Belfast Antiquities

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IRELAND, 1837

THERE are no remains of antiquity in the town, though some are scattered over the parish: near Stranmillis, on the Lagan, was an ancient chapel, called Capella de Kilpatrick; on the summit of a hill on Upper Malone was the Capella de Crookmuck.

Near Callender's Fort, on the Falls Road, about two miles from the town, was that of Cranock, of which traces of the foundations and a large cemetery are still remaining; and on the same road, the chapel of Kilwee, where numerous elegantly carved crosses and other sepulchral monuments have been found.

About three miles on the Carrickfergus road is a small fragment of an ancient fortress, called Greencastle; in Upper Malone was an extensive fort called Castle Cam, or Freeston Castle, on the site of which the elegant mansion of Malone House has been erected.

At a small distance on the left of the road to Shaw's Bridge are seen the foundations of a third fort; in the grounds of Malone, near Lismoyne, are the remains of a fourth; and in the burial ground at Friar's Bush are the remains of a fifth.

AMONG the most curious relics of antiquity are the caves in various places formed in the earth and in the hard limestone rock; of the former, three were discovered in 1792 at Wolf Hill.

On the side of a small hill on the townland of Ballymagarry is one of larger dimensions; and near Hannahstown is one still larger, which since 1798 has been closed, having at that time been a place of concealment for arms.

Three large caves, which give name to the mountain called Cavehill, are all formed in the perpendicular face of an immense range of basaltic rock.

THE large ramparts of earth, called raths, or forts, are also numerous: of these the most extensive is McArt's Fort, on the summit of Cavehill, protected on one side by a precipice, and on the others by a single ditch of great depthand a vallum of large dimensions.

Near the base of Squires Hill are many smaller raths, and two of large dimensions almost on the summit of Black Mountain; and near the shore, at Fortwilliam, is an encampment, 70 feet square, surrounded by a deep fosse and defended by a bastion at each angle, and said to have been thrown up by WILLIAM III in 1690; near it is another entrenchment of ruder construction.

There are two large cairns on Black Mountain, in one of which, in 1829, was found a large urn filled with calcined human bones, a spear head, and two ornaments of brass; there is also a cairn on Cavehill, and one on Squires Hill.

Great numbers of stone and flint hatchets, and arrow heads of flint, have been discovered; and brazen celts and quern-stones, or hand millstones, are occasionally found.