History
“The Ballygally Castle hotel, affectionately dubbed ‘the jewel in the Hastings Crown’, was purchased by the Hastings Hotels Group in 1966. Over the years various extensions and renovations have transformed it to the charming hotel it is today. All developments at the Castle have been very carefully undertaken so as not to distract from the history of the original building, as the hotel’s unique character comes from the fact that it dates back to 1625. The Ballygally Castle is unique in that it is the only 17th Century building in Northern Ireland still being used as a residence today!”
Dr William Hastings CBE, Chairman, Hastings Hotels
Ballygally Castle was built in 1625 by James Shaw and his wife Isabella Brisbane. Over the main entrance door to the Castle, leading to the tower is the inscription “1625 – GOD.IS.PROVIDENS.IS.MY.INHERITANS”. Above this is a shield with the coats of arms of the Shaw and Brisbane families and the letters J.S and I.B. which represented their initials.
James Shaw, a native of Greenock, Scotland, came to Ireland in 1606 to seek his fortune. After Shaw came to the Ballygally area in 1613, he came into possession of a sub-grant of land, at the low rent of 24 pounds Sterling yearly, from the Earl of Antrim. It was on this land the castle was built.
It is probable that the original building was more extensive than what remains of the ancient Castle, for it served as a place of refuge for the Protestants during the Civil Wars. During the rebellion of 1641 the Irish garrison stationed at Glenarm tried on many occasions to take the castle, but they never were successful in gaining entry.
Ballygally passed through many troubles and was used again as a fortress as late as the eighteenth century. Towards the middle of the 18th century considerable addition was made to the castle buildings as the squire, one Henry Shaw, married a Miss Hamilton, who had two sisters and they all came to live within the castle.
During this time the castle was handed down from fathers to sons and in 1799 passed to William Shaw, who was the last squire of Ballygally. In the early 1800s the Shaw family lost their lands and wealth and the estate was sold to the Agnew family for £15,400.
The castle was for several years occupied as a coastguard station, and then once again as a private residence by Reverend Classon Porter and his family who resided there for many years. It was then taken over by the Moore family who eventually sold it to textile millionaire Mr. Cyril Lord in the early nineteen fifties, who refurbished it as a hotel. The Hastings Hotel Group purchased this Ballygally hotel from Cyril Lord in 1966 for £40,000 and have over the years undertaken a series of major refurbishment programmes.
