Dunseverick Castle - Dún Sobhairce

Dunseverick Castle is situated in County Antrim, Ireland (Irish: Contae Aontroma, Éire) near the small village of Dunseverick (Irish Dún Sobhairce). The remains of a tower and of the castle can be seen on this site, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides. Dunseverick Castle is an ancient and important Irish historical site and one of the Royal roads from Tara ended here. Tara was the seat of the Kings of Ireland in County Meath. The site was originally founded by Sobairce one of the kings and he built a fortress on this site in about 1525BC. Dunseverick Castle is also an ancient royal site of the Dál Riada, a Gaelic kingdom from at least the 5th century AD. Dál Riada  was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and the north-eastern corner of Ireland. The name Dál Riata is derived from Old Irish. Dál, from Proto-Celtic dālom meaning a portion of land with Riata or Riada believed to be a personal name. This makes Dunseverick Castle an ancient royal site of the Dál Riada. St Patrick is also said to have visited in the fifth century AD and it was also the subject of Viking raids in the late ninth century AD. The castle was eventually captured and destroyed in the Cromwell period. It is located close to the village of Dunseverick (Irish: Dun Sobhairce), which is east from Dunluce along the A2 near Benbane Head.

Link: National Trust Dunseverick Castle.

Image: Dunseverick Castle courtesy of BBC.