Cairncastle Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The congregation was founded in 1646, four years after the foundation year of the Presbytery of Carrickfergus, which is the oldest presbytery in Ireland. The current minister is The ReverendFiona Forbes, who was installed in 2014. St Patrick's Church of Ireland has been the site of a church since medieval times. The date of its foundation is not known, but it appears in the papal taxation of 1306 as Karkastell. The present parish church was completed in 1815. Repairs in the early 1860s saw the roof replaced, roughcast removed from the walls, and smaller panes inserted in the windows. The pulpit and reading desk were moved to the east end and box pews replaced. The east window in St Patrick's was made by the Mayer Company in Munich. Further changes were made to St Patrick's in the twentieth century. The octagonal spire was rebuilt in 1960 and a Sunday School extension added in 1993. In 2007, following major restoration, the church was rededicated by the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd. Alan Harper. A brass plate on the church's font tells states that it was used by Dean Swift when he was in Ballynure Church during his incumbency in 1695. The churchyard has probably been used as a place of interment since the medieval period. Within the churchyard is a Spanish chestnut tree, locally known as the “Spanish Armada Tree”. According to local legend, this Spanish Sweet Chestnut tree sprouted from seeds stored within a dead sailor's pocket. Supposedly, the 16th-century Spanish sailor buried beneath it had been carrying chestnuts with him while on his maritime journey, likely to ward off scurvy. The sailor was part of the Spanish Armada. Unfortunately for him and the rest of his crew, gales whipped the waves into a furious frenzy, blowing their ship off course and wrecking it near Northern Ireland. One 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 Church of Ireland. But his grave didn't remain unmarked for long. Soon, a sapling sprouted from the wet earth. It somehow managed to survive, despite the strong winds that so often battered the village. Now dubbed the Armada Tree, it's viewed as an unlikely, unexpected transplant from the Spanish Armada. Scientists who analyzed the tree have dated it to the 16th century, adding some credence to its legendary origin story.
Knockdhu
Knockdhu is a Bronze Agepromontory fort and settlement situated approximately one mile to the west of Cairncastle. The site consists of a set of three banks and ditches, Bronze Age roundhouses, and a probable gatehouse. It was excavated for the first time in 2008 for a Time Team episode that was first broadcast on 18 January 2009.
Game of Thrones
In the 21st century, Cairncastle's profile was raised due to the filming of HBO's fantasy seriesGame of Thrones. Season One used the mountains above Cairncastle for the location where Ned Stark executed Will, the deserter from the Night's Watch. This was at Knock Dhu, a basalt escarpment above the village.
Cairncastle Flute Band
One of the oldest Protestant marching bands in Northern Ireland. having been formed around 1855–1859. The band hold their practice sessions in Cairncastle but the majority of their members come from the nearby town of Larne.
Public House
One of the features of the small village is a small traditional pub called the Meeting House. It is also often referred to as Mattie Moore's, who was the former owner and operator of the pub during its early days.
