Intrigue. Betrayal. Dramatic Sieges.
If only castle walls could talk!
When I visited the Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland, my stop at Dunluce Castle was the highlight for me.
Generally speaking, I’m of the opinion that “if you’ve seen one castle ruin you’ve seen them all.” But for some reason I was drawn to this one. I can’t quite articulate why I enjoyed this spot so much, other than sometimes you “just do.”
Perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in County Antrim, the remains of medieval Dunluce Castle are rugged and beautiful.
Surrounded by grassy fields dotted with yellow flowering gorse bushes, I can only imagine the feel of the icy Irish winds whipping in off the ocean and racing through the castle walkways.
Its reported that Richard de Burgh, the second Earl of Ulster, built the first castle at Dunluce around the 13th century. It was then occupied by the MacQuillan family and was later seized by the MacDonnell clan, who held it until the late 17th century.
Local legend has it that on a very stormy night in 1693 the castle’s kitchens fell into the sea. However, that’s in dispute as you can still see elements of an ancient kitchen.
In 2011 there was an interesting excavation of “Dunluce Town”, a small town established near the castle in the early 17th century. Among the many items discovered were a blacksmith’s forge, horse shoes, a wine glass stem, and “luxury items” like dress fastenings, bone combs and a bronze tuning pin used to tune harps. A cobbled street running through the town leading toward the castle was also uncovered.
