Dunluce Castle is a medieval castle in County Antrim, five kilometers from the Irish town of Portrush. Today, only ruins remain of this majestic castle. But even the little that remains of him is impressive. Dunluce was erected on a 30-meter rock base of black basalt, protruding into the sea, and was connected by a bridge to the mainland. The castle is surrounded on all sides by extremely steep cliffs. It is not surprising that at the time of its heyday, Dunluce Castle seemed the embodiment of indestructible power and, before the advent of firearms, was an impregnable stronghold.
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| Dunluce Castle Medieval Castle |
Dunluce Castle was built in the 13th century by the 2nd Earl of Ulster, Richard de Burgh. The main part of the ruined buildings that we can see in the castle today dates back to the 16th - 17th centuries. The owners of the castle are considered to be the Scottish family of McDonalds, who at that time owned islands close to Scotland. The MacDonald clan lived in the castle until 1690, when the family went bankrupt, and Dunluce was dismantled for the construction of other structures.
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| Dunluce Castle Medieval Castle |
Right under Dunluce Castle there is a cave with access to the sea in case of a sudden escape of the owners of the castle to their ancestral possessions, to Scotland. One of the tragic pages of the castle can be attributed to the evening of 1639, when during a gala dinner, part of the lower kitchen yard collapsed into the sea. Part of this destroyed wall is still visible today as a reminder of those tragic days.