,000 soldiers. They were on their way to try and conquer Ireland. The Bissett family welcomed him when he arrived.
Later, Queen Elizabeth I of England thought this castle was very important for controlling the area. Because of this, the Crown (the government of the time) took control of it. In 1569, a man named Sir Moyses Hill was made the castle's governor.
In 1597, the MacDonnell family claimed the castle for themselves. But just one year later, in 1598, the castle was taken apart.
The Castle We See Today
The castle that stands today was likely built around 1612. In 1621, it was given to Sir Arthur Chichester. His family owned it for many years. In 1823, they leased it to William Agnew.
Later, in 1865, James Chaine bought the lease for the castle. Finally, in 1938, Olderfleet Castle was taken into State Care. This means the government now looks after it to preserve its history.
What Olderfleet Castle Looks Like Today
What is left of the four-storey towerhouse is only part of the tower. In the basement, you can still see pairs of "gun loops." These were small openings in the walls. They allowed people inside to fire guns at attackers.
The remaining square shape of the castle shows that its walls were only about 1 meter thick. There are no clear signs of living spaces inside, like fireplaces or windows for homes. This suggests that the building might have been used differently. It could have been built as a strong warehouse to store goods. Or it might have been a watchtower to keep an eye on the harbor and surrounding area.
