Places to go > County Antrim > Dunluce Castle < Castles & Forts < Things to do

Castles & Forts: Beaumaris Castle, Wales Caernarfon Castle, Wales Caerphilly Castle, Wales Cardiff Castle, Wales Carew Castle, Wales Carreg Cennen Castle, Wales Carrickfergus Castle, N. Ireland Castell Coch, Wales Castell Dinas Bran, Wales Chirk Castle, Wales Cilgerran Castle, Wales Conwy Castle, Wales Denbigh Castle, Wales Dinefwr Castle, Wales Dundrum Castle, N. Ireland Dunluce Castle, N. Ireland Dunseverick Castle, N. Ireland Dunster Castle, England Enniskillen Castle, N. Ireland Harlech Castle, Wales Kidwelly Castle, Wales Pembroke Castle, Wales Powis Castle, Wales Raglan Castle, Wales Rhuddlan Castle, Wales Tretower Castle & Court, Wales ................................................. _________________________________

County Antrim attractions: Botanic Gardens, Belfast Carrick-a-Rede Bridge Carrickfergus Castle Dunluce Castle Dunseverick Castle Giant's Causeway Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum Old Bushmills Distillery Ossian's Grave Ulster Museum ................................................. _________________________________

Dunluce Castle Bushmills, Co. Antrim, BT57 8QG, UK. Tel. +44 (0) 28 2073 1938

Dunluce Castle sits perched dramatically on the edge of an eroding 100ft cliff-top above a sea cave, near the seaside village of Portballintrae on the County Antrim coast.

A fort is thought to have existed on the site as far back as early Christian times, although the romantic ruins of today date mainly from the 16th century, when the castle was the fort of the MacDonnell clan, the Earls of Antrim and 'Lords of the Isles'. Sorley Boy MacDonnell was forced to abandon the castle when it was besieged by the English in the late 16th century, but regained it shortly afterwards, repairing the damage and adding the Scottish-styled turreted gatehouse. He also used canons salvaged from a Spanish Armada vessel, the Girona, which was shipwrecked nearby.

In 1639 a storm caused the castle kitchen to fall into the sea. The MacDonnells moved to Glenarm, leaving the castle empty, after which it fell into decay. Separated from the mainland by a deep chasm, with the wild sea crashing at the rocks below, the desolate ruins of Dunluce are some of the most scenic in Ireland and command spectacular views over the coast. The castle can be reached by bridge, while on the mainland are the 17th century remains of domestic buildings and gardens.

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UK Castles & Forts in our Castles tour section:

Beaumaris Castle
Caernarfon Castle
Caerphilly Castle
Cardiff Castle
Carew Castle
Carreg Cennen Castle
Carrickfergus Castle
Castell Coch
Castell Dinas Bran
Chirk Castle
Cilgerran Castle
Conwy Castle
Denbigh Castle
Dinefwr Castle
Dundrum Castle
Dunluce Castle
Dunseverick Castle
Dunster Castle
Enniskillen Castle,
Harlech Castle,
Kidwelly Castle
Pembroke Castle
Powis Castle
Raglan Castle
Rhuddlan Castle
Tretower Castle
Edinburgh Castle

Other Northern Ireland travel related links:

Northern Ireland hotel
Northern Ireland tour
Northern Ireland cottage
Northern Ireland hostel