Castles County Antrim, Northern Ireland
A selection of castles and country houses in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Antrim Castle
Ballygally Castle
Belfast Castle
Carra Castle
Carrickfergus Castle
Castle Upton
Dunluce Castle
Dunseverick
Glenarm Castle
Kinbane Castle
Kilwaughter Castle
Olderfleet Castle
Rathlin Castle
Shanes Castle
KILWAUGHTER CASTLE, KILWAUGHTER LARNE CO. ANTRIM NORTHERN IRELAND.
KILWAUGHTER CASTLE . The present owners of the castle are Anne & Ross Ferguson. I would like to thank Ryan Greer (property manager) for showing me round and letting me film the castle very much appreciated really enjoyed it. Kilwaughter Castle history. .In 1620 Sir Patrick Agnew, 8th Sheriff of Galloway, was persuaded by his friend Sir Randal MacDonnell, the Earl of Antrim, to hold several swathes of land in the vicinity of Larne, Glenarm and Kilwaughter. Thus began a chequered history of the Agnew family in the Kilwaughter area that was to last more than 300 years. Sir Randal had previously offered sizeable portions of land to another family in the same area, the O’Gnimh’s who were Bards to both the MacDonnell’s and the O’Neill’s. Their most famous son was the poet Fear Flatha O’Gnimh and speculation exists that this family, who later anglicised the name to Agnew, was related to their Scottish counterparts.
The Lochnaw Agnews continued to obtain rents from their holdings in the Kilwaughter area, but the money was becoming increasing hard to get and in 1708 Sir Patrick’s descendant, Sir James Agnew decided to relinquish his troublesome Irish estate and sell it to his agent Patrick Agnew of Kilwaughter, at a price so low that it was considered to be detrimental to the Lochnaw family interests.
Through the years the Kilwaughter Agnew family established themselves successfully and in 1806 Patrick’s great grandson Edward Jones Agnew inherited the estate. Edward and his sister Margaret were the children of Eleanor Agnew and Valentine Jones who was one of the prime movers in the creation of the city of Belfast. When Edward inherited his legacy, he employed one of the best known architects in British history, John Nash, to add a major extension to what was the original Tower House from the 17th Century. This Tower House can still be seen within the Castle footprint. The result of this refurbishment was a magnificent stately home befitting its large estate. When Edward died in 1834 his son William inherited the Castle and its estate. He purchased additional land so that it became one of the largest landholdings in Ireland of around 10,000 acres.
William never married or had children and spent most of his adult life in Paris. On his death in 1891 he bequeathed the entire estate and Castle to his niece Mary Maria Augusta Simon who was born in 1847. Augusta as she was known, was the only child of Maria Agnew and Thomas Collins Simon and when her mother died in 1857, she and her father moved to England. She married Count Ugo Balzani in 1878. The Countess was an intelligent woman who spoke several languages. Her husband came from a long line of aristocrats and was a medieval historian. Being the main beneficiary of her Uncle’s Will brought its problems for a couple who by now had two young daughters, Guendalina and Nora and who divided their time between Italy, England and visiting the estate at Kilwaughter. A solution was sought to make life easier for the family.
In 1891 Elizabeth (Bessie) Galt Smith an American from Delaware and her husband John Galt Smith, an Irish linen exporter, returned from their home in New York to live in Ireland. John was a distant relative of Edward Jones Agnew through Edward’s father Valentine. The couple decided to move from their house just outside Belfast, to Kilwaughter Castle and took out a lease for thirty years. Bessie was instrumental in modernising the Castle and lived there throughout the spring/summer seasons until 1922, sadly her husband John died in 1899, just eight years after they signed the lease.
The Castle’s sad demise began in the early 20th Century when a series of Land Acts gave tenants the right to buy their farms. Without the regular payment of rents it became difficult to maintain expensive-to-run stately homes. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Kilwaughter Castle was declared Enemy Property because its owners lived in Italy. It was seized by the British Government and turned into a training camp for British and American soldiers. After the war, the Castle was sold to a scrap dealer who stripped it of its valuable fittings including the lead roof. Open to the elements, the Castle building quickly fell into ruin.
In 1982 the Ferguson family bought the ruins of the Castle with the intention of saving this Grade B Listed property. Kilwaughter Castle has an interesting and rich heritage and it has fond memories for local families. Many members of the public expressed a wish that the Castle be saved. The castle property is now undergoing consolidation and renovation works so that the public will be able to visit and discover the fascinating history of Kilwaughter Castle on open days and events throughout the year.
DJI ... Kilwaughter, Castle Larne
DJI_ Kilwaughter, Castle Larne...
Monea Castle (English)
Version française :
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DISCLAIMER: The other person in this video was my travelling partner. Due to many unfortunate events happened between us prior to November 2018, he is no longer a concern to me and a part of my journey. Anything you see between us on this video is a past event and it only happened in the past which does not reflect my current life. See the video New Chapter in Life from the following link for further explanation:
Shadow Figure, Curran Court, Larne
During investigation in the old Curran Court, Larne. one of cameras caught what appears to be a shadow figure darting from right to left at top of stairs.
This footage was shot before lights out.
Driving Test Routes Larne Shore Road
Learning to drive Larne
Domesday Larne Block Teacher Resource
Pupils from Toreagh Primary School look at the many changes that have taken place in their home town of Larne since the BBC Domesday Project described the area in 1986. This slideshow also portrays what life is like in the school in 2011. Made as part of the BBC Domesday Reloaded project.
The Chaine Memorial Tower & The Princess Victoria Memorial Larne Co. Antrim gopro hero3 dji f450
The Chaine Memorial Tower in Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is a memorial to James Chaine, a former Member of Parliament for Antrim, who died in 1885. It is a cylindrical stone tower lighthouse with a conical roof, situated on the west side of entrance to Larne Lough.
with gopro hero3 dji f450 Quadcopter.
The tower at sunrise from Sandy Bay.
Chaine developed Larne's short sea route to Scotland as well as establishing the town as a transatlantic port. The memorial, built in 1888, by public subscription, is a replica of an Irish round tower. The memorial is situated at the mouth of Larne harbour, and is reached via Chaine Memorial Road. There is access from Curran Road via Bay Road.
Plaque
The plaque which adorns the memorial is now difficult to read. It reads that the monument was erected by the...
....contributions of every class in this mixed community irrespective of creed or party, all cordially united in esteem and affection for the Memory of JAMES CHAINE of Ballycraigy and Cairncastle Co. Antrim who represented this County in the Imperial Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland from February 1874 till 4 May 1885 when his early and lamented death in his 44th year of his age deprived his native County of one who had worked indefatigably for its interests especially in developing and improving the natural capabilities of the harbour of Larne and establishing its connection with Great Britain, the United States of America and with the inland parts of this County.
Lighthouse
In 1885, the Memorial Committee for Chaine sought the assistance of the Commissioners of Irish Lights to help to build and maintain a tower, but they initially refused. Eventually it was agreed the Memorial Committee would build the replica round tower, without a light, at Sandy Point Bay, and the Larne Harbour authority would maintain it. The approved tower was completed in January 1888.
In 1896 it was suggested that a light be added to the tower. As a result the Commissioners of Irish Lights took over the tower and on 1 July 1899, an oil powered navigational light was installed 22 metres up the tower (the tower being 28 metres in height). The light was installed to aid the navigation of the Hunter Rock, a submerged rock approximately 5 miles off shore. The light was de-manned and converted to coal gas from the Larne mains gas supply in 1905, before finally being converted to electric in September 1935. During April 1948 the supply was changed from DC to AC.
Responsibility for maintaining the light now falls under the remit of the attending keeper at Ferris Point Lighthouse on the other side of the Harbour.
The MV Princess Victoria IV.
The MV Princess Victoria IV was launched in 1946 and entered service in 1947. She was the fourth vessel of that name to sail the Larne to Stranraer route. The Princess Victoria was a purpose-built car ferry with a capacity for 1500 passengers, 40 vehicles and cargo.
The Voyage
On 31st January 1953 the Princess Victoria set sail from Stranraer at 7.45am captained by Captain James Ferguson. Bad weather was causing chaos across Scotland and Northern Ireland and may have resulted in the Princess Victoria altering its course in line with procedures followed by ferries in northerly and north westerly winds. We cannot be certain but it is thought that the ship was carrying 128 passengers and 49 crew members.
It appears that Captain Ferguson decided to return to Loch Ryan due to the extreme weather. Unfortunately huge waves burst the stern doors and flooded the car deck. Crew tried to close the doors but they were too badly damaged and water continued to flood the ship.
Return to the shelter of Loch Ryan was now impossible and the decision to reach Northern Ireland and safety was made.
The MV Princess Victoria started to list to starboard. The first distress call was made at 9.46 “Hove-to off mouth of Loch Ryan. Vessel not under command. Urgent assistance of tugs required.
At 1032 an SOS was sent as the ship was now in immediate danger. “Princess Victoria four miles north west of Corsewall. Car Deck flooded. Heavy list to starboard. Require immediate assistance. Ship not under command.”
At 1252 hrs the starboard engine room was flooded and at 1308 David Broadbent the ships radio officer sent the last Morse code message “On her beam end”. Seven minutes later at 13.15 the message was received “We are preparing to abandon Ship”.
At 1335 the ship signaled that they could see the Irish coast. They were now positioned 5 miles off the Copeland Islands.
At 1358 the last transmission was received and it is thought this is the time that the shipped keeled over.
David Broadbent was posthumously awarded the George Cross. He stayed at his post to the end to allow the escape of passengers and crew.
Captain James Ferguson is reported to have stood at salute on the bridge as the ship went down and was posthumously awarded the George Medal.
Kilwaughter Castle
Description
1 CARRICKFERGUS CASTLE from the OUTSIDE
This is the amazing Carrickfergus Castle. A remarkable hidden tourist and history treasure. A Norman castle found 10 miles from Belfast in Northern Ireland and situated in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the northern shore of Belfast Lough. Besieged in turn by the Scottish, Irish, English and French. It has a long and 'colourful' history.
Carrickfergus Castle is the best preserved medieval Norman castle in the whole island of Ireland. It was built in 1177 by Sir Knight, fighting adventurer and land grabber, John De Courcy. The castle was his headquarters, after he conquered eastern Ulster in 1177. He ruled as a petty king until 1204, when he was ousted by another Norman adventurer, Hugh de Lacy. Initially de Courcy built the inner ward, a small bailey at the end of the promontory with a high polygonal curtain wall and east gate. It had a number of buildings, including the great hall. From its strategic position on a rocky promontory, originally almost surrounded by sea, the castle commanded Carrickfergus Bay (later known as Belfast Lough), and the land approaches into the walled town that developed beneath its shadows. The castle was occupied by a garrison of soldiers. Numbers of such might have been around 300-500 men but this is only a rough estimate.
In 1778, a small but significant event in the American War of Independence began at Carrickfergus, when John Paul Jones, in the face of reluctance by his crew to approach too close to the Castle, lured a Royal Navy vessel from its moorings into the North Channel, and won an hour-long battle. In 1797 the Castle, which had on various occasions been used to house prisoners of war, became a prison and it was heavily defended during the Napoleonic Wars; six guns on the east battery remain of the twenty-two that were used in 1811.
For a century it remained a magazine and armoury. During the First World War it was used as a garrison and ordnance store and during the Second World War as an air raid shelter.
It was garrisoned continuously for about 750 years until 1928, when its ownership was transferred from the British Army to the new Government of Northern Ireland for preservation as an ancient monument. Many of its post-Norman and Victorian additions were then removed to restore the castle's original Norman appearance. It remains open to the public. The banqueting hall has been fully restored and there are many exhibits to show what life was like in medieval times. It was built and re-built three times, and still stands today.
The castle is a must see for anyone visiting Ireland and for anyone interested in history. Today the castle is maintained by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the entrance charge is a mere £5 for this fanatstic look into the past.
The Invasion of Ireland
May 26th 1315, Olderfleet Castle, Larne, Ireland. The hero has to defend the castle from the invasion with his sword and bow! Inspired by The Lord of the Rings, you will witness epicness in this short film.
Because we only had a crew of 2 people on the film, you'll need to use your imagination for the enemies the hero is fighting.
Directed By: Cameron Brown
Acting By: Finn Brown
Music By: Mario Baumgartner
Larne
Larne or Lairne (from Irish: Latharna, the name of a Gaelic territory) is a seaport and industrial market town, as well as a civil parish, on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,323 people in the 2008 Estimate. As of 2011, there are about 32,000 residents in the greater Larne area. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is today a major passenger and freight roll-on roll-off port. Larne is twinned with Clover, South Carolina which has named one of its schools, Larne Elementary School, after Larne. Larne is administered by Larne Borough Council. Together with the neighbouring district of Carrickfergus and part of Newtownabbey, it forms the East Antrim constituency for elections to the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.
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Billy Andys, Larne sep-09
Genuin, best kind of Northen Irish Music. From a Saterday in sep, when me and my friend visited the pub.
Everybody was really nice and we had the greatest of time...
//Greetings from Sweden
Larne reach League Cup Final
Sid McIlroy, Sammy Hughes, Jim McKinstry talk to Jackie Fullerton on BBC N.Ireland
Stormy weather Larne Co.Antrim N.Ireland...
Billy Andys Live music
You'll enjoy live Irish music and sing alongs very Saturday at Billy Andys.
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim) is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 3,046 square kilometres (1,176 sq mi) and has a population of about 618,000. It is one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland and is within the historic province of Ulster.
The Glens of Antrim offer isolated rugged landscapes, the Giant's Causeway is a unique landscape and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bushmills produces whiskey, and Portrush is a popular seaside resort and night-life area. The majority of Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland, is in County Antrim, with the remainder being in County Down.
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Carrickfergus, Portmuck Bay - Looking for sunset DJI MAVIC PRO footage
Portmuck is located on the eastern side of Islandmagee 5km from Brown’s Bay at the tip of the peninsula. It has a pier to fish from and a delightful tiny beach.
It is reached via a narrow road from Mullaghboy which is 1km long and 16% steepness in places so it is not suitable for buses or heavy vehicles. It has a small car park, picnic tables and public toilets. There are places suitable for a wheelchair to be situated.
There are two walks, both quite challenging, leading from the car park. One goes north to Skernaghan beside Brown’s Bay owned by the National Trust and the other goes south, close to the Isle of Muck, a protected bird sanctuary managed by the Wildlife Trust. Access to this island is not permitted and the sea is dangerous due to strong tidal influences.
The views from Portmuck are spectacular, with the Antrim Coast headlands receding into the distance. P&O ferries cross the horizon several times a day. The beach is sometimes a landing place for kayakers who want to navigate the eastern waters of Islandmagee especially the dramatic Gobbins bridges and cliffs only 7km to the south. The area is of geologic interest for rocks and fossils and is a protected ASSI site.
Stunning view from Cavehill, Belfast.
Amazing view from Cavehill looking over belfast & belfast lough
A formerly strife-torn UK city is now one of the world's top tourist destinations, according to a leading travel guide publisher.
In little more than a decade, Belfast has been transformed from a fractured city into a hot city-break .
Garden or botanic display
Botanic Gardens
Archeological exhibit, museum
Decorative arts display
Paintings, art collections
Gold, silver, metalworking exhibit
Historical museum
Industrial attraction, factory museum
Minerals, geology attraction, mining
Ulster Museum
Hiking opportunity
Scenic site or route
Cave Hill
Historic site
Custom House
Architecture - Renaissance
Standalone sculpture, statue or fountain
Donegall Square (Donegall Square / City Hall)
Military attraction or museum
Nautical museum or attraction
Standalone sculpture, statue or fountain
Garden of Remembrance
Opera house or company
Grand Opera House
Dam, bridge, lock, waterway
Folk art exhibit
Nautical museum or attraction
Science, technology attraction or museum
Lagan Weir
Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park-International Rose Garden
St Anne's Cathedral
St Malachy's Church St Patrick's Pro-Cathedral Streamvale
Zoological Gardens
Festival of arts of short duration
Events
Festival of arts of short duration
Battle of the Boyne Celebrations
Cinema, film festival
Cinemagic International Film Festival for Young People
Festival of arts of short duration
Civic Festival
Festival of arts of short duration
Musical activity or concert hall
Theatrical hall or company
Festival at Queen's
Festival of arts of short duration
Folk Festival
Festival of arts of short duration
Musical activity or concert hall
Holywood Jazz & Blues Festival
Festival of arts of short duration
Garden or botanic display
Horticultural Fair
Garden or botanic display
International Rose Trials
Crafts center or marketplace
King's Hall Autumn Fair
Festival of arts of short duration
Musical activity or concert hall
Musical Festival
Festival of arts of short duration Culinary attraction
Festival of arts of short duration
Irish Festival
Crafts center or marketplace
Fabrics, textiles, costumes exhibits
Industrial attraction, factory museum
Irish Linen Centre
Fishing opportunity
Lake
Natural area
Lough Neagh
Dungannon tourist attractions
Swimming & water activities
Scenic site or route
Small town or village
Glenavy
Small town or village
Magherafelt
Natural area
Scenic site or route
Ram's Island
Fishing opportunity
Golf course
Ballygalley
Beach
Resort or relaxation spot
Carnlough
Small town or village
Carrickfergus
Historic site
Military attraction or museum
Andrew Jackson (Andrew Jackson / U.S. Rangers' Centre)
Agricultural area or museum
Aviary, bird museum or exhibit
Children's activities
Railroad attraction or museum
Small town or village
Zoo or animal collection
Ballycarry - Loughside Open Dairy Farm
Castle, chateau, palace
Carrickfergus Castle
Paintings, art collections
Historical museum
Carrickfergus Museum & Civic Centre
Festival of arts of short duration
Lughnasa Medieval Fair
Culinary attraction
Festival of arts of short duration
Medieval Banquets
Carrickfergus - Knight Ride & Heritage Plaza
Resort or relaxation spot
Small town or village
Cushendall
Resort or relaxation spot
Small town or village
Cushendun
Natural area
Scenic site or route
Glenariff Forest Park
Natural area
Scenic site or route
Glenarm
Cave
Prehistoric site or exhibit
Scenic site or route
Tombs, burial site
Island Magee
Nautical museum or attraction
Resort or relaxation spot
Small town or village
Larne
Amusement, theme or leisure park
Garden or botanic display
Golf course
Provincial or municipal park
Carnfunnock Country Park
Historical museum
Historical Centre
Castle, chateau, palace
Archeological site or ruin
Architecture - Medieval
Olderfleet Castle
Scenic site or route
Small town or village
Waterfoot
Resort or relaxation spot
Scenic site or route
Small town or village
Whitehead
Fishing opportunity
Swimming & water activities
Hiking opportunity
Resort or relaxation spot
Small town or village Small town or village
Comber
Wildlife area, bird sanctuary
Castle Espie - Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
Archeological exhibit, museum
Archeological site or ruin
Christian sites
Mahee Island - Nendrum Monastic Site
Historic site
Small town or village
Downpatrick
Small town or village
Clough
Towers, monuments, observation deck
Zoo or animal collectionDown Cathedral Downpatrick
Archeological site or ruin
Mount Stewart House and Gardens Roman, Greek, Stormo
Village reconstruction, open-air museum
Railroad attraction or museum
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum