Carncastle

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Carncastle
County Antrim
Cairncastle Orange Hall.jpg
Cairncastle Orange Hall
Location
Grid reference: D359074
Location: 54°53’46"N, 5°52’55"W
Data
Post town: Larne
Postcode: BT40
Local Government
Council: Mid & East Antrim

Carncastle or Cairncastle is a small village in County Antrim, near the port town of Larne and inland from the village of Ballygally. It had a population of 66 people in the 2001 Census.

Church

Cairncastle Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The congregation was founded in 1646, four years after the foundation year of the Presbytery of Carrickfergus, which is the oldest presbytery in Ireland.

Knockdhu

Knockdhu (meaning "black hill") is a Bronze Age promontory fort and settlement situated approximately one mile to the west of Cairncastle. The site consists of a set of three banks and ditches, Bronze Age roundhouses, and a probable gatehouse. It was excavated for the first time in 2008 for a Time Team episode that was first broadcast on 18 January 2009.

Game of Thrones

Cairncastle has raised its profile due to the filming of HBO's fantasy series Game of Thrones. Season One used the mountains above Cairncastle for the location of where Ned Stark executed Will, the deserter from the Night's Watch at Knock Dhu, the basalt escarpment above the town.

Cairncastle Flute Band

One of the oldest Protestant marching bands in Ulster. having been formed around 1855-1859. The band practice in Cairncastle but most of the members come out from Larne.

The Sallagh Road near Cairncastle

Public House

One of the outstanding features of the small village is the small, but popular traditional pub called the Meeting House. It is also often referred to as ' Mattie Moore's', who was the former owner and operator of the pub during its early days.

Outside links

Commons-logo.svg
("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Carncastle)

References

Time Team