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Advice for the independent traveller who wants more from their holiday.
Antrim Coast Weekend Break, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus Castle is situated on the shore of Belfast Lough. It is a lovely place to stop. The harbour and castle are picturesque. There are plenty of parking spaces on the harbour. You must also have a walk around the shopping area in the roads that lead to the castle. If you are luck to arrive on a clear sunny day you may be able to see Scotland. Carrickfergus Castle has had a varied history and has been besieged the Scots, Irish, English and French. It is one of the best preserved medieval structures in the whole of Ireland. Only a quarter of the castle wall was accessible by land. The rest was surrounded by the sea. This made it hard to attack but easy to resupply. Its guns commanded the Belfast Lough.

Enemy ships trying to move down the Lough would be subject to hot cannon balls that would set them on fire. It was garrisoned continuously for about 750 years until 1928, when its ownership was transferred to public ownership for preservation as an ancient monument. The banqueting hall has been fully restored and there are many exhibits to show what life was like in medieval times.

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