Repairs in the early 1860s saw the roof replaced, roughcast removed from the walls, and smaller panes inserted in the windows.
According to local legend, this Spanish Sweet Chestnut tree sprouted from a seed carried in a dead sailor's pocket.
Supposedly, the 16th-century Spanish Armada sailor buried beneath it had been carrying chestnuts with him while on his maritime journey, likely to ward off scurvy.
[citation needed] The sailor's body washed up on the shores of Ballygally in 1588, where kind locals discovered the corpse and buried it in an unmarked grave at St Patrick's.
Knockdhu (from Irish Cnoc Dubh, meaning 'black hill') is a Bronze Age promontory fort and settlement situated approximately one mile to the west of Cairncastle.
[1] In the 21st century, Cairncastle's profile was raised due to the filming of HBO's fantasy series Game of Thrones.
The band hold their practice sessions in Cairncastle but the majority of their members come from the nearby town of Larne.