Location: Randalstown, Antim County Map
Constructed: 1345 by O'Neill clan
Shane's Castle is a ruined castle near Randalstown in County
Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the north-east shore of
Lough Neagh. The castle was built in 1345 by a member of the Ó
Néill (O'Neill) family. Her original name was Éadan Dúcharraige
(Eden-duff-carrick). Shane MacBrien O'Neill changed the name to
Shane's Castle in 1722.
A terrace was built around 1800
and work began in 1812 to rebuild the castle to plans by John
Nash, but in 1816 the castle was devastated by fire and work was
halted. Only Nash's camellia house survives to this day. In the
1860s the 1st Baron O'Neill had a second house built by Charles
Lanyon and William Henry Lynn of Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon. The
Fronhof covers an area of 10.5 km² on the shores of Lough Neagh.
The castle was used extensively as a backdrop in the HBO
television series Game of Thrones.