Bonamargy Friary.

The video clips of Bonamargy Friary, near Ballycastle, which I took & used in this video, are accompanied by two Reels, The Witch of Glentow & The Black Nun, composed by Dick Glasgow & played by him on Anglo Concertina & Bodhran.

Dick used the name The Black Nun, for his Folk Club, which he ran successfully for eight years, on the Causeway Coast of North Antrim.

The Witch of Glentow:
The Witch of Glentow was a recluse who lived just outside Ballycastle & is said to have been murdered by two local youths, who both died mysteriously within a year of her death.

Bonamargy Friary:
It is only appropriate to begin by mentioning that the olde worlde pronunciation of Bonamargy or Bun-na-Mairgie, which means "at the foot of the Margy".

The Friary can be found on the road out of Ballycastle, on the Cushendall road & is situated in the middle of Ballycastle's golf course, just a stone's throw from the beach.

It dates back to the year 1500, and was built by Third Order Franciscans, although it may have been built on the site of an earlier religious settlement.
The main building and the gatehouse, were originally thatched.

Locally, the Friary is known for its patronage by the MacDonnell clan and the vault houses the coffins of many members of that family including the notorious Sorley Boy McDonnell. N.B. The vault is now sealed.

The Black Nun {Julia McQuillan}:
The Friary is supposed to be haunted by the Ghost of the Black Nun, Julia McQuillan, who lived there alone after the Friary fell out of use in 1641. The story is that the Black Nun was murdered on the steps leading to the upper floor of the Friary.

It is believed, by local folk, that the Black Nun is actually buried at the entrance to the church, under the unusual circular headstone pictured above.