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Ballygally
Castle
Ballygally Castle is 26 miles north of
Belfast, 6 miles north of Larne on
Antrim Coast Road. From Belfast take the
M2, exit J5. Travel along the A8 to
Larne, then A2 to Ballygally.
 Situated
on the scenic Antrim Coast Road, facing
eastwards across Ballygally Bay with
views to Scotland, at the southerly end
of the famous Nine Glens of Antrim.
Belfast International Airport - 30
miles. Belfast City Airport - 28 miles.
Nearest ferry terminal in Larne - is six
miles away.
Ideally located on the scenic Antrim
coast only 20 miles from Belfast and
close to Larne, the Ballygally Castle
hotel faces the soft, sandy beaches of
Ballygally Bay and is an ideal base for
touring. The Ballygally Castle dates
back to 1625 and the hotel is unique in
that it is the only 17th Century
building still used as a residence in
Northern Ireland today!
This enchanting hotel is full of
character and charm and has recently
undergone extensive refurbishment, with
the addition of 20 new deluxe bedrooms
(including disabled access), bringing
the total number of bedrooms to 44. The
many original features and antique
furnishings give the hotel a feeling of
stylish living in the last century and
add to the unique welcoming atmosphere!
The famous "Nine Glens of Antrim" and
the Giant's Causeway are near at hand
and the superb scenery can be enjoyed
from many coastal and glen walks.
Whether you want to celebrate a special
occasion or just get away from it all
and relax in style - whatever the reason
or season, the Ballygally will be
delighted to welcome you! Complimentary
car parking at the front of the hotel.
Ballygally Castle was built in 1625 by
James Shaw and his wife Isabella
Brisbane. Over the main entrance door to
the Castle, leading to the tower is the
inscription "1625 -
GOD.IS.PROVIDENS.IS.MY.INHERITANS".
Above this is a shield with the coats of
arms of the Shaw and Brisbane families
and the letters J.S and I.B. which
represented their initials.
James Shaw, a native of Greenock,
Scotland, came to Ireland in 1606 to
seek his fortune. After Shaw came to the
Ballygally area in 1613, he came into
possession of a sub-grant of land, at
the low rent of 24 pounds Sterling
yearly, from the Earl of Antrim. It was
on this land the castle was built.
It is probable that the original
building was more extensive than what
remains of the ancient Castle, for it
served as a place of refuge for the
Protestants during the Civil Wars.
During the rebellion of 1641 the Irish
garrison stationed at Glenarm tried on
many occasions to take the castle, but
they never were successful in gaining
entry.
Ballygally passed through many troubles
and was used again as a fortress as late
as the eighteenth century. Towards the
middle of the 18th century considerable
addition was made to the castle
buildings as the squire, one Henry Shaw,
married a Miss Hamilton, who had two
sisters and they all came to live within
the castle.
During this time the castle was handed
down from fathers to sons and in 1799
passed to William Shaw, who was the last
squire of Ballygally. In the early 1800s
the Shaw family lost their lands and
wealth and the estate was sold to the
Agnew family for £15,400.
The castle was for several years
occupied as a coastguard station, and
then once again as a private residence
by Reverend Classon Porter and his
family who resided there for many years.
It was then taken over by the Moore
family who eventually sold it to textile
millionaire Mr. Cyril Lord in the early
nineteen fifties, who refurbished it as
a hotel. The Hastings Hotel Group
purchased the hotel from Cyril Lord in
1966 for £40,000 and have over the years
undertaken a series of major
refurbishment programs.
The Castle Construction
When the castle was built it was know
that the country was unsettled, so it
was designed as a place of defense as
well as one of residence. The castle was
built with mostly local stone and in the
style of a French chateau, with high
walls, steep roof, dormer windows and
corner turrets. The walls were about 5
feet thick, with loopholes for musketry.
The stairs were of stone and spiral.
Through the outer hall ran an open
stream of water for the use of inmates
in case of siege, and above the dormer
windows were carvings which are still
traceable. Outside were originally two
courtyards, one surrounded by high
walls, and the other inside the higher
walls. The inner courtyard was marked by
two stone pillars surmounted by round
stone balls. Inside the courtyard were
stables, coach houses, byres, sheep
pens, brew-house and dovecot. Outside
the courtyard there was a wash-house;
scutch-mill and in the little glen on
the other side of the river was a corn
mill. Today, Ballygally Castle is much
enlarged and modernized with 44
luxurious en-suite bedrooms, however the
old Castle has been preserved and it
retains many of its original features,
including turretted bedrooms.
The Ghost
Every castle has to have a ghost of some
kind, and the ghost of Ballygally has
been around for the best part of 400
years! The popular theory is that the
ghost is that of Lady Isobella Shaw,
wife of Lord James Shaw. Lord Shaw
wanted a son, and when his wife
delivered his heir, he snatched the baby
from his wife and locked her in a room
at the top of the castle. While trying
to escape to search for her beloved
child, Lady Isobella fell to her death
from the tower window! Another theory is
that she was actually thrown from the
window by the cruel Lord Shaw or one of
his henchmen!
Lady Isobella's ghost is reputed to be a
"friendly" spirit who walks the
corridors of the old castle. Over the
years many guests have reported strange
experiences and have felt a presence in
their rooms! There are also endless
stories of unexplained noises in the
night, and an eerie green mist over the
castle! The hotel is so fiercely proud
of their permanent resident they have
even given her her own bedroom, "The
Ghost Room" in one of the towers in the
oldest part of the castle.
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