Carrickfergus Castle, Carrickfergus

When John de Courcy conquered eastern Ulster in 1177, he built the beginnings of Carrickfergus Castle in a strategic position on Carrickfergus Bay.  Then in 1210 the castle was besieged by King John in 1210 and seized by the English. Hugh de Lacey, who lived there next, expanded the building and added defensive features to the castle, including the murder hole and portcullises by the gatehouse. Over the following centuries, the castle was the Crown’s main residential and administrative centre in the north of Ireland, and the Battle of Carrickfergus took place here during the Nine Years’ War in 1597. However, it passed to the Duke of Schomberg in 1689 and in 1760 was captured by French forces who looted the castle. In 1778 one of the first battles of the American War of Independence took place in the bay just outside the castle. Then it became a garrison and ordnance store during the First World War. Later, in 1928, it was given to the nation as an historic monument, but not before it served one last time during the Second World War as an air-raid shelter. 

Now it is owned by the government and preserved as an ancient monument. Outside on the battlements you can see cannons from the 17th to 19th centuries, and the Great Hall has been renovated and has historical displays and artefacts taking you through the Castle’s varied and complicated history. You can wander around the ruins on your own or choose to take a guided tour, booked in advance.