3 facts about belfast castle

Even if you just visit for the views out over the city, the short 20-minute drive from the city centre out to the castle are well worth it. Basalt rock forms the coastline of this part of Ulster and this castle was mainly built out of local basalt stone, known for its strength and durability. But the locals say they can still hear the screams of the kitchen staff over the sound of the sea waves. [60], Belfast Castle is open to the public daily with a visitor centre, antique shop, Millennium Herb Garden, restaurant, and a playground. Youll find everything you need to know about visiting Belfast Castle below. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the chapel and the lands surrounding it were detached from the Belfast Castle Demesne. [6][12] These Norman invaders carved out a territory for themselves which was centred on Carrickfergus, this territory later becoming known as the Earldom of Ulster. What are the opening hours for Belfast Castle. The castle and its surrounding demesne was eventually gifted to the City of Belfast by Lord Shaftesbury in January 1934.[35][60]. Homepage, Eat & Drink It has many other claims to fame and tales from within its walls. A second castle was constructed bySir Arthur Chichester, the baron of Belfast, on the same site in the year 1611. Since 1708, the Earls and, later, Marquesses of Donegall had mainly lived over in Great Britain, usually living in London. In 1934, the Donegall family presented the castle and estate to the city. The first Belfast Castle is believed to have been erected at Bal Feirste, Belfast, by the 1220s. 16 Things Belfast is Known and Famous For 1. There are plenty of snacks and drinks available, although the castle is best known for its large-scale catering. [91] The architect of this elaborate, serpentine outdoor staircase is unknown. Location. Dont miss St Georges Market (Fridays through Sundays) with its musical entertainment and stalls. The Shaftesbury familycontributed a lot to the Belfast Castle through donations, charities, garden fetes, etc., for which they are famously remembered through the various streets of Belfast like the Donegall Place, Donegall Square, Donegall Road, and Shaftesbury Square. [66], When The 2nd Marquess of Donegall settled in Belfast in 1802, what remained of the 'Plantation-era' Belfast Castle had long been a ruin, having been destroyed by a fire almost a century before, in April 1708. What's On [16][18] Both the River Farset and the River Owenvara (Irish: Abhainn Bheara, meaning 'River of the Staff', usually known nowadays in English as the Blackstaff River[19]) emptied into the River Lagan just to the east of this castle site. [30] Chichester then placed Belfast Castle and its surrounding settlement under the command of Sir Ralph Lane, the Elizabethan adventurer. He was known as the Earl of Belfast, a courtesy title, between January 1799 and October 1844, when he succeeded his father in the marquessate. [1][7][8] The main entrance into the Belfast Castle Demesne is now where Innisfayle Park meets Downview Park West, just off the Antrim Road (part of the A6). The ship sunk after hitting rocks in Lacada Point, not far from Dunluce Castle. It was part of a big fleet of warships, the Spanish Armada, which went on a Crusade against England. [30][31][32][35] Sir John Chichester was the fifth son of Sir John Chichester of North Devon, and he was the younger brother of The 1st Baron Chichester. This event was ordered by Essex himself and is usually known as the Clandeboye Massacre. It was built in the 1860s and is one of the city's most famous landmarks. It was built in the 1860s and is one of the city's most famous landmarks. One way to reach the castle is to take a bus from Belfast North Street to Newtownabbey Serpentine Road and walk for approximately 12 minutes to reach the castle. Whether you want to learn the history of a city, or you simply need a recommendation for your next meal, Discover Walks Team offers an ever-growing travel encyclopaedia. "}}]}, The Giants Causeway Legend And The Now-Famous Finn McCool Story, What To See And Do In The Magnificent Ballyhoura Region. Especially under the of 1903, the huge country estates in Ireland, including those of the Shaftesbury family in Ulster, were broken up and sold off, mainly being sold to the tenant farmers who actually lived on and farmed the land. Belfast Castle was passed to the Shaftesburys in October 1883. Top 15 Things to do Around the Eiffel Tower, 10 Things to Do in Paris on Christmas Day (2022), 10 Things to Do in Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. https://ga.advisor.travel/poi/Caislean-Bheal-Feirste-11444, https://www.irelandhighlights.com/info/belfast-castle/, https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/belfast-castle-estate-p676051, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-62167256, https://apps.communities-ni.gov.uk/Buildings/buildview.aspx?id=8684&js=true, https://www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/heritage/buildings-belfast-castle-estate, https://www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/heritage/history-carrickfergus, http://www.placenamesni.org/resultdetails.php?entry=17038, https://www.townlands.ie/antrim/belfast-lower/templecorran/templecorran/aldfreck/, https://www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/heritage/chichester-family, https://www.qub.ac.uk/about/Living-in-Northern-Ireland/Life-in-Belfast/The-history-of-the-city/, http://www.stonedatabase.com/buildings.cfm?bk=2616, https://www.dia.ie/architects/view/3094/LANYON,+charles+(sir), https://www.dia.ie/architects/view/3086/LANYON-JOHN, https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Lanyon, http://www.mmtrust.org.uk/mausolea/view/486/Belfast_Castle_Mortuary_Chapel, http://www.stonedatabase.com/buildings.cfm?bk=2617, https://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/property/movein/2016/02/25/news/a-site-with-truly-divine-potential-430817, https://www.flickr.com/photos/16132340@N07/16673439845, https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/house-home/let-there-be-light-derelict-belfast-church-transformed-into-heavenly-homes-39478506.html, https://paintworksni.com/the-chapel-donegal-park-gardens/, https://content.propertynews.com/belfast-church-transformed-into-homes-at-the-chapel-development/, https://www.alskea.com/development-project/antrim-road/, https://www.rqia.org.uk/inspections/view-inspections-as/map/the-gate-lodge-dental-practice/, Historic houses in the Republic of Ireland, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belfast_Castle&oldid=1147255831, Gothic Revival architecture in Northern Ireland, Register of Parks, Gardens and Demesnes of Special Historic Interest, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with Structurae structure identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 19:34. Recent Posts Interesting facts about Table Tennis Interesting facts about Shrek Interesting facts about the Baroque Interesting facts about Peter Paul Rubens However, in the next book Prince Caspian, the castle is a ruin on an island where the great river of Narnia meets the ocean. Join us Construction cost well over the 11,000 set aside to pay for the project, forcing Lord Donegall to seek financial assistance from Baron Ashley (1831-1886), his son-in-law, in order to complete the new castle. Though the castle had to close down for a few years and reopened in 1988, it is now a renowned venue to host Weddings, Business Meetings, and similar events. More than 1,200 men died in the wreck, and 9 survived, helped by Sorley Boy MacDonnell, chief of the clan MacDonnell and owner of Dunluce Castle at the time. Although the reason for its fame Dunluce Castle. You have to go down 115 steps to reach the cave. The first castle at Dunluce was built in the 13th century by Richard de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster. Northern Irelands capital is bustling with great food spots, as youll discover in our guide to the best restaurants in Belfast. We may all come from different walks of life but we have one common passion - learning through travel. [48][49][50][51] Most of this huge Inishowen estate was eventually sold off by the Chichester family via the Encumbered Estates Court in the 1850s and later in the nineteenth century.[52][53][54][55]. [10] In June 1597, the forces of Shane McBrian O'Neill, Lord of Lower Clandeboye and son and successor of Sir Brian mac Feidhlimidh Nill, forcibly took the castle back from English control, apparently putting to the sword most of the English garrison there. [6] The current 'castle' is a Victorian structure, built between 1867 and 1870 on the slopes of Cave Hill, and is listed as being Grade B+. [10][36] A new grant of the castle and its surrounding lands was made by the Crown the following year, in May 1604, again to Chichester, who would serve as Lord Deputy of Ireland between 1605 and 1616. [91], The vast country estates of the Donegall family, which had been inherited by the Shaftesbury family in October 1883, were largely broken up and sold off under The 9th Earl of Shaftesbury during the 1890s and during the first decade of the twentieth century. Inside the grand front door, the ground and first floor rooms have retained their original features. He also experiences financial difficulties managing the estate, especially after the various Land Acts passed by the British Parliament during the 1880s, 1890s and early twentieth-century. Cave Hill Visitor Centre is on the second floor of Belfast Castle. The Park is also home to McArts Fort, an ancient fort which stands at 1,200 feet above sea level. This castle was never rebuilt. This castle was never rebuilt. While the town of Belfast had been sold off by The 3rd Marquess of Donegall back in the 1850s,[62][69][79] the Donegall family continued to own a large estate in County Antrim and large parts of Inishowen until these passed to the Shaftesburys in October 1883. The architecture partnership of Hewitt and Haslam oversaw and carried out the over 2 million project, with the castle and demesne reopening on Armistice Day, 11 November 1988. Top 10 Facts about Belfast Castle 1. The castle was built on a hill known as Castle Rock , a volcanic plug that formed following an eruption 340 million Weve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from whether the castle is worth visiting to what to see and do while youre there. These include: Ulster Museum; Nomadic Ship The building of these housing estates greatly reduced the castle's demesne in size. Archaeologists have uncovered the house of a Scottish merchant that was erected in the first part of the 17th century. It was used as the external part of the Iron Island stronghold. Visitors can see a bedroom, set up in the style of the 1920s, so visitors can see a snapshot in time of what the castle looked like at the end of its life as a private residence. The Chapel of the Resurrection, like Belfast Castle and the rest of its surrounding demesne, was inherited by the Shaftesbury family in October 1883. After briefly taking Belfast Castle from Aodh Nill (Hugh O'Neill), Lord of Clandeboye, in 1523, this Lord Kildare reported to King Henry VIII: 'I brake a castell of his, called Belfast, and burned 24 myle of his country [sic]'. Theres a small cafe on the ground floor opening onto the terrace. [6] However, when in Ulster, Lord Chichester, as he later became, usually resided at Joymount House in nearby Carrickfergus rather than at the 'Plantation-era' Belfast Castle. Orientation Courses are also available within the castle.Belfast Castle, Northern Ireland, by Andrew Hurley, is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. For generations, Cave Hill has been Thus, upon his own death in February 1625, Arthur, Lord Chichester, was succeeded in his estates and properties (but not in the peerage) by his younger brother Edward (1568-1648), who was created The 1st Viscount Chichester later in that same year. In a battle fought in November 1597 against the MacDonnells at Altfrackyn (also known as Aldfreck), a townland just north of Ballycarry, the English were defeated, with 180 of their soldiers being killed. Upon his death, the 8th Earl was succeeded by his then sixteen-year-old son, who now became The 9th Earl of Shaftesbury (1869-1961). For a century it remained a magazine and armoury. Of all the private owners of the new Belfast Castle, the 9th Earl was to own it the longest, presiding over the castle until January 1934. We exist to make planning your Irish Road Trip easy. In August 1603, Sir Arthur Chichester received a Kings letter which officially put him in charge of Belfast Castle and its surrounding lands. One of the most famous ships in history was built right here in Belfast. On the 1860s, The 3rd Marquess of Donegall decided to build what has been described as a new princely mansion for himself. It appears that it has been closed for much of 2021. Your settings have been updated. Stay on for the 10 amazing facts about Dunluce Castle. [4], Another example of events held at the castle was the 2015 Belfast Castle Hospice Walk, held by the Northern Ireland Hospice to benefit local charities and those living with terminal illnesses.[118]. The 3rd Marquess would serve at Westminster as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard from February 1848 until February 1852 in the first government of Lord John Russell, while the Great Famine was still ravaging Ireland. really odd question, then we're here for you. However, the ruins left today are from the 16th and 17th centuries, when Dunluce became the seat of Clan McDonnell, who overthrew their rivals, the McQuillans, who were Lords of Route. Below Dunluce Castle, there is a massive cave, named Mermaids Cave. If yes, why not share some beautiful pictures with us!You can email us your pictures of the castle [email protected]. Here are 11 facts about this famous collection of ceremonial objects and royal regalia. The 800-year-old Carrickfergus Castle is one of the best preserved medieval structures in Ireland. WE read of the Castle of Belfast as occupying a very important part in the old history of the town. Although a visit to the mighty Belfast Castle is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows thatll make your visit that bit more enjoyable. ","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"We can't (and we've tried!) Belfast Castle is famously used to hold weddings, it is a popular avenue to hold business meetings, tea parties, and occasional dinner meet-ups! Apart from this, the castle is also famous for The Cave Hill Country Park, The Cave Hill Adventurous Playground, The Cave Hill Visitor Centre, and much more! According to legend, Belfast Castle is safe as long as there is a (preferably white) cat residing there. With its fascinating history and associations, its superb setting and views, and well-deserved reputation for good food, here are the top 10 facts about Belfast Castle; 1. R.J. Hunter, 'Plantation in Donegal' in William Nolan, Liam Ronayne and Mairead Dunlevy (Editors), Thomas McErlean, 'Chapter 4: The Archaeology and History of. The new, Victorian castle was built in the Scots Baronial architectural style and was designed by the Belfast firm of Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon. In the years after it was given to the city, there was some debate about what Belfast Castle should be used for. Be the first to rate this post. This myth led to the creation of the Cat Garden right next to the stately pile on the slopes of Cave Hill. Belfast is home to many museums that tell its history, culture and daily life. [114] The lodge was principally designed and built in the Scots Baronial style, just like Belfast Castle itself, and was constructed for The 3rd Marquess of Donegall in the late 1860s, at the same time as both the castle and the Chapel of the Resurrection. The earliest castle was built by the Normans in the late 12th century. Also it is said that good fortune will come to those visiting the castle as long as the tradition of the castle cat is kept. [6] This branch of the U Nill carved out a tath or Gaelic territory for themselves in South Antrim and North Down which became known as Clann Aedha Budhe (Clandeboye). Beyond Belfast Castle and Cave Hill, the city has lots of interesting historical sites, museums, galleries and shops. Its location provides unobstructed views over the City of Belfast and Belfast Lough. The castle was designed and built in the Victorian version of the Scots Baronial style,[1][7] which was an architectural style that originally developed out of French-inspired Gothic styles during the Renaissance in Scotland in the sixteenth century. [1][7] However, there is some debate over who in the firm actually designed the new Belfast Castle. This current grand turreted castle was built in 1862 by the 3rd Marquis of Donegall, a descendant of the Chichester family.The Scottish Baronial architectural style was designed by architect John Lanyon, whose father Charles designed the Palm House in Belfasts Botanic Gardens. Below, youll find a handful of things to see and do a stones throw from Belfast Castle (plus places to eat and where to grab a post-adventure pint!). [9], There have been several different structures called 'Belfast Castle' over the centuries; not all of these structures have been on the same site. The Belfast Castle occupies a prominent position on the slopes of Cave Hill, some 120 metres (400 feet) above sea level. Photo by Ballygally View Images (Shutterstock). Between 1945 and the 1970s, Belfast Castle was a popular venue for wedding receptions, dances and afternoon teas. In 1978, the castle closed as part of a 2 million refurbishment programme, overseen by Hewitt and Haslam Partnership architects. It reopened on 11 November 1988 and is now a popular venue for weddings, business meetings and events. Its quite challenging underfoot and steep in places but very rewarding. [89][90] It was Lord Shaftesbury who had the Baroque stone staircase added to the garden faade of the castle in 1894. Maeves ghost is said to be still seen in the tower. Have you visited this castle before? Sir Brian, along with his wife and his brother, were arrested by Lord Essex and, later in 1574, all three were executed in Dublin. [30][31][32][33][34] Chichester was killed by the MacDonnells during or immediately after this battle, possibly by being beheaded. Titanic. Course of the disappeared Farset River. Alternatively, head to the Cellar Restaurant which serves Irish and British favourites within the castle building. When the head of the Chichester family was advanced in the Peerage of Ireland to being an earl in 1647, they took the title Earl of Donegall due to the family's ownership of this vast estate in Inishowen. Built in the 12th century by Norman lord John de Courcy, it was used to ward off attacks from the Scots, Irish, English, and French, and also served as a garrison during World War I and an air raid shelter during World War II.

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