The Unforgettable Dunluce Castle – A Brief History
Introduction
Dunluce Castle is without doubt one of the most dramatic and iconic of all Irish castles. Perched on a high clifftop on the north Antrim coast, it can only be accessed by a bridge, previously the drawbridge to the ancient fortification. The steep, rugged cliffs drop down nearly 100ft to the swirling North Channel of the Atlantic Ocean. The ruins are both bleak and majestic and totally awe-inspiring.
“From whatever point of view they are beheld, they at once rivet the attention and excite the imagination of the gazer. The grey and mossy turrets, crumbling walls, and fragments of old fortifications, lie scattered over the surface of a rocky promontory, projecting boldly into the wild and turbulent waters, whose surges rave and foam a hundred feet below the verge of the cliff, which rises sheer from the waves”
McComb’s Guide To Belfast, The Giants Causeway and The Adjoining Districts, 1861
Location
The site lies close to the town of Bushmills, near to the mouth of the River Bush. It is between the popular tourist towns of Portballintrae and Portrush. The Gaelic word ‘dun’ means a fortified place, so Dunluce has been interpreted as the ‘strong fort’ or more interestingly as the ‘fort of the sea-sprite’.
The defensive advantages of this basalt outcropping, have led to it being inhabited for over 1,000 years. It is believed there was a settlement here from the first millennium.
“This isolated and precipitous rock, separated by a deep chasm from the mainland, and almost surrounded by a sea seldom peaceful, would be practically impregnable before the use of artillery”
A Guide to Dunluce Castle, 1929
A man-made souterrain, or artificial cave, dating from around 800AD, has been discovered in the rock face. This would imply that there was an early Celtic fort on the site. The souterrain would be used for storing foodstuffs and also as a place of refuge in troubled times. It is also believed that the Vikings had a fortification here.
Dunluce Castle Residents
The first recorded castle built here was in the 13th century. It was constructed for Richard Óg (the younger) de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster and 3rd Baron of Connaught. Richard was the son of Richard Mor (the elder) de Burgh and Aveline Fitzjohn, daughter of Sir John Fitzgeoffrey.
He succeeded his father in 1271, at the tender age of 12. Despite his youth, Richard was to become one of the most powerful Norman lords in the north of the island.
By the early 14th century, Dunluce was in the hands of the McQuillan clan, who were Lords of the Route. This medieval territory stretched from Ballycastle to Coleraine and as far south as the River Clogh. The McQuillans are thought to be descended from the Anglo-Norman de Mandeville family who possessed large sections of north Antrim.
However, the castle changed hands again when the McQuillans were defeated by their arch-rivals (previously allies), the MacDonnells. The MacDonnells claim to the Glynns came through a marriage alliance with Margery, heiress of Bisset in 1399.They had strong links with neighbouring Scotland.
John Mor MacDonnell, who lived at Dunluce, was chief of the Clan MacDonnell of Antrim and of the Clan MacDonnell of Dunnyveg in Scotland. He was the second son of ‘Good John’ of Islay, Lord of the Isles and Princess Margaret Stewart, daughter of the Scottish king Robert 11.
Sorley Boy MacDonnell
In 1584, on the death of his elder brother Colla, the castle and surrounding regions fell to the ownership of Sorley Boy MacDonnell. During Sorley Boy’s reign the castle was improved with a Scottish-style gatehouse which replaced one damaged by English artillery fire.
Sorley Boy was a brilliant tactician both on the battlefield and in the turbulent political arena of the times. His career is one of power struggles and changing allegiances.
“The history of Ulster – indeed of all Ireland – in the sixteenth century, is one of incessant turmoil, cruel wars, murders, and what appear to modern eyes inhuman and bloody atrocities… The English policy seem to have been deliberately to encourage these internecine strifes, in order to weaken the native chiefs and render their ultimate conquest by themselves so much easier”
H C Lawlor, Dunluce Castle and the Route, 1919
The Girona
In October 1588 the Spanish galleon, the Girona, was wrecked on the rocks off the Antrim coast (see link below to the post “Shipwreck! The Story of the Girona“).
Sorley Boy sent his men to aid in the rescue attempt. He arranged safe passage to Scotland for the survivors and provided a Christian burial for the dead. He also, unsurprisingly, helped himself to any recovered Spanish treasure and had the ‘rescued’ cannons mounted on Dunluce’s walls.
The nearby cove is still called Portnaspanaigh – Port of the Spaniards.
“…the MacDonnells secured some of the fine guns from that vessel and mounted them at Dunluce; and they also rescued one of the great Spanish iron treasure chests which it is said is still in the possession of the Earl of Antrim at Glenarm”
Richard Hayward In Praise of Ulster, 1946
Sorley Boy died in 1590 and is buried in the family vault at Bonamargy Friary graveyard at Ballycastle (see link to the post “Bonamargy Friary – War, Treasure and the Black Nun’s Ghost“).
Sorley Boy was succeeded by his son James. He was in a strong position and refused ‘to pay respect’ to the English Sir John Chichester. The pair met in battle near Carrickfergus in 1597 and the English were defeated. James died in Dunluce Castle 1601 when a local doctor, given a bribe of £8 by the English, administered poison.
Randal MacDonnell, James’s younger brother became the clan chief. In 1602 MacDonnell’s relative and friend James VI of Scotland ascended the throne as James I of England. Randal was created the 1st Earl of Antrim and Viscount Dunluce.
Dunluce Castle
During the time of the next Randal (Sorley’s grandson) and his wife Lady Katherine Manners, the castle was lavishly enhanced. Katherine was the widow of the Duke of Buckinghamshire and daughter of the Earl of Rutland.
Randal had an Elizabethan-style manor house with a slate roof built within the curtain walls. On the front western edifice were the main doorway and three two-storied bay windows. A four-light mullioned window sat in the north gable and the main hall featured a large fireplace.
Inside Dunluce Castle
An inventory of the time shows some of the luxury contents of the castle – finely inlaid cabinets, a large library of books, 60 upholstered chairs and stools, telescopes, terrestrial and celestial globes and saddles decorated with gold and silver.
The MacDonnells were frequent visitors to Hampton Court and it is said that the heavy curtains and tapestries at Dunluce once belonged to Cardinal Wolsey, the deposed Archbishop of York and Primate of England, and previous owner of Hampton Court.
Collapse?
Legend has it, that it was during this time, in 1639, that a large section of the castle walls fell into the sea. This was reported to be the castle kitchen, and that only one of the ten kitchen servants survived the disaster – a young scullery boy (or a fiddler in some accounts) who was huddled in a far corner of the room. However, archaeological evidence has uncovered the intact kitchen among today’s ruins, so perhaps the story has become entangled in the telling.
Dunluce Castle remained the seat of the MacDonnells until after the battle of the Boyne in 1690. Having chosen to support James, this defeat led to their loss of wealth and power. The MacDonnells moved to Ballymagarry House and when this was destroyed by fire in 1750, to Glenarm Castle.
The majestic castle at Dunluce was left to fall into disrepair.
Dunluce Castle Today
In the 20th century a share of Dunluce Castle became the property of the English politician Winston Churchill through his marriage to Clementine Hozier.
In 1928 the castle was given over to the State. Dunluce Castle is now maintained by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
Today, one of the earliest surviving features of the castle are the two ‘drum’ towers built by the McQuillans. These are circular structures, about 30ft in diameter, situated on the north-east and south-east of the castle. In one, the marks of the wicker-work frame can still be discerned. There were originally five circular towers guarded by archers.
The castle gatehouse remains, leading to a paved yard.
Most of the remaining buildings date from the 17th century. Though the earliest standing remnants of the castle date to about 1500AD, the thick outer wall surrounded the castle. The ramparts were reached by stone steps.
Outside the curtain walls there were numerous buildings such as stables, a brew house and extensive lodgings for visitors.
The castle kitchens were situated close to the banqueting hall so that food would be hot on serving. They still contain two large well-preserved stone ovens.
One aspect of the castle architecture that we can still appreciate today are the position of the windows. These were glazed with diamond-shaped greenish glass panes and were designed to make the most of the beautiful vistas over the stunning coastline and across to Donegal and the Isle of Islay.
“A feature of the castle is the extraordinarily picturesque views that are obtainable through its broken windows, particularly that from a window in the northern section which looks through the natural limestone arches of the White Rocks along the strand to Portrush”.
A Guide to Dunluce Castle, 1929
Spirits of Dunluce
The Ghost of Maeve Roe
As can be imagined of a castle with such a long and troubled history, Dunluce has two residents of the ‘spiritual’ nature.
The north-eastern tower is haunted by the White Lady. This is Maeve Roe (Maeve of the red hair), a young lady of the McQuillan clan.
She fell in love with an ‘unsuitable’ man and was locked in the tower by her irate father for refusing to marry the suitor, Rory Óg, whom he had chosen. In those days, high-ranking ladies were expected to make marriage ‘alliances’ to increase the military strength or political power of their families.
The unfortunate maiden was said to have pined away and died of a broken heart. In past times the tower was referred to by locals as ‘Queen Maeve’s Room’ or the ‘Banshee Tower’ because of the sound of sobbing that was sometimes heard.
In another telling of the tale, Maeve Roe was actually freed from her imprisonment by her lover, Reginald O’Cahan, one dark and stormy night. The couple fled to the shore where Reginald had hidden a rowing boat in a cave. The love-struck pair set out but the storm was fierce and the little wooden craft was dashed against the cliff-face. Maeve and Reginald were drowned. It is said that her spirit remains – still waiting for her lost love.
The Ghost of Peter Carey
The second ghost most frequently seen in Dunluce is that of Peter Carey. He haunts the south-eastern tower.
During the brief period in 1583 when Dunluce was occupied by English forces under the command of Lord Deputy Sir John Perrott, Carey was appointed constable of the castle. When Dunluce was regained by the MacDonnells, he was promptly hung from the south-east tower’s ramparts.
Apparently, this spectre is quite flamboyant, sporting a flowing purple cloak and with his long hair tied back in a pony-tail.
Another interesting feature lies 82ft directly below the castle itself. This is a long cave or tunnel running all the way from the sea to the mainland. This is known as the Mermaid’s Cave.
Dunluce Town
A relatively recent discovery is the remains of Dunluce town situated on the mainland just across from the castle. This town was founded by Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim in 1608, on the site of a late 15th century settlement.
A cobbled main street lined with stone houses led to the castle. These merchants’ houses are particularly notable, not only for their fireplaces, glazed windows and slate roofs but also because they featured indoor toilets!
The town also had its own courthouse, dungeon/ jail and gallows. A blacksmiths forge complete with anvil, chisel and horseshoes has also been uncovered.
We know there were operating mills and that in the 1620’s Dunluce was a thriving market town. Among the items excavated are clay pipes, pottery, glass beads, gaming pieces and a metal belt buckle. Luxury goods such as bone combs, dress fastenings, the stem of a wine glass and a bronze pin for tuning harps also suggest the town was prosperous.
By the early 17th century it is reckoned Dunluce town had a population of around 300. These were mainly Scottish Planters brought over by the MacDonnells. However, we know there were also English, Welsh and Irish inhabitants and even some folk from the Continent.
However, with the failure of Irish rebel forces to capture the castle in 1641, Dunluce town was burned to the ground. Most of the townsfolk were able to escape and sailed safely back to Scotland. Over the following centuries the site was gradually covered over by earth until its rediscovery in the 21st century.
Inspirational Ruins
Not surprisingly the dramatic ruins of Dunluce Castle have proved an inspiration for poets, musicians and artists over the years.
The Irish composer Norman Hay produced an orchestral piece ‘Dunluce’ in 1921. The castle is also believed to have been the idea for Cair Paravel in the Chronicles of Narnia by Belfast author C S Lewis. In addition, Dunluce has been the subject of paintings and artworks by Sam McLarnon, Emma Colbert, Robert G Chestnutt, Liam Jones and many more.
Dunluce has also appeared onscreen in films such as ‘Flight of the Doves’ (1971) and ‘The Medallion’ (2003). More recently, it featured as Greyjoy Castle in ‘Game of Thrones’.
“The ruins of the once famous Castle of Dunluce, celebrated in song as well as in chronicle, are not surpassed, either in picturesque interest or in its historical and romantic associations, by any on the entire coasts of the British Isles”
McComb’s Guide To Belfast, The Giants Causeway and The Adjoining Districts, 1861
Related Posts
Shipwreck! The Story of the Girona
Bonamargy Friary – War, Treasure & the Black Nun’s Ghost
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