Dunluce Castle

Dunluce Castle Review

Halfway between Portrush and the Giant's Causeway, dramatically perched on a cliff at land's end, Dunluce Castle is one of the north's most evocative ruins. Even roofless, this shattered bulk conjures up a strength and aura that is quintessentially Antrim. Its long-storied history is filled with marvels, beginning with the fact that it stands on a 100-foot-high basalt rock that contains the "Mermaid's Cave" (accessible by both land and sea). Originally a 13th-century Norman fortress, it was captured in the 16th century by the local MacDonnell clan chiefs—the so-called Lords of the Isles. They enlarged the castle, paying for some of the work with their profits from salvaging the Spanish galleon Girona—note the two openings in the old gatehouse wall made for cannons that Sorely Boy MacDonnell rescued from the wreck—and made it an important base for ruling northeastern Ulster. Perhaps they expanded the castle a little too much, for in 1639 faulty construction caused the kitchens (with all the cooks) to plummet into the sea during a storm. You can watch the story come alive by watching the 10-minute video in the building beside the gift shop.