Pictures - Antrim Arms crashes to the ground marking end of one of Ballycastle’s most recognisable historic buildings

Standing prominently at The Diamond for generations, the hotel was once a bustling coaching inn and later became one of the town’s best-known hotels.

It has welcomed visitors to the north coast for more than a century.

The building had stood empty for several years becoming increasingly unsafe.

In April 2026, a major fire tore through the derelict hotel.

More than 40 firefighters from stations across the north coast battled the blaze throughout the night.

Following the fire, the PSNI confirmed the incident was being treated as deliberate, and the already fragile structure suffered catastrophic damage.

In the months following the blaze, the condition of the building deteriorated further, leading to its demolition.

But for many in Ballycastle, it represents the loss of an important piece of the town’s architectural and social history.

The loss of the Antrim Arms is therefore more than the disappearance of an old building.

It is the end of a landmark that witnessed generations of local life, welcomed countless visitors to the Causeway Coast, and was linked to one of the greatest technological breakthroughs of the late nineteenth century.