| Castle Carra | |
|---|---|
 | |
  | |
| General information | |
| Type | Ruinedcastle |
| Location | NearCushendun,County Antrim,Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 55°7′57.5″N6°2′29.4″W / 55.132639°N 6.041500°W /55.132639; -6.041500 |
Carra Castle orCastle Carra (Irish:Caisleán Carrach) is a ruined castle, just north ofCushendun,County Antrim,Northern Ireland. It dates to around the early 14th century.[1] The castle lies in a field near the coast and the harbour of Cushendun. The site had once been used during medieval times as a children's cemetery.[1]
Carra may be a corruption of "Carey".[2] It may have been known as Goban Saer's Castle.[3]
The castle was once occupied by Irish kingShane O'Neill, andSorley Boy McDonnell was held as a prisoner here in 1565.[1] In 1567, two years after being defeated by O'Neill, theMcDonnells entertained him in Castle Carra during two days of hunting and feasting. However, on the third day, 2 June, during a quarrel, they stabbed O'Neill to death to avenge their earlier defeat and sent his head to the English representatives ofQueen Elizabeth inDublin Castle.[1]
In 1585, Donnell Gorm MacDonnell was besieged by the English,; his father, Sorley Boy landed near the castle and drove off the besiegers.[4] Around 1730, it was known to have been occupied by theLynch family.[5] Today the castle is in ruins and overgrown with ivy.[6]
The house has the characteristics of ahall house, but its outside dimensions are that of atower house.[7] What remains are the ruins of a 16th-century square tower house built over a Mesolithic flint working site.