Carra Castle or Castle Carra ( ga, Caisleán Carrach) is a ruined castle, just north of

Cushendun Cushendun () is a small coastal village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits off the A2 road (Northern Ireland), A2 coast road between Cushendall and Ballycastle, County Antrim, Ballycastle. It has a sheltered harbor, harbour and lies at t ...

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. It dates to around the early 14th century. The castle lies in a field near the coast and the harbour of Cushendun. The site had once been used during medieval times as a children's cemetery.

Etymology

Carra may be a corruption of "Carey". It may have been known as Goban Saer's Castle.

History

The castle was once occupied by Irish king Shane O'Neill, and

Sorley Boy McDonnell Sorley Boy MacDonnell (Scottish Gaelic: ''Somhairle Buidhe Mac Domhnaill''), also spelt as MacDonald (c. 1505 – 1590), Scoto-Irish chief, was the son of Alexander Carragh MacDonnell, 5th of Dunnyveg, of Dunyvaig Castle, lord of Islay and C ...

was held as a prisoner here in 1565. In 1567, two years after being defeated by O'Neill, the McDonnells entertained him in Castle Carra during two days of hunting and feasting. However, on the third day, 2 June, during a quarrel, they stabbed O'Neill to death to avenge their earlier defeat and sent his head to the English representatives of Queen Elizabeth in

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin. Until 1922 it was the se ...

. In 1585, Donnell Gorm MacDonnell was besieged by the English,; his father, Sorley Boy landed near the castle and drove off the besiegers. Around 1730, it was known to have been occupied by the Lynch family. Today the castle is in ruins and overgrown with ivy.

Architecture and fittings

The house has the characteristics of a

hall house The hall house is a type of vernacular house traditional in many parts of England, Wales, Ireland and lowland Scotland, as well as northern Europe, during the Middle Ages, centring on a hall. Usually timber-framed, some high status examples wer ...

, but its outside dimensions are that of a

tower house A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strateg ...

. What remains are the ruins of a 16th-century square tower house built over a Mesolithic flint working site.

References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures completed in the 14th century Castles in County Antrim Ruined castles in Northern Ireland