County: Antrim Site name: KINBANE CASTLE, CREGGANBOY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/11/37
Author: Colin Breen
Site type: 16th-century fortified headland
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 708701m, N 943798m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 55.229387, -6.291241
As part of a project undertaken by the NIEA, a number of test trenches were excavated at Kinbane Castle to aid in visitor interpretation of the site. Four small trenches were excavated over the course of two days in April 2011. It has long been held that Colla MacDonnell, brother of James and Sorley Boy, built this castle in the 1540s. This branch of the MacDonnells from Islay had regained Dunyvaig Castle in the early 1540s and made renewed efforts to increase their power and prestige and landholdings across Ulster and the Isles. In 1551 James Croft initiated a military campaign to lessen the emerging power of the Scots forces in the North. Thomas Cusack, chancellor of Ireland, wrote an account of the movements of Lord Deputy Croft, and Kinbane was mentioned as follows:
‘and also Coll M’Connyll, seconde brother to James, had a stronge castill buylded upon a rock, with a strong baan [bawn] of lyme and stoone, over the sea, named the castill of Keanbaan, which my Lorde causid to be defaced, and brake much parte thairof, so as nowe it is not defensible, whiche I am sure thai neid had for soe muche more displeasir doon to thaim’ (Cal S.P. Ire. 1551).
This episode does not seem to have displaced Colla, as he was still in possession of the site in May 1558 when he died either at the castle or nearby.
The limited excavations demonstrated that significant in situ cultural stratigraphy survives at Kinbane. The site would appear to have been occupied for a relatively short period of time, however, given the lack of 17th-century or later artefactual material. No direct evidence for internal buildings has been identified to date, but a number of flat internal topographic areas do indicate the existence of such buildings. A masonry feature abutting Trench 1, along the western curtain wall, would appear to be a revetment supporting the wall at an angular turn. A number of sherds of late medieval Ulster Coarse Pottery were recovered. A burning episode was identified across the site that could be related to occupation and settlement activity or to a particular historical incident. It is hoped that further excavations will take place in 2012 to clarify these initial findings.
School of Environmental Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA
