Digging Up Plantation Ulster
There was a lot of excitement this weekend at the Dunluce Castle Summer Fair over recent excavations of the castle that have produced some very interesting results.
Funded and conceived by the NIEA, the ‘dig’ aimed to shed further light on the history of the castle, as well as the old 17th century town and surrounding landscape, during the plantation of Ulster.
Conducted by archaeologists from the University of Ulster and Queen’s University Belfast, excavations began in May and lasted for two months after a survey of the entire site.
It is now possible to highlight some of the main findings although there is still work to be done.
The earliest material found was the foundations of a 13th or 14th century building that is thought to be associated with Anglo-Norman activity at the site.
Inside the castle itself the foundations of a large stone built structure were uncovered that are thought to belong to the Earl of Antrim’s Jacobean house.
While it is not certain yet, this could be a hall associated with the MacQuillans who occupied Dunluce until the middle of the 1600s and who were later expelled by the MacDonnells.
However, the main focus of the ‘dig’ was the area around the site of the former town immediately to the east of the castle. There, the foundations of a Scottish merchant’s house facing onto a well-preserved, wide cobbled street was found and is thought to have been built in the first two decades of the 17th century.
The walls of the house still survive to waist height with plastered walls, as well as an internal toilet and a fireplace. 
Numerous finds of bone and pottery provide valuable insights into the lives of the people who lived there, while a 16th century polish coin, kept as a token by one of the town’s occupants, provides a reminder of earlier Scottish colonial interests in Poland.
The town only lasted for about 25 years before it was attacked and burned to the ground by Irish rebels. 
After the town was abandoned there were no further settlements or farming in the area, which explains why many of the remains and artefacts are in such good condition.
Without the work and support of NIEA this site would have remained hidden from the public of Northern Ireland.
It is hoped that excavations will continue at the site next summer and the results will be brought together and published in a forthcoming book.