In the adjoining graveyard an old Spanish chestnut tree stands - see D3507 : Legendary Tree - Cairncastle Locals tell the tale of the body of a young nobleman drowned when the defeated Spanish armada / galleon fled and foundered along the coastline at Ballygally in 1588 when Spain invaded the British Isles. His remains were discovered by locals who buried him in the churchyard in the previous church. From his grave seeds germinated and a Spanish Chestnut tree grew, possibly from seeds hidden in his pockets.
The Spanish Chestnut tree is still there today, samples of which have been analysed and found to date back to the 16th Century, giving credence to the local legend.