Ballygally & Carncastle

CSG Annual Conference - Belfast- April 2014 - Ballygally Castle

Ballygally Castle. From the south. The castle is described as ‘a living postcard—a charming, almost teal-colored Scottish baronial castle overlooking the sea in Northern Ireland’.

Carncastle & Ballygally, County Antrim The grant which Randal MacDonald received The small sept of the Agnews, or O’Gneeves, from King James in 1603 included the parish occupied the extreme southern part of the lands of Carncastle. He granted it to James Shaw of of the Bissets. They, like the Bissets, had strong Greenock, probably before 1613. He built a connections to Galloway and they may have tower in the Scottish style at Ballygally, a come over with them to Ulster in the 13th rather more sheltered and accessible location century. They were certainly there in the 15th than Carncastle on its rock. He probably used century, when they were attached to the the stones from the older tower for his new one. O’Neills of Clandeboy, and the parish of Cairn- Externally the tower is notable for the roofline, castle was part of their lands. The earliest cen- with high gables and two Scottish rounds. The tre for this estate was probably sited at the bawn wall, with its little angle turret, may be a motte and church of Carncastle, about two 19th century conceit. The tower is an L-plan kilometres west of the coast at Ballygally. with a projecting turret at the northern angle, which housed the door and stair to the upper The Agnews/O’Gneeves were probably re- floors. The door has a continuous moulding sponsible for constructing a stone tower on and a date stone of 1625 with the arms of the rock, accessible over a rocky little promontory, Shaws. This turret is now enclosed by a later just off the shore at Ballygally Head. Little of it extension and the whole has been converted survived in the early 19th century and even less into a hotel. A plan and section published in of it does today. The south-west angle is the 1901 shows it to have had four storeys internal- biggest bit and two other corners give the plan. ly, none of them vaulted.

74 THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL NO 28: 2014-15 CSG Annual Conference - Belfast- April 2014 - Ballygally Castle

Ballygally Castle. The date of 1625 inscribed over the lintel of the doorframe with its strong and fashionable bolection moulding. The stairs have some of the widest winders of any vice-stair in Scotland, matching Falkland Palace.

THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL NO 28: 2014-15 75 CSG Annual Conference - Belfast- April 2014 - Ballygally Castle

Ballygally. The tower house from the south.

76 THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL NO 28: 2014-15 CSG Annual Conference - Belfast - April 2014 - Carncastle Castle

Carncastle. A fortified islet 1 kilometre along the coast from Ballygally. BELOW: Plan after Johnson, 2003.