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The Great Britain Guide

Castles · Northern Ireland

Dunluce Castle

Department for CommunitiesPaid admission♿ Wheelchair: limited

Dunluce Castle — on north Irish coast.

Dunluce Castle, castles in Northern Ireland

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
Bushmills · 3.2 km
  • Paid entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Dunluce Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster. Managed by Department for Communities. Wikidata describes it as: "on north Irish coast". Coordinates: 55.2114°, -6.5792°.

Photo gallery

From the Wikipedia article

Dunluce Castle (; from Irish Dún Libhse) is a now-ruined medieval castle in Northern Ireland, the seat of Clan MacQuillan. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim (between Portballintrae and Portrush), and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. The castle is surrounded by extremely steep drops on either side, which may have been an important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

In the 13th century, Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster, built the first castle at Dunluce. It was first documented to be in the hands of the McQuillan family in 1513. The earliest features of the castle are two large drum towers about 9 m in diameter on the eastern side, both relics of a stronghold built here by the McQuillans after they became lords of the Route. The McQuillans were the Lords of Route from the late 13th century until they were displaced by the MacDonnell after losing two major battles against them during the mid- and late-16th century. Later Dunluce Castle became the home of the chief of the Clan MacDonnell of Antrim and the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg from Scotland.…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
55.2114, -6.5792
Postcode
BT57 8UY
Parliamentary constituency
East Londonderry
Established
1200
Nearest railway station
Bushmills3.2 km
Opening
Feb-Nov 09:30-17:00; Dec-Jan 09:30-16:00

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Dunluce Castle?
Dunluce Castle is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (postcode BT57 8UY).
When was Dunluce Castle built?
Built or established in 1200.
Who owns Dunluce Castle?
Dunluce Castle is owned by Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster and operated by Department for Communities.
Is Dunluce Castle a listed building?
Dunluce Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
Does Dunluce Castle charge admission?
Dunluce Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
How do I get to Dunluce Castle?
The nearest railway station is Bushmills, about 3.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BT57 8UY.