Dunluce Castle: Archaeology and History

This book is a guide to Dunluce Castle in Ulster, a site of regional historical and tourist interest. The book is designed to appeal to tourists as well as to general readers with an interest in castles or the history and archeology of the region. The author, Colin Breen (School of Enviornmental Sciences, University of Ulster, Ireland), is particularly interested in the maritime lords who used the castle to control north Ulster and the Western Isles of Scotland. He has also written on the archeology of southwest Ireland in the era, and the book gives attention to archeological findings. It is organized chronologically, beginning in the Twelfth century with the Anglo-Normans. Breen tells the story of the MacQuillan maritime lords, then the MacDonnells, the town that grew up around the castle, the revolution and abandonment of the site, and the story of how it was rediscovered in the 1800s as a tourist and historical destination, and has been excavated, explored, and visited from then until now. An appendix includes the 1928 DOE conservation report on the site. The book is designed for general readers with a serious interest in history or archeology, but it is lavishly illustrated with color and black and white photographs and drawings, and will be enjoyable for any visitor to Dunluce or castle fan. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)