Shane's Castle
Encyclopedia
Shane's Castle is a ruined castle
near Randalstown
in County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
. The castle is on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh
. Built in 1345 by a member of the O'Neill dynasty
, it was originally called Eden-duff-carrick. Shane MacBrien O'Neill changed the name to Shane's Castle in 1722.
A terrace was built about the year 1800, in 1812 work was started to rebuild the castle to the designs of John Nash
but the castle was devastated by a fire in 1816 and work abandoned. Only Nash's camellia
house survives. In the 1860s a second house was built by Charles Lanyon
and William Henry Lynn
of Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon
, for the 1st Lord O'Neill
. The demesne
covers 2,600 acres along the shores of Lough Neagh
.
The grounds of the castle are home to the annual dance music festival, Planetlove - the biggest of it's kind in Ireland
.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
near Randalstown
Randalstown
Randalstown is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located between the towns of Antrim and Toome. It had a population of 4,956 people in the 2001 Census. It has a very prominent disused railway viaduct and lies beside Lough Neagh and the Shane's Castle estate...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The castle is on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name comes .-Geography:With an area of , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty...
. Built in 1345 by a member of the O'Neill dynasty
O'Neill dynasty
The O'Neill dynasty is a group of families that have held prominent positions and titles throughout European history. The O'Neills take their name from Niall Glúndub, an early 10th century High King of Ireland from the Cenél nEógain...
, it was originally called Eden-duff-carrick. Shane MacBrien O'Neill changed the name to Shane's Castle in 1722.
A terrace was built about the year 1800, in 1812 work was started to rebuild the castle to the designs of John Nash
John Nash (architect)
John Nash was a British architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London.-Biography:Born in Lambeth, London, the son of a Welsh millwright, Nash trained with the architect Sir Robert Taylor. He established his own practice in 1777, but his career was initially unsuccessful and...
but the castle was devastated by a fire in 1816 and work abandoned. Only Nash's camellia
Camellia
Camellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
house survives. In the 1860s a second house was built by Charles Lanyon
Charles Lanyon
Sir Charles Lanyon DL, JP was an English architect of the 19th century. His work is most closely associated with Belfast, Northern Ireland.-Biography:Lanyon was born in Eastbourne, Sussex in 1813...
and William Henry Lynn
William Henry Lynn
William Henry Lynn was an Irish-born architect with a practice in Belfast and the north of England. He is noted for his Ruskinian Venetian Gothic public buildings, which include Chester Town Hall and Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall .In 1846 Lynn was articled to Sir Charles Lanyon in Belfast; under...
of Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon
Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon
Lanyon, Lynn & Lanyon, Civil Engineers and Architects was a 19th-century firm working mainly in Dublin and Belfast, and the leading architectural firm in Belfast during the 1860s. Its partners were Charles Lanyon, William Henry Lynn, and Charles' son John Lanyon.Charles Lanyon was the head of the...
, for the 1st Lord O'Neill
Baron O'Neill
Baron O'Neill, of Shane's Castle in the County of Antrim, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1868 for the musical composer The Rev...
. The demesne
Demesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...
covers 2,600 acres along the shores of Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name comes .-Geography:With an area of , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty...
.
The grounds of the castle are home to the annual dance music festival, Planetlove - the biggest of it's kind in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
External links
- http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Shanes-Castle-Antrim-P3047
- http://www.libraryireland.com/Atlas/Shanes-Castle.php