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BALLYCASTLE, a sea-port, market and post-town,
in the parish of RAMOAN barony of
CAREY, county of ANTRIM, and province
of ULSTER, 9¼ miles (N. E. by
E.) from Dervock, and 132 miles (N.)
from Dublin: containing 1683 inhabitants. This place, in the Irish
language called Ballycashlain, or "Castletown," derived that
name from a castle built here in 1609 by Randolph, Earl of Antrim,
who was directed by Jas. I. to raise "faire castels" at reasonable
distances on his vast estates, that the country might be the more
speedily civilized and reduced to obedience. The town is
advantageously situated on the northern coast, at the head of the
fine bay to which it gives name, and in a beautiful valley at the
foot of Knocklayd, opposite to the island of Rathlin. It consists
of the Upper and Lower Town, of which the latter, called the Quay,
is separated from the former by a road bordered with fine trees,
which, sheltered by the hills intervening between them and the
coast, have attained a stately and luxuriant growth. The houses,
amounting, in 1831, to 275 in number, are in general neatly built,
and in both portions of the town are several of handsome
appearance. Within the distance of half a mile from Ballycastle are
the elegant seats of C. McGildowny, Esq., Capt. Boyd, A.
and J. McNeale, Esqrs., and several others. It was
formerly a place of great manufacturing and commercial importance,
abounding with various works upon a large scale, among which were
extensive breweries, glass-houses, salt-works, and spacious
warehouses; and in the immediate neighbourhood were extensive
collieries, the produce of which formed a material article in its
trade. In 1730, endeavours were made in the Irish Society and the
corporation of Londonderry. It had a spacious harbour, in which
74-gun ships could anchor in safety in any weather, and upon the
improvement of which £130,000 had been expended; also a pier
and quay, the construction of which cost £30,000. But this
high degree of prosperity, which the town attained under the
auspices of Hugh Boyd, Esq., began to decline soon after that
gentleman's decease, and all that at present remains of its trade
is a small fishery carried on by a few boats in the bay. The
harbour is now completely choked up; the pier and quay are a heap
of ruins; the custom-house has been converted into a whiskey shop,
the breweries are un-tenanted, the glass-houses have been converted
into a carpenter's shops, and the mansion-house is a parish
school.
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Ballycastle - BR
