Belfast: The hidden castles under the city's shops

A castle built under the command of Sir Arthur Chichester in the early 1600s was destroyed by fire a century later

Then it was an Anglo-Norman castle, believed to consist of an earthen mound, similar to mottes that remain visible in townlands such as Dundonald. Similar stone towers from this period have survived, such as Audley's Castle and Kilclief Castle, close to Strangford. Among the writings is a reference to the old "decayed" castle, the O'Neill building, part of which was retained and linked to the new Chichester castle via a staircase.

It added, however, the area was recognised as having a "heightened archaeological potential within the historic core of Belfast".Ruairí Ó Baoill has previously carried out excavations in Castle Lane in 1983

Full maps, fill your boots

Next time I walk those streets I'll be thinking of this. Didn't know about the Conn O'Neill connection in East Belfast either. Link in this article. Interesting stuff.

AgentSchmith interesting article, I always assumed Castle was a reference to Belfast Castle or maybe even a surname

Belfast, like a lot of our towns and cities, has an amazing archaeological record. I highly recommend a read of ' Hidden History Below Our Feet: the Archeological Story of Belfast' by Ruairí Ó Baoill.

Absolutely fascinating!

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