Dunseverick Castle
Dunseverick Castle is situated in County Antrim, near the small village of Dunseverick. The fortified site was inhabited from early times. One of the royal roads from Tara, seat of the Kings of Ireland, ended here. The castle is named after Sobairce, one of the Kings of Ireland, who reputedly built a fort, called Dunsobairce here in 1525 BC. During the “Dark Ages” it was an important site in the Gaelic kingdom of Dal Raita that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and the north-eastern corner of Ireland. In the 5th century the fort was visited several times by Saint Patrick who even baptized a local man here who later became Bishop of Ireland. A well, which existed a few feet from the cliff edge, was named after St. Patrick. In 870 the stone fort at this location was attacked by Vikings. From about 1000 Dunseverick Castle was held by the O'Cahan family. As a result of the 1641 Rising, when rebel Catholic elements surprised Protestant settlers, massacring large numbers, Dunseverick Castle was destroyed by General Robert Monro and his troops. The scant remains of Dunseverick Castle are wall fragments of a tower and some overgrown foundations on top of a dramatic promontory. A small residential tower survived until 1978 when it eventually collapsed into the sea below.
Dunseverick Castle
Dunseverick Castle is situated in County Antrim, near the small village of Dunseverick. The fortified site was inhabited from early times. One of the royal roads from Tara, seat of the Kings of Ireland, ended here. The castle is named after Sobairce, one of the Kings of Ireland, who reputedly built a fort, called Dunsobairce here in 1525 BC. During the “Dark Ages” it was an important site in the Gaelic kingdom of Dal Raita that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and the north-eastern corner of Ireland. In the 5th century the fort was visited several times by Saint Patrick who even baptized a local man here who later became Bishop of Ireland. A well, which existed a few feet from the cliff edge, was named after St. Patrick. In 870 the stone fort at this location was attacked by Vikings. From about 1000 Dunseverick Castle was held by the O'Cahan family. As a result of the 1641 Rising, when rebel Catholic elements surprised Protestant settlers, massacring large numbers, Dunseverick Castle was destroyed by General Robert Monro and his troops. The scant remains of Dunseverick Castle are wall fragments of a tower and some overgrown foundations on top of a dramatic promontory. A small residential tower survived until 1978 when it eventually collapsed into the sea below.