Kinbane Castle.

On the sea coast, on the way to the Causeway, stand the ruins of the castle of Kinban, " The White Head," that guarded the limestone promontory from which it is named. It occupies a bold position over the chasm separating that promontory from the mainland.

At present little remains of the fortress except a part of the keep, a portion of the gateway, and fragments of the courtyard and of the walls that once guarded the edges of the cliff. At the base of the headland is Lagna-Sassanach, "the hollow of the English," where it is said an English force once encamped to besiege the castle, but the garrison having sallied out at night, occupied the height above the camp and rolled over the precipices masses of rock with which they crushed the enemy.

Tradition says Kinban was built by the MacHenrys, but in the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth it was held by the MacAlisters. In an attack by Captain Piere, of Carrickfergus, three of the MacAlisters who were in rebellion were made prisoners; one of them was hung in chains, and Alister, chief of the clan, made his submission to the English.

The MacAlisters after this were forced again into rebellion, but were overpowered and their castle destroyed. It was rebuilt by Coll MacDonnell, who lived in it till 1558; but after the rising of 1641 it was finally destroyed by the ruthless Scotch General—Munro—to whom the destruction of so many stately castles in Antrim is due.