A Norman castle on the north shore of Belfast Lough provides a striking historical landmark in Carrickfergus. Carrickfergus Castle is in the town in County Antrim and at the starting point of the Causeway Coastal Route. Carrickfergus Castle is at the starting point of the Causeway Coastal Route. If you are looking for accommodation in Carrickfergus, you can consider whether the town’s history is your main reason for staying or whether you would also like to consider the town in connection with the start of the route. The castle, walls, museum and gasworks show that the town’s history is not limited to a single building.

Town Walls and Gasworks

The Carrickfergus Town Walls make the surviving extent of the fortifications easy to appreciate. At least half of the walls are still visible; in many places, they reach their full height of four metres up to the battlement walk. The best-preserved section, including the bastion at the northeast corner, can be seen from Shaftesbury Park. The bastion is a distinctive feature of this section and gives the view of the walls a specific architectural detail. Carrickfergus Gasworks offers a different focus: it is Ireland’s only surviving coal gasworks. At the Carrickfergus Gasworks Museum, visitors can see one of Europe’s largest surviving sets of horizontal retorts. Visitor access is subject to current arrangements; check before your trip.

Town History at the Museum

Carrickfergus Museum broadens the focus from surviving buildings to finds and life in the town. The finds on display provide insight into a period stretching from the Middle Ages to the recent past. Audiovisual presentations and interactive hands-on exhibits complement the objects in presenting the collections. The museum therefore offers different ways of exploring the town’s history from those provided by the walls, castle or gasworks: here, the focus is on finds and how they are presented. The time span links medieval and more recent town history without treating the different eras as a single period.

St Nicholas: Two Historical Phases

St Nicholas’ Parish Church can also be explored through different periods. In 1614, the church was rebuilt by Thomas Paps for Sir Arthur Chichester. Norman pillars were concealed within the existing walls and were rediscovered in 1907 during restoration work. The rebuilding and the later rediscovery of the pillars therefore belong to different phases of the building’s history. Tours of the church building are available; availability may vary. Arrange access with the church in advance.

The Harbour and the Tides

For visitors wishing to use the public slipway in the harbour, high tide is the key reference point: it is accessible from three hours before to three hours after high tide. Access depends on the tide, so take this time frame into account when planning. This differs from tours at St Nicholas: there, you arrange access with the church, whereas at the slipway, the tides determine the available time window. This makes clear the distinction between two practical conditions for different activities in Carrickfergus.

Discover more destinations: Greenisland.

Go to the main travel overview: Carrickfergus.