Dunluce Castle

About this book

Dunluce Castle, positioned dramatically on Northern Ireland's Antrim coast, was for centuries at the center of a maritime lordship encompassing north Ulster and the Western Isles of Scotland. While there is evidence of settlement at this location since the early medieval period, the castle itself was only built at the end of the 15th century by the MacQuillands, and later occupied by the MacDonnells who engaged in an extensive program of rebuilding. This book, the first full study of Dunluce Castle, details its historical context and summarizes the architectural development of the site from the close of the 15th century through to its abandonment in the final decades of the 17th century. It also outlines the findings of a major program of archaeological excavation and survey that has uncovered previously unidentified medieval buildings and large sections of a town built around the site from 1608, but destroyed three decades later. The book also provides a history of tourism and conservation at the castle, Northern Ireland's most visited historic monument.