Red Bay Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red Bay Castle |
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| north of Glenariff, County Antrim, Northern Ireland | |
 Red Bay Castle
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| Coordinates | 55°04′03″N 6°03′21″W / 55.0675°N 6.055833°W |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Ruin |
Red Bay Castle (which means Caislen Camus Rhuaidh in Irish) is a historic building in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on a piece of land that sticks out into the sea, just north of Glenariff on the road to Cushendall.
Contents
The Story of Red Bay Castle
Who Built Red Bay Castle?
Red Bay Castle was first built in the 1200s by a group called the Bissett family. They built it on the spot where an even older fort used to stand. This older fort was a "motte-and-bailey" type, which was a simple castle design with a mound (motte) and a fenced yard (bailey). It belonged to the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata.
The Bissett family had to leave Scotland and come to Ireland. King Henry III of England gave them a lot of land in the Barony of Glenarm in Ireland, which is how they ended up building the castle here.
Changes and Rebuilding
Later, in the 1500s, the castle became important to the MacDonnells of Antrim family. This happened when John Mor MacDonald married Margery Bissett. The MacDonnells made the castle bigger and stronger.
However, the castle faced many challenges. In 1565, a powerful leader named Shane O'Neill burned it down. But it was rebuilt by Sorley Boy MacDonnell. Even after being rebuilt, the castle slowly fell apart over time.
The Castle's Final Days
In 1604, Red Bay Castle was fixed up again. But its story came to an end in 1652. During a time of war led by Oliver Cromwell in Ireland, the castle was destroyed and left in ruins. Today, you can still see the remains of this historic castle.
