Dunluce Castle

Dunluce was originally built by the MacQuillan clan in the 14th century. By the 16th century, the castle belonged to the MacDonnells, an offshoot of the Scots clan McDonald. The castle changed hands many times over the years due to shifting loyalties and political expediency. In 1635, the first Earl of Antrim's son Randal married Catherine Manners, the widow of the English Duke of Buckingham. The Duchess hated the sound of the sea and felt the castle had been built too closely to the coastline. Indeed, her fears were confirmed when, one night in 1639, the cliff crumbled, taking the kitchen into the sea during a grand dinner. Several servants were lost. Randal was forced into exile during the Cromwellian years and never returned to preside over Dunluce.