Fodor's Expert Review Carrickfergus Castle
Built atop a rock ledge in 1180 by John de Courcy, provincial Ulster's first Anglo-Norman invader, Carrickfergus Castle is still in good shape and has sparked renewed visitor appeal with the opening of its dungeons. Apart from being captured briefly by the French in 1760, the castle—one of Ireland's largest—stood as a bastion of British rule until 1928, at which time it still functioned as an English garrison. It is the longest continually used castle of its type. During 2020 work was completed on a huge £1 million conservation project replacing the roof of the Great Tower with a new double-pitched roof. Built using medieval construction designs and techniques, it was made of Irish oak timber from trees which came down in a storm and have been oak-pegged in place without the use of nails or metal fixings. Externally it is finished with Cumbrian stone slates and lead. Walk through the 13th-century gatehouse into the Outer Ward and continue into the Inner Ward, the heart of the fortress,... READ MORE
Built atop a rock ledge in 1180 by John de Courcy, provincial Ulster's first Anglo-Norman invader, Carrickfergus Castle is still in good shape and has sparked renewed visitor appeal with the opening of its dungeons. Apart from being captured briefly by the French in 1760, the castle—one of Ireland's largest—stood as a bastion of British rule until 1928, at which time it still functioned as an English garrison. It is the longest continually used castle of its type. During 2020 work was completed on a huge £1 million conservation project replacing the roof of the Great Tower with a new double-pitched roof. Built using medieval construction designs and techniques, it was made of Irish oak timber from trees which came down in a storm and have been oak-pegged in place without the use of nails or metal fixings. Externally it is finished with Cumbrian stone slates and lead. Walk through the 13th-century gatehouse into the Outer Ward and continue into the Inner Ward, the heart of the fortress, where the four-story keep stands, a massive, sturdy building with walls almost 8 feet thick. Make sure you venture down the steps into the dark stone dungeons along with an ammunitions room. The town's tourist information center is also here in the reception area.
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