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ABOUT DUNLUCE |
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The limestone cliffs of the White Rocks ends abruptly against a dark basalt outcrop which is majestically crowned by Dunluce Castle and joined to the mainland by an arched walkway, underneath lies the ' Mermaid's Cave'. It is believed that the castle was built or (possibly) rebuilt by Richard de Burgh or one of his chief followers during the Anglo Norman period in Ireland. The site certainly was occupied as a fort before this time, a souterrain exists on the outcrop under one of the towers. The most colourful occupier of Dunluce Castle was Sorley Boy MacDonnell, a Scottish chieftain whose clan established their dominance along the north coast in the mid 1500s. It was lay seige to on several occassions during its long history, three examples were: 1584 - Queen Elizabeth dispatched Sir John Perrott (the Lord Deputy of Ireland) from Dublin with an army to arrest Sorley Boy MacDonnell - he lay siege to Dunluce on September 14th 1584 and on the third day the castle surrendered - Sorley had flown the nest before his arrival and evaded arrest. The castle was held by Perrott for one year, Sorley re-took it on his departure. 1641 - It was unsuccessfully besieged by an Irish army - the village of Dunluce was destroyed but the castle held out under the command of a Captain Digby and was relieved by the Earl of Antrim in April of that year. 1642 - in July General Munro arrived with a thousand foot soldiers, two troops of cavalry and field guns, acting under the orders of the Marquis of Argyll (an enemy of the Earl) he arrested and imprisoned the Earl in Carrickfergus, he also ransacked Dunluce and other castles belonging to the Earl. The castle which has seen many additions to its original structure over the centuries gradually fell into disuse from the late 1600s' when the last occupier, Randall MacDonnell, the second Earl of Antrim moved to Ballymagarry House. In the mid 1700s the seat of the Earl's of Antrim moved to the present location of Glenarm Castle. A thriving merchant village that once surrounded the castle was destroyed by fire during 1641 when the castle was besieged by an Irish army, the outlines of some of the old walls can still be seen in the land to the west of the castle. Close by is the ancient church ruins of St. Cuthbert's named after a Northumbrian monk and the (possible) burial site of sailors and noblemen from the Spanish Armada. On a clear day you can look over an expanse of ocean from here to Donegal and round to Islay, a view which has remained unchanged for centuries. It was within this view that the tragedy of the emigrant ship the Exmouth took place in April, 1857, bound for Quebec, she spent almost three days in horrendous sea conditions before finally breaking up on rocks off Islay with the loss of 240 lives - her story is told here. |
