With the castle as its enduring landmark, Carrickfergus is often regarded as one of the most historically significant towns in Northern Ireland.<br />It has been the site of numerous archaeological digs in the past, with the latest excavation at Shaftesbury Park aiming to unearth the story behind a fort marked on an 1830s map of the area.<br />The project is part of the Community Archaeology Programme NI (CAPNI) by the Centre for Community Archaeology at Queen’s University Belfast, a National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported scheme that invites the public to participate in archaeological fieldwork.
