| |
|
| Located on the Antrim coast of
Northern Ireland, not far from the Giants
Causeway, are the ruins of Dunluce Castle. |
 |
| Dunluce Castle has been
a site of historic battles, a movie (Jackie
Chan's - The Medallion) and a tragic
fable. Despite all this, the magnificent
views alone are enough reason to make
Dunluce a stop on your visit.
Setting
100 feet above the ocean on a panicle of
basalt rock, and isolated from the coast
by a 20-foot chasm, Dunluce Castle must
have looked very formidable to its
attackers. Some of the Castle remains at
Dunluce may date back to the 1200s' AD but much of the Castle
was built after that time. At the end of
the 1500s' and through the 1600s',
extensive additions were made to its
fortifications and residential quarters.
Photo
Right - a view of the ruins from one of
Dunluce's' towers.
It is thought Richard de Burgh may have
ordered the construction of the first Dunluce
castle. What is known, is the Castle was taken in
battle around 1565 by 'Sorley Boy Mac Donnell' (some
times the Irish record refers to him as 'Yellow
Charlie'). |
 |
Sorley Boy Mac Donnell was a Scottish chieftain, who from Dunluce, controlled the northeastern coast of Ireland. Apparently, the
English were none too happy with this particular
Scottish incursion in to northern Ireland as in
1584 Queen Elizabeth orders Sir John Perrott to
take the castle. After intensive battle the
castle falls, and Sorley Boy flees. In a little
bit of irony, Perrott appoints (unknown to him) a
confederate of Sorley Boy to select troops to
garrison the castle. As soon as Perrott leaves,
Sorley Boy retakes the castle with ease. In the
end, Sorley Boy bows to Elizabeth and swears his
allegiance to the English Kingdom.
|
Photo
above: The ruins on the main land date primarily
from the 1600's AD, after the
part of the castle falls in to the ocean. |
| More
pages on Dunluce Castle: |
| will be forthcoming |
Outside
Links:
| Dunluce Parish provides
a lot of information on the
MacDonnell family. |
| |
|
|
Eventually, Sorley Boys' son Randal
inherits the castle from his father and becomes the Earl
of Antrin.
| More
pages on Northern Island
|
|
The
Fable (or is it?): Many years ago, I
recall reading of a castle on the north coast of
Ireland with a tragic tale. A wedding party
gathered for celebration in the keep of an old
castle. Outside the thick walls of the castle,
raged a mighty storm. Then suddenly, part of the
castle falls in to the ocean taking with it the
kitchen and some of the wedding guests.
In 1639, during the time of
Randal McDonald, the kitchen of Dunluce castle
did fall in to the sea taking with it the cooking
staff. The rest of the above story I cannot find
a reference to; or perhaps the story was
embellished to entertain the tourist.
|
Prior to 1641, as demonstrated by the
number of gravestones at the churchyard, there was a
prosperous village around the castle. Primarily composed
of Scottish, the village member quickly fled back to
Scotland on the arrival of an Irish army. The army laid
waste to the village but the castle stood firm. It was
not until a year later (1642) when General Munro arrested
the Earl during a 'friendly' visit, did the castle
actually fall.
|
|
|
