Carra Castle, Antrim
Ruined castle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carra Castle or Castle Carra (Irish: Caisleán Carrach) is a ruined castle, just north of Cushendun, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It dates to around the early 14th century.[1] The castle lies in a field near the coast and the harbour of Cushendun. The site had once been used during medieval times as a children's cemetery.[1]
| Castle Carra | |
|---|---|
| |
  Location within Northern Ireland | |
| General information | |
| Type | Ruined castle |
| Location | Near Cushendun, County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 55°7′57.5″N 6°2′29.4″W |
Etymology
History
The castle was once occupied by Irish king Shane O'Neill, and Sorley Boy McDonnell was held as a prisoner here in 1565.[1] In 1567, two years after being defeated by O'Neill, the McDonnells entertained him in Castle Carra during two days of hunting and feasting. However, on the third day, 2 June, during a quarrel, they stabbed O'Neill to death to avenge their earlier defeat and sent his head to the English representatives of Queen Elizabeth in Dublin Castle.[1]
In 1585, Donnell Gorm MacDonnell was besieged by the English,; his father, Sorley Boy landed near the castle and drove off the besiegers.[4] Around 1730, it was known to have been occupied by the Lynch family.[5] Today the castle is in ruins and overgrown with ivy.[6]
Architecture and fittings
The house has the characteristics of a hall house, but its outside dimensions are that of a tower house.[7] What remains are the ruins of a 16th-century square tower house built over a Mesolithic flint working site.