Ballygally Castle
| Ballygally Castle | |
|---|---|
 | |
  | |
| General information | |
| Type | Castle |
| Location | Ballygally, County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 54°53′56″N 5°51′40″W / 54.89889°N 5.86111°W |
| Completed | 1625 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | James Shaw |
Ballygally Castle is in the village of Ballygally, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located approximately 3 miles (5 kilometres) north of Larne. The castle overlooks the sea at the head of Ballygally Bay. It is now run as a hotel and is reputed to be one of the most haunted places in all of Ulster.[1]
Features
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The castle is described as "a living postcard—a charming, almost teal-coloured Scottish baronial castle overlooking the sea in Northern Ireland."[2][3][4]
The rectangular Scottish baronial-style castle has four storeys, walls of about 1.5 metres thick, four corner turrets and a flanking tower at the northeast side with an entrance and stone spiral stairs. Originally it was enclosed by a bawn with four corner turrets. In the 1840s, the side nearest the sea was removed to accommodate the new coast road.[5]
History
[edit]The castle was built in 1625 by James Shaw of Scotland, who had come to the area and rented the land from Randal MacDonnell, the Catholic Earl of Antrim for £24 a year.[6] Although it is sometimes claimed to be the oldest occupied building in Ireland, Castle Upton is somewhat older.[7] Over the main entrance door to the castle, leading to the tower, is the Middle Scots inscription "Godis Providens is my Inheritans".[4] The bawn and walled garden are registered as Scheduled Historic Monuments at grid ref: D3725 0781.[8]
During the Great Rebellion of 1641 the Irish garrison stationed at Glenarm tried to take the castle, then more fortified than today, several times but without success.[5]
In the late 1730s, the Shaw children were tutored by the later pioneering educator and master of a Belfast "play school", David Manson. For many years, one of the apartments in the castle was known as the "Manson room".[9]
Around 1760 the castle buildings were extended as the squire, Henry Shaw, married a Miss Hamilton, who had two sisters and who all came to live within the castle.[5]
In 1799, the castle passed to William Shaw, the last squire of Ballygally. The family's wealth was exhausted, and within a few years he sold the property. It then passed through several hands, including use as a coastguard station, before being purchased in the early 1950s by Cyril Lord. The textile millionaire refurbished the castle as the hotel seen today.[5][10]
Paranormal enthusiasts suggest that the castle is haunted.[2]
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Turret Room -
Staircase -
Ghost Room -
Plaque
See also
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References
[edit]- ^ "Haunted Ulster". BBC. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
- ^ a b Belanger, Jeff (January 2009). World's Most Haunted Places. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-4358-5178-8.
- ^ O'Neill, B (ed). (2002). Irish Castles and Historic Houses. London: Caxton Editions. p. 18.
- ^ a b "Ballgally Castle". Celtic castles. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Castles.nl - Ballygally Castle". www.castles.nl. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ Huston, Cleburne (1968). Bold legacy; the story of the Houston-Huston ancestors: 1150 to 1800. Printed by Texian Press. p. 87.
- ^ West, Chris (2022). "The Shaws of Down and Antrim in the 17th Century (part 2)". Chris West Ancestry Blog. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ "Ballygalley" (PDF). Scheduled Historic Monuments (2015). Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ^ Frogatt, Richard. "The Dictionary of Ulster Biography". www.newulsterbiography.co.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ Franklin, Luke (22 December 2021). "Ballygally Castle | Ballygally, Northern Ireland | Ultimate guide of Castles, Kings, Knights & more | Castrum to Castle". castrumtocastle.com. Retrieved 1 April 2023.