“Dunluce castle is situated about two miles from Bushmills… but it is impossible, even at this advanced period, to visit this beautiful ruin without melancholy feelings. Those walls, that formerly resounded with the noise of revelry, and the clang of warfare, now echo with the cries of the raven and the sea-gull; and the place where the martial banner floated in victory and defiance is now overgrown with moss and ivy; all furnishing a melancholy memento…”
Edward Norman Hay
History
Perched dramatically on a basalt outcrop high above the sea, Dunluce Castle has long stood as an inspiring presence over Ireland’s northern rugged coastline. The rocky promontory on which it stands has witnessed human presence and conflict long before it’s stone walls were shaped with mortar. Revered for both its spiritual aura and strategic position, the site was contested for centuries. Many lives have ended on this perilous crag, where sheer drops plunge to the sea on every side.
The first castle at Dunluce was likely constructed in the 13th century by Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster. By 1513, it had passed into the hands of the McQuillan family, who expanded the structure, including the two prominent drum towers still visible today. As Lords of the Route, the McQuillans controlled the area until the mid-to-late 1500s, when they were ousted by the rising MacDonnell clan after a series of decisive battles.
The MacDonnells—of both Irish and Scottish descent—turned Dunluce into a stronghold and a seat of power. One of the most notable figures in its history was Sorley Boy MacDonnell, who seized the castle in 1584 following the death of his brother, James MacDonald. Sorley Boy not only fortified and renovated the castle in the Scottish architectural style but also secured his family’s future by pledging loyalty to Queen Elizabeth I. His son Randal would later be named the 1st Earl of Antrim by King James I.
This allegiance was historically unstable and forged singularly by blood as Sorley Boy spent most of his life striving to frustrate the schemes of Sir Thomas Smith, and later of the Earl of Essex, Francis Drake for colonising Ulster with English settlers. He was willing to come to terms with the government provided his claims to the lands were allowed, but Essex determined to reduce him to unconditional submission. Most of Sorley Boy’s family and a total of 600 civilians were murdered in the Rathlin Island Massacre of 1575 under the commands of Francis Drake and John Norris on behalf of the Queen. Drake later boasted in a letter to Francis Walsingham, the Queen’s secretary and spymaster, that Sorley Boy MacDonnell watched the massacre from the mainland helplessly and was “…like to run mad from sorrow”. I mention all of this because it makes the fact that he later still went on to seize the castle and secure his family’s estates and reputation even more incredible.
In 1588, the Spanish Armada galleass Girona was wrecked on the nearby rocks. Its cannons were salvaged and installed in Dunluce’s gatehouses, while the cargo helped finance further restoration efforts. The castle continued to serve as the MacDonnell family seat, and in 1613, Rose MacDonnell, granddaughter of Sorley Boy, was born within its walls.
By the late 1600s, Dunluce Castle had begun to fall into decline. Randal MacDonnell, Earl of Antrim, and his wife, Katherine Villiers—Duchess of Buckingham—lavished wealth on the residence, but political and financial troubles caught up with the family. After the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, the MacDonnells suffered significant losses, and the castle was eventually abandoned. Over time, its stone was scavenged for nearby buildings, and the once-mighty fortress slowly crumbled into ruin. It was during this time that the kitchen was said to have collapsed into the ocean causing a few deaths of kitchen staff. This event along with other haunted experiences were said to be the reasoning of the MacDonnell family officially leaving the castle.
In 2011, archaeologists made a remarkable discovery: the remains of a long-forgotten 17th-century town just beside the castle known as Dunluce town. Built around 1608 by Randal, this settlement featured some of the most advanced housing in Europe at the time. The town boasted indoor plumbing—a rarity in that era—and was laid out in a planned grid system. Though it was destroyed during the Irish uprising of 1641, about 95% of the site remains buried and untouched, holding secrets of a once-thriving community. Randal, whom was created the first earl of Antrim, remains the ancestor of the present holder of that title, Randal Alexander McDonnell, 10th Earl of Antrim. His son will go on to inherit the title on his passing.
The Bean sídhe
Now in ruins, the castle can only be reached via a narrow bridge from the mainland. Inside its weather-beaten grey walls, ghost stories have lingered for generations—none more enduring than that of Maeve Roe…
Maeve was said to be the only daughter of Lord MacQuillan. When she refused her father’s command to marry his choice, Richard Óg, he imprisoned her in the northeastern turret of the castle, today known as MacQuillan’s Tower. However, her heart belonged to another—Reginald O’Cahan. From her lonely prison, Maeve would gaze longingly toward the sea, hoping he would come to rescue her and take her away.
One storm-lashed night, her hope was realized. Reginald arrived in secret, battling the furious winds that howled through the battlements of Dunluce’s grounds. The lovers fled the castle, making their way to a sea cave (now known as Mermaid’s cave) at the base of the cliff, hidden beneath the rocks. There, they set off in a small boat, bound for the coastal settlement of Port Rois, hearts full of courage and love.
However, the violent sea would not grant them passage. Waves rose like angry spirits, crashing down on the fragile vessel. Tossed by the storm, the boat was finally dashed against the rocks. Maeve and Reginald clung to each other as the dark waters closed over them.
Maeve’s body was never found and her family mourned intensely. Though she was lost to the sea, her memory remained tightly bound to the castle she called home. Her ghost, it is said, still wanders the ruins. Rumors abound of a ghostly woman appearing to visitors in a white dress and on many wild, stormy nights, there have been reports of chilling screams and sorrowful wails emanating from the northeastern tower.
Those who know the legend speak in hushed tones of the Banshee of Dunluce, Maeve Roe, the tragic spirit, forever searching the waves for a rescue that will never come. Her presence lingers in the wind, a haunting echo of love defied and a life cut short by fate and fury.