Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [593]
The tourist information centre ( 9335 8049; www.carrickfergus.org; Heritage Plaza, Antrim St; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat & 1-6pm Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-5pm Mon-Sat & 1-5pm Sun Oct-Mar; ) has a bureau de change and books accommodation.
Sights
The central keep of Ireland’s first and finest Norman fortress, Carrickfergus Castle ( 9335 1273; Marine Hwy; adult/child £3/1.50; 10am-6pm Easter-Sep, to 4pm Oct-Easter), was built by John de Courcy soon after his 1177 invasion of Ulster. The massive walls of the outer ward were completed in 1242, while the red-brick gun ports were added in the 16th century. The keep houses a museum and the site is dotted with life-size figures illustrating the castle’s history.
The castle overlooks the harbour where William of Orange landed on 14 June 1690, on his way to the Battle of the Boyne; a blue plaque on the old harbour wall marks the site where he stepped ashore, and a bronze statue of the man himself stands on the shore nearby.
The glass-fronted Heritage Plaza on Antrim St houses Carrickfergus Museum ( 9335 8049; 11 Antrim St; admission free; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat & 1-6pm Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-5pm Mon-Sat & 1-5pm Sun Oct-Mar), which has a small collection of artefacts relating to the town’s history, and a pleasant coffee shop.
The parents of the seventh US president left Carrickfergus in the second half of the 18th century. His ancestral home was demolished in 1860, but the Andrew Jackson Centre (Boneybefore; admission free; by appointment only – contact the tourist office in advance) is housed in a replica thatched cottage complete with fireside crane and earthen floor. It has displays on the life of Jackson, the Jackson family in Ulster and Ulster’s connection with the USA. Next door is the US Rangers Centre, with a small exhibition on the first US rangers, who were trained during WWII in Carrickfergus before heading for Europe. The centre is on the coast, 2km north of the castle.
Sleeping & Eating
Keep Guesthouse ( 9336 7007; www.thekeepguesthousecarrickfergus.co.uk; 93 Irish Quarter S; s/d £35/50; ) Just across the main road from the marina, and close to the town centre, the Keep has four rooms with attractive, modern decor and original art on the walls; go for the spacious double/family room on the first floor if possible.
Dobbin’s Inn Hotel ( 9335 1905; www.dobbinsinnhotel.co.uk; 6-8 High St; s/d £54/78, mains £7-13; food 9am-9pm; ) In the centre of the old town, Dobbin’s is a friendly and informal place with 15 small and creaky-floored but comfortable rooms. The building has been around for over three centuries, and has a priest’s hole and an original 16th-century fireplace to prove it. The hotel bar serves food all day.
Courtyard Coffee House ( 9335 1881; 38 Scottish Quarter; mains £4-6; 9am-4.45pm Mon-Sat) This cafe serves tasty homemade soups and light lunches as well as coffee and cakes, and has a second branch inside Carrickfergus Castle.
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DETOUR: GALGORM
About 6km west of Ballymena is the Galgorm Resort & Spa ( 2588 1001; www.galgorm.com; 136 Fenaghy Rd, Galgorm; d/f from £85/175; ), a 19th-century manor house in a lovely setting on the bank of the River Main. Refurbished by the owners of Belfast’s boutique hotel Ten Square, the Galgorm has been redeveloped and extended to create one of Ireland’s top country-house hotels.
The rustic atmosphere of the original Gillie’s Bar (mains £7-16; food served 7am-10pm), set in the former stables, has been retained with bare stone walls, huge timber beams, a log fire and cosy sofas, but it has been extended into a spectacular, high-roofed barn with a huge, central free-standing chimney and a monumental staircase framed by crouching sphinxes – all in all, a pretty jaw-dropping setting for some of the fanciest pub grub in Ireland.
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Wind Rose ( 9335 1164; Rodgers Quay; mains £8-16; food noon-9pm)