SHANE'S CASTLE, CO. ANTRIM. castle of Edenduffcarrick -Although finally unsuccessful in his fight for liberty, and cursed with not a few of the vices of the age in which he lived, Shane Dymas, or Shane the Proud Ó Neill, ranks among the ablest and bravest of the many chieftains of his gallant, kingly house who fought and died for Ireland. Had he known, like his kinsmen and successor, the great Hugh, how to conciliate the Irish as well as thrash the English, Ulster and, probably, all Ireland, would have been freed from the Saxon yoke. Shane was the grandfather of Rose Ó Neill, who named Randalstown (An Dun Mor) and was renamed Randalstown after the 2nd Earl and 1st Marquis of Antrim Randal MacDonnell. Shane's Castle, near Randalstown, on Lough Neagh, County Antrim, was named after the grandfather of Brian Ó Neill, whose name was Shane McBrien Ó Neill. In 1637 the town of Ballyfeoghoge al. the Iron-Works upon the Mayne Water was given free Borough status by 1666. In 1801 it lost free Borough status from the Acts of Union.

Shane's many victories over the generals and soldiers of Elizabeth are still remembered with pride by Irishmen who cherish a pride of race. Shane refused to help the English against the Scottish settlers on the coast of Antrim, allying himself instead with the MacDonnells, the most powerful of these Northern immigrants of another Stewart line. He refused to put himself in the power of Sussex. Sussex, indignant at Shane's request for his sister's hand in marriage, and his demand for the withdrawal of the garrison from Armagh, was not supported by the queen, who sent the earl of Kildare to arrange terms with Ó Neill preferring one magnate. There were at this time three powerful contemporary members of the Ó Neill family in Ireland—Shane, Turlough and Hugh, and earl of Tyrone. Turlough had been elected tanist when his cousin Shane was inaugurated the Ó Neill, and he schemed to supplant him in the higher dignity during Shane's absence in London.

Shane fought an indecisive battle with Sorley Boy MacDonnell near Coleraine in 1564, and the following yeare marched from Antrim through the mountains by Clogh to the neighbourhood of Ballycastle, where he routed the MacDonnells and took Sorley Boy prisoner. Ó Neill ravaged the Pale, failed in an attempt on Dundalk, made a truce with the MacDonnells, and sought help from the earl of (Des-Mumha) Desmond. The English invaded Donegal and restored O'Donnell, during the Tudor reconquest of Ireland. The early 1590s, English government in Ulster took the form of a Provincial Presidency, to be headed by the colonist, Henry Bagenal.

Tradition says that Shane the Proud resided during most of his career in the castle whose ruins are pictured above. It suffered from the blasts of war, but underwent its greatest damage in 1816, when it was nearly burned to the ground. It stands on the banks of Lough Neagh, on the estate of Lord Ó Neill, who has partially restored the ruin. The castle Banshee (spirit), it goes in legendery olden times an Ó Neill assisted McQuillan in a raid, and found a white heifer whose horns were tangled in a tree with thorns. Delginis was a burgh by the bay at ancient Dalkey, fortressed with merchant princes of Danish origin at the turn of the Norman period. No sacred edifice in all Europe, perhaps, has suffered more from fire than historic Christ Church in Dublin. Founded by Sitric the Dane, for Secular Canons, in 1038. The outskirts priory of Delginis are ancient remains of Dublin where the few years before Agincourt, King Art McMurrough, who had beaten Richard II. twice at the end of the 14th century, died in possession of his crown at his palace in New Ross. Ireland was almost entirely wrested out of the hands of the English, chiefly through the military genius of Art McMurrough, heriditary King of Leinster, who defeated, in rapid succession, every English king, prince and general who marched against him.

Ros Laogh means promontory of the cow or calf. The MacIntyres had settled in Glen Noe, near a promontory that had a rock in the shape of a white cow- a location known as the Clach an Laoigh Bhiata, or stone of the White calf in Glen Noe. 'MacArtan's Country' was also called Kinelearty in Ulidian Antrim. Of the tribes of Uladh, Kinelarty named for the Cenél Foghartaigh- Mac Artain (MacCartan), chiefs of Kinel Fagartaigh, included the present baronies of Kinelarty, Dufferin (Dubthrín) and part of Castlereagh, in county Down. According to Keating the Mac Artán genealogy derives from the same origins as the Dál n-Araidhe and Úí Eathach, his genealogy citing the line of Mac Artán descending from Sárán m. Cóelbad m. Cruind Ba Druí m. Echach m. Lugdach m. Rossa (of clann Conaill Cernaich).

Ó Neill disregarded the fairies tale of a single thorn tree being sacred and let the cow go, being the only one to help the doomed cow. When Ó Neill returned home he found his daughter Kathleen had been carried away by the wee folk all the way to the bottom of the Lough. The wee folk allowed her to return and tell him that she was safe, but made her promise that whenever misfortune visited the family she must appear and be heard to wail. Her bedroom window was pointed out to visitors and her chamber maid said she could see her impression on her bed.

Shane's Castle is the family seate of the Ó Neills of Clanaboy. The Demesne is one of the most beautiful and well maintained in Ireland. Although the Castle has been in ruins since the fire of 1816, the remaining structure, including a unique Camellia House, is a striking feature on the landscape. Shane's mother Sorcha, Tyrone's first wife, was born the daughter of Hugh Boy Ó Neill of Clanaboy. She died shortly afterwards and Shane was fostered by the Donnelly family. Hugh the Great Earl Ó Neill (Aodh Mór Ó Néill), Earl of Tyrone, died in Rome in 1616. In 1598 Sir Hugh Ó Neill had resided at Shanes Castle, and in 1607 James I, settled the estate upon the descendants of Shane McBrian Ó Neill, of whom was Hugh, progenitor of the American O'Neall's. In 1730 and being third in line to inherit, Hugh took his leave from Ireland forever, and raised his seven sons and one daughter in America, where many thousands of descendants live today. American emigrant Hugh Ó Neill came to the Colonial Delaware in 1730 as a midshipman aboard a British Naval vessel. Prior to his arrival in Christiana, Delaware he lived at his fathers home, called, Shane's Castle on Lough Neah in Antrim, Ireland.