One of the most extensive ruins of a medieval castle in Northern Ireland. The ruins have an awe-inspiring grandeur as they rise from a basaltic rock standing over a hundred-feet above the wild and chill northern sea. The castle is drmatically surrounded by terrifyingly steep drops either side, which would have been a very important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood. Eventually becoming, in the sixteenth century, the principal stronghold of the McDonnells, 'Lords of the Isles'.It is believed that Richard de Burgh or one of his chief followers either built or rebuilt the castle during the Anglo Norman period in Ireland but here is no doubt that the site was a functioning fort before this time. The castle's last occupant was Randall MacDonnell (the second Earl of Antrim) before he moved to Ballmagarry House when the castle fell into disuse. In 1641 the castle was besieged by the Irish army resulting in the destruction of a nearby merchant village. These are just snippets of the castle's colourful past which is just waiting to be discovered.On a clear day you can look over an expansve of ocean from here to Donegal and round to Islay, a view which has remained unchanged for centuries.
