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Shane's Castle

Photograph from 1 May 2002

Shane's Castle is a ruined castle near Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, which was mostly destroyed in 1816 by fire. The castle is situated on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh, 2.7 miles from Randalstown. Built in 1345 by a member of the Clandeboy O'Neill dynasty, it was originally known as Edenduffcarrick, meaning "brow of black rock" (from the Irish éadán dúcharraige).[1][2] It owes its present name to Shane McBrian McPhelim O'Neill, who ruled Lower Clandeboy between 1595 and 1617.[2]

History

Shanes' castle was originally built in 1345.[3] In 1809 it was decided to rebuild the Plantation castle to a design by John Nash,[4] however a fire in 1816 left the castle in ruins though the family papers were saved.[3] Subsequently a large Victorian-Gothic Castle was built in the 1860's, this survived until it was burnt down in 1922 by the IRA.[4]

In popular culture

The castle's 1816 destruction by fire was the subject of John Neal's poem "Castle Shane," published in The Portico the same year.[5] The ruins have been used in the HBO TV series Game of Thrones.[6]

Shane's Castle Railway

Shane's Castle Railway

History

Shane's Castle Railway was a 3 ft (914 mm) gauge tourist railway in the grounds of the castle run by Raymond O'Neill, 4th Baron O'Neill. It was laid by NIR staff in their spare time using 75 pounds per yard (37 kg/m) track with curves to CDRJC standards and opened on 30 April 1971. The line had three stations (Antrim, Millburn and Shane's Castle) and was 1 mile 40 chains (2.4 km) long. It closed on 31 October 1995 due to declining visitor numbers[7][8][9]

There had previously been a 2 ft (610 mm) gauge line in the castle grounds between 1940 and 1956, which was used by the British Army for transport to and from a bomb dump.[8]

Rolling stock

[10][9]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Lowry, Mary (c. 1913). The Story of Belfast and Its Surroundings. LibraryIreland.com. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Shane's Castle Park". The Northern Ireland Place-Names Project. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b Irish Tractor 2017.
  4. ^ a b "1865 – Shane's Castle, Randalstown, Co. Antrim | Architecture @ Archiseek.com". 6 December 2013.
  5. ^ Richards, Irving T. (1933). The Life and Works of John Neal (PhD). Harvard University. pp. 210–212. OCLC 7588473.
  6. ^ "Northern Ireland is Game of Thrones Territory". www.ireland.com. Tourism Ireland. Retrieved 7 January 2021. Take Shane's Castle in County Antrim. ... Lough Neagh was also transformed into the Summer Sea, where Jorah steals a boat, takes Tyrion captive and sets sail to his beloved Daenerys in Meereen.
  7. ^ Martin 1981.
  8. ^ a b Johnson, Stephen (1997). Johnson's Atlas and Gazetteer of the Railways of Ireland. Leicester: Midland Publishing Limited. pp. 133–134. ISBN 1857800443.
  9. ^ a b Johnston, Norman (2003). The Irish Narrow Gauge in Colour. Newtownards: Colourpoint Books. pp. 100–108. ISBN 1904242138.
  10. ^ Industrial Locomotives 1982 including preserved and minor railway locomotives. Warley, West Midlands: Industrial Railway Society. 1982. p. 273. ISBN 0-901096-43-1.

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shane's Castle.

54°43.9165′N 6°16.2196′W / 54.7319417°N 6.2703267°W / 54.7319417; -6.2703267


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