Dunluce Castle
Our very last stop in Northern Ireland (before returning to Dublin to fly to Norway) was Dunluce Castle. On the way there from Giant's Causeway, we saw telltale signs of the Giro D'Italia 2014 that had happened a day or two prior, hence the giant bicycle art in the grass.
Dunluce Castle is also located in County Antrim and is a short 10-15 minute drive away from Giant's Causeway. It was built into the cliffs of north Antrim around 1500 by the MacQuillan family, though the earliest mention of it in written records was in 1513. In the 1550s the MacDonnell clan seized the castle under the famous warrior chieftan Sorely Boy MacDonnell. This occurred during a period of violence and rebellion when Sorely Boy sought to consolidate MacDonnell territories in Scotland and Ireland.
By the 17th century Dunluce had become the seat of the earls of Antrim. A small town had established itself by 1608 and can be seen by visitors exploring findings from archaeological digs within the stone merchants' houses.
However, misfortune struck the castle again. In 1639 during a dark and stormy evening the kitchen, along with the kitchen staff, fell into the sea as Sorely Boy's grandson--the 2nd Earl of Antrim--and his wife were waiting for dinner. After such a shocking event the earl and his wife finally decided to abandon the castle and relocated to a house in Glenarm, which had already been built by the 1st Earl of Antrim. Unfortunately the Scots Covenator army burned it down in the 1640s, so the Antrim family moved to a house near Dunluce called Ballymagarry until the Glenarm Castle was rebuilt in 1756 by the 5th Earl.
Dunluce castle has a more extensive history than I've summarized above, not to mention some stunning views from the crumbling castle walls. If you have extra time during your Northern Ireland tour, this is a good place to stop and unwind as we found it mostly empty of tourists.
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