Carrickfergus

Carrickfergus stands on the northern shore of Belfast Lough, dominated by the great castle raised by the Anglo-Norman lord John de Courcy. Its walls protected a port and garrison that gave English rulers a foothold in Ulster, while the sheltered lough linked the town to routes across the Irish Sea.

In 1597 the castle's governor, Sir John Chichester, was defeated outside the town by James MacSorley MacDonnell's forces. During the Williamite war Carrickfergus became a landing place for William III, who came ashore here on 14 June 1690 before advancing south. The castle saw another attack in 1760, when a French force briefly captured it during the Seven Years' War. Its long service reflects the strategic value of the harbour and the coast it commanded.