Castle Lug

Castle Lug is situated in the Greenisland area of East Antrim, which formed part of the town of Carrickfergus. All that remains of the castle today are the ruins of its watchtower, fireplace, and a standalone wall.

When the castle was fully operational, there were several towers that provided an all-encompassing view of the surrounding area. The narrow windows and crenelated wall walks made the structure difficult to attack. The ruins have stood as they are for the last 150 years since the destruction of most of the watchtower in 1839.

Castle Lug belonged to the Lugge family of Carrickfergus, one of whom once acted as the Burgess of Carrickfergus. The original castle is believed to have been constructed around the mid-16th-century by Thomas Lugge, and later became the property of his grandson John Lugge in 1574. At the time, John owned all of the castles, halls, and other hereditaments around Carrickfergus, which was then known as Cloughnaharty.

There are very few surviving records that detail the life of this medieval fortification and one can only speculate about its former grandiose nature.