SquaresRenew 18: a tale of two castles
It’s time to leave Belfast. After four busy, enjoyable, but cold and grey days, our spirits were renewed by waking up to sunshine for our journey along the coast to Bushmills. And what a coast! We took all day over the journey with several stops, two of which were contrasting castles.
Carrickfergus is not far out of Belfast, so our visit started with morning coffee followed by a tour of the castle. The town’s name derives from Fergus, King of Scotland, who around AD501 was shipwrecked here on a basalt rock or carraig where he drowned. Over 500 years later the Anglo-Normans built Carrickfergus castle on the same rock. It has been added to and reconstructed many times since and remains one of the most intact Norman castles in Britain and Ireland.
The most recent reconstruction is the new roof on the Great Hall which you can see in the gallery below. (I didn’t have the heart to square the lonely guard with his long spear).
Kinbane Castle is quite different. Although much newer, built in 1547, it has had no reconstruction whatsoever. Over the last 500 years it has suffered damage from the elements and some parts have even fallen into the sea. Can you spot it way down below? There were a lot of steps up and down! In the last (non-squared) picture, note the two tiny figures at the end of the headland. It was really windy so we used our common sense and didn’t follow them out there.
Part of Becky’s SquaresRenew Challenge, using images from our April 2024 trip to Northern Ireland to illustrate one or more of the following:
- Move forward
- Reconstruct
- Renew
- Burgeoning
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
Beautiful journey! The contrast between the castles is truly fascinating. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you for reading! I’m glad you enjoyed the castles.
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I think I like the castle that hasn’t been reconstructed better. It’s so wild, and melding back into the elements. I don’t think you’d catch me out on that headland though!
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Yes, I preferred that one too. Perhaps if it had been less windy we would have ventured further out onto the headland.
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Amazing pictures !!
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Thank you!
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It’s a shame that a the second castle fell into disrepair, but I suppose we can’t save all the old buildings. Still, the coastline was gorgeous!
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I think, given its position, it will probably fall into the sea entirely eventually. An interesting ruin in the meantime.
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A nice contrast between the castles to meet the square challenge.
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Yes, we enjoyed them both.
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Bushmills as in the whisky? Next post? The castles look amazing. I would have been the fool out on the headland in the wind.
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Yes, the whiskey! In a couple of posts.
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Too many steps for me, but it looks like a very beautiful coastline.
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I had heard that coast was beautiful, but it was even better than I expected. Of course, the weather helped!
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I love that your adventures usually start with coffee! Great choice not to square the lonely guard!
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I’m quite grumpy if i don’t get my morning coffee!
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You couldn’t have two more different buildings, but both very interesting.
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Yes, it’s interesting the different fates they have had.
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This looks like a lovely drive. We didn’t do this part of Northern Ireland and I see now that we really should have spent more time in this area. Thanks for the lovely virtual tour. (Suzanne)
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The Antrim coast is just beautiful.
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Interesting contrast! I have to say that of your two castles I much prefer Kinbane – those ruins look wonderful in that dramatic setting!
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Yes, in that sense I do too though I enjoyed going up and down the different staircases at Carrickfergus.
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Very interesting contrast between the two castles and what rugged landscape
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That coast was so beautiful! We were enthralled.
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Not been to either of these but the coastline round there is special. Bob. BSS.
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It is, we were blown away – but not literally!
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What an energetic and inspiring trip you’ve been having. Proper castles here.
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Yes, I like a good castle that you can clamber up and down towers. And the ruin had an amazing setting.
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So Romantic. Just the place for Knights of Old.
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‘New’ is a strange word in this context, isn’t it? I hope that guard had a nice view? He looks a little disconsolate. A lovely part of the world, Anabel. Hope to get there at some point.
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Perhaps “more recent” would have been a better description! Poor guard is probably far from home sent to quell the unruly Irish.
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They were a bolshy lot, but somebody has to keep life interesting, Anabel 🤣🩵
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so very different, and you were very wise not to head out to the headland even in the glorious sunshine
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It was incredibly windy! Thought the other couple were a bit foolhardy.
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odd isn’t it how some people never worry about the wind or waves for that matter. Doesn’t take much for us humans to be swept away
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They appeared to be Love’s Young Dream so perhaps oblivious.
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oh dear!
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I love King John on the ‘throne’ but he doesn’t look too happy 😀 I like the guard with his long spear and no, you wouldn’t get me out on that headland either!
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Well, he did die of dysentery so maybe he was already suffering!
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