Dunluce Castle | |
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Dún Libhse Dunluce Caissle[1] | |
County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom | |
![]() Dunluce Castle, 2018 | |
Coordinates | 55°12′41″N 6°34′45″W / 55.21139°N 6.57917°W |
Type | Castle |
Site information | |
Controlled by | Northern Ireland Environment Agency |
Open to the public | Yes |
Condition | In ruins |
Site history | |
Built | Late Middle Ages and 17th century[2] |
Dunluce Castle (/dʊnˈluːs/; from Irish Dún Libhse)[3] is a now-ruined medieval castle in Northern Ireland, the seat of Clan MacDonnell. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim (between Portballintrae and Portrush), and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. The castle is surrounded by extremely steep drops on either side, which may have been an important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood.