From 1583 to 1598 Carrickfergus was the only town held by the Queen in the district, and in the latter year the castle was but poorly provisioned.
General Monroe, with four thousand Scotch auxiliaries, landed and took the castle in 1642, but four years later he was surprised by General Monk, who occupied the stronghold for the Parliament, being made Governor of it shortly afterwards.
The next year, but small resistance was offered to Lord Inchiquin, who then held it for the King for a few months, and it was retaken by Sir Charles Coote, who appointed a Governor for the Commonwealth.
In 1666, while the Duke of Ormond was at the head of affairs, so great was the dissatisfaction that the castle was seized by mutinous soldiers, and a strong force was required to quell the disturbance.
Eight years later the fortress was ordered to be furnished with twenty cannon.
The adherents of James II. sustained here a siege for six days from the troops of the Duke of Schomberg in 1689, after which they surrendered. It was on the 14th of June in this year that King William III. landed at Carrickfergus from the yacht _Mary_.
In 1711 50 feet of the outer wall fell down, and the tower was roofed with lead.
The castle was taken by the French Commodore Thurôt with three ships of war in 1760, but his squadron was captured a few days later by the English fleet.
In 1797 the United Irishmen laid a plot to seize the castle, which was discovered by one of the garrison turning informer.
The year after the rebellion State prisoners were confined at Carrickfergus, having been sent from Belfast. At one time the fortress was used as a prison for all Antrim.
In 1814 a small square tower on the south side was taken down and rebuilt.
The castle is now in the possession of the Crown.
State Papers. Russell and Prendergast, Preface to State Papers. Parliamentary Gazetteer. M. Haverty, “History of Ireland.” Belfast Naturalists’ Field Club Guide. S. M’Skimin, “History of Carrickfergus.” Calendar of Patent Rolls. Sweetman, Calendar of Documents. Carew MSS. “Notes on a Plan of Carrickfergus.” J. Bell, “Origin of the Name of Carrickfergus” (_Ulster Journal of Archæology_).
“The court of Carrick is a court well fortified. A court to which numbers of the noble resort, A court noted for politeness--a court replete with pleasures, A court thronged with heroes, A court without torchlight, yet a court illumed; A court of the light of wax tapers! A plentiful mansion--so artistically stuccoed With sun-lit gables and embroidery-covered walls.” Translated from Irish by J. O’DALY.