Carrickfergus Castle is one of the oldest and largest castles on the island of Ireland and one of the best-preserved medieval structures in Northern Ireland.
Built around 1180 on a rocky promontory overlooking the harbor to control access to Belfast, it reflects the defensive traditions of the entire region.
Subsequently besieged by the Scots, Irish, English, and French, Carrickfergus Castle served as a military prison during the Napoleonic invasions.
During the First World War, military munitions were stored there, and during the Second World War, it was used as an air raid shelter.
The structure is surrounded by water and enclosed by walls. Inside, there is a watchtower and numerous cannons dating from the 17th to 19th centuries.
Numerous exhibition rooms, including a dining room and a throne room, are open to the public. The fort was continuously occupied by military personnel until 1928, when it was handed over by the British Army to the new Northern Ireland government for conversion into a museum.
