1 6 [Proc. B.N.F.C., 



Roman Catholic congregation was revived in the early part of 

 this century, and, as a consequence, though not immediate, the 

 present commodious and substantial chapel was built about 

 25 years ago. 



Antrim Castle dates from the early part of the seventeenth 

 century, and was built by Sir Hugh Clot worthy. Sir Hugh 

 was keeper of the king's boats on Lough Neagh, where, during 

 the period of the civil wars and the great rebellion various 

 naval engagements, on a small scale, took place. Antrim at 

 that period was the scene of several encounters and conflagra- 

 tions, in one of which the town was partially destroyed by fire. 

 After a skirmish at the head of the town, the gate there was 

 decorated in savage fashion with the heads of some of the 

 slaughtered besiegers. Later in the same century, Antrim 

 Castle was pillaged, and money and valuables to the amount of 

 ^"5,000 taken. But Antrim figured much more largely in the 

 political troubles that characterised the close of the last century, 

 when the United Irishmen concentrated a portion of their 

 forces here and attacked the town ; but, though favoured by 

 momentary successes, they were eventually defeated with great 

 slaughter, about 300 being killed. I used to know several who 

 could speak from personal experience of the events of that time, 

 but they have all passed away. 



A friary once stood on the southern bank of the Six-mile 

 Water, a little above the Castle. It was founded in the 

 fifteenth century by one of the O'Neills. The remains of this 

 building were met with in the early part of the present century. 

 A much more important religious settlement, however, was the 

 abbey at Muckamore, a mile-and-a-half from Antrim. It 

 occupied a gentle slope at the upper entrance to the Vale of 

 Moy-linne ; and not far away is the ancient burying-ground, 

 still used for interments, in which the monks were laid to take 

 their long, final rest. The abbey was founded in the sixth 

 century by St. Colman, a nephew and disciple of St. Columcille. 

 Little is known of the place during the lapse of many centuries. 

 In 1 183 the abbey was enriched by John De Courcey, and 



