A Guide to the Glens of Antrim

A GUIDE TO
CONTENTS
03 Introduction
04 A landscape of Fire and Ice
06 A landscape of Mists and Myths
Journey through the Glens
08 From Larne to the Glens
10 Glenarm & Glencloy
14 Glenariff & Glenballyeamon
18 Glenaan, Glencorp & Glendun
22 Over the Hills to Ballycastle
24 Glenshesk & Glentaisie
28 Ballycastle
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Wildlife
Walking & Cycling in the Glens
The Nine Glens of Antrim
Caring for the Glens
Background Reading
Glenariff Glen
The spectacular Causeway Coastal Route,
hugging the cliffs and coves of the north eastern
coastline of Ireland is ‘the Essential Irish Journey’
- a very special trip not to be hurried. Gasp at the
spectacular scenery and take time to immerse
yourself in one of the renowned Glens of Antrim.
These nine famous glens, endowed
with evocative names and blessed
with a diversity of landscape are
also rich in history, in folklore and
in the natural beauty that is a
world away from the frantic bustle
of modern life.
The aim of this guidebook is to
take you on a leisurely journey
through these enchanting glens,
beginning at the port of Larne and
finishing at the seaside resort of
Ballycastle. For ease of description
the glens have been divided into
four groups; the southern glens
comprising Glenarm and Glencloy,
meeting the sea at the settlements
of Glenarm and Carnlough
respectively. Then two clusters
of middle glens - first Glenariff,
above the village of Waterfoot,
and Glenballyeamon behind the
coastal town of Cushendall, and
second, Glenaan, Glencorp and
Glendun, leading down to the
village of Cushendun. Travelling
over the hills to Ballycastle, the
two northern glens are Glenshesk
and Glentaisie, both looking out
over the waters of Moyle to the
island of Rathlin.
another, more hidden landscape of
mists and myths, of legends and
folklore and tales of giants, fairies
and other wonderful creatures.
Come and explore them all.
Entwined with the rich history and
the traditions of the communities
within the glens is the constant
sense of a dual landscape; one
of breathtaking natural drama
and beauty that opens up as you
negotiate the hills and bends and
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 03
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1 Deserted village of Galboly
2 View from Lurigethan
3 Tievebulliagh in snow with
Fairy Tree in foreground
Water, fire and ice were the original
architects of the Glens of Antrim.
Ancient sea sediments became
mudstones, clays and chalk, and
earth movements raised these
to become hills and cliffs. About
60 million years ago, volcanic
eruptions spread lavas in thick
layers which cooled to form the
dark basalt rock that is evident
today, capping the brilliant
white chalk.
On this sandwich cake of rocks,
giant hands pressed down on the
land to leave imprints, like long
fingers radiating seawards from
high ground inland. Those giant
and heavy hands were glaciers,
originating in a great thickness
of ice, and their imprints became
today’s glens. The ice eventually
04 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
retreated towards Scotland as this
long cold period declined between
20,000 and 10,000 years ago. The
gouging of the ice scooped out
deep valleys where geological
faulting had already created
weaknesses and jumbled the rocks.
Changes in sea and land levels
took place, as melting ice added
huge quantities of water to the
sea, and the land rose slowly,
released from a great weight of
ice. Slippage and settlement put
the final touches to the land,
leaving opportunities for plants to
become established. Grazing and
predatory animals soon followed,
and Stone Age people arrived on
this north-east coast, possibly by
former land bridges or narrow sea
routes, about 8,000 years ago.
Since then, human activities have
modified the landscape to create
moorland, forest, small farms and
settlements, now bounded by a
bold coast road built by glensmen
between 1832 and 1842.
The building of the Antrim
Coast Road greatly improved
communications for the people
of the glens and made travel for
visitors less hazardous. Before
the road was built, a narrow and
rough track passed through the
wooded slopes above the coast
and Highwaymen, probably based
at the now deserted village of
Galboly, tucked out of sight above
Garron Point, were reported
to rob and murder travellers,
especially between Carnlough
and Cushendall. It was also at a
wooded spot not far from Garron
Point that the last wolf in Ireland
was reportedly shot in 1712. The
Coast Road therefore and the
country railroads that followed,
revolutionised access to the
glens for day-trippers and other
travellers keen to absorb the
magical atmosphere of a region
for so long sheltered from the
outside world.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 05
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1 Fairy Tree
2 Slemish in the mist
Not so long ago many more people
lived in the glens than do today.
These communities worked the
land, fished the coastal waters
headaches without even needing
physical contact with their patients
nature), left to replace a kidnapped
human child. A more benevolent
and entertained themselves with
the occasional ‘ceili’, (pronounced
caylee), a tradition of gathering in
each other’s homes to swap news,
listen to music, sing and enjoy the
craic of story-telling.
to effect a cure. Some are said
to survive today, so if you have a
headache...
fairy, the small and hairy but very
friendly Grogoch, features in many
folk stories particularly from the
northern glens and Rathlin Island.
Many of the stories told in these
days dealt in the currency of magic.
People talked of the curse that
accounted for a failed harvest or
an outbreak of disease while some
people, it was believed, had the
power to put a curse or ‘blink’ on
cattle, preventing them from giving
milk. Others had the gift of charms.
They could cure ailments such as
warts, sprains, burns and migraine
06 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
The Fairy Family
Of course, many of the old stories
also talked of fairies and other
supernatural beings such as
Leprechauns, Banshees, Sheeries
and the Pooka - the most feared
of all, a vindictive fairy, sometimes
appearing as a horse, an eagle,
or in the guise of the bogeyman
himself. Tales also exist of pipers
being led away, condemned
forever to entertain the fairies,
and of ‘changelings’ - unwanted
fairy children, (often of a grumpy
The Folklore of Trees
There has always been a strong
association in the glens between
the hawthorn tree and fairies.
Small, gnarled hawthorns, often of
great age, survive on slopes and in
fields where other obstructions to
the plough have long since been
removed. Stories abound of the
misfortunes that have befallen
those foolish enough to cut down
a ‘skeoch’, as they are known, eg
someone struck dumb or even a
Close to the head of Glencloy and Glenarm,
lies Slemish Mountain where Saint Patrick
herded sheep as a boy.
man’s head turned back-to-front!
Twigs of hazel are favoured by
A sprinkling of folk stories and
tales of strange events are
water diviners and noted for
providing protection against
mischievous fairies, (tying a hazel
branch to a horse for example,
discourages fairies from taking the
animal). Alder, on the other hand is
feared for harbouring water spirits
and the ash is said to be the first
tree that lightning will strike, and
should be avoided in a storm.
included in this guidebook and
while you may be sceptical, when
mist curls up the glens, or low
cloud distorts the landscape you
can, almost, believe anything.
The survival of beliefs and traditions
within the glens continues to enrich
the cultural heritage of the area,
and, although not everyone will admit
to believing in fairies, few would
dare to cut down a hawthorn tree.
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Carnfunnock Country Park
Ballygally Head
Ballygally Castle
Black Arch
Lady Isabella Shaw, Ghost of
Ballygally Castle
Journey through the Glens
Larne is known as the
‘Gateway to Ulster’
Today’s visitors arriving by ferry
come ashore on a strip of land
known as The Curran, where
archaeologists in 1935 discovered
flint implements from a Stone Age
settlement of around 8000 years
ago. Larne’s long human history is
a mere blink in time, as evidenced
by fossils discovered along the
adjoining coast, including a 200
million year old Icthyosaur - the
name means ‘fish lizard’ - found at
nearby Waterloo Bay in 1999.
The port of Larne is well used to
comings and goings. In 1327 King
Robert the Bruce of Scotland landed
here, 1639 saw the arrival of the
first of many Scottish Covenanters,
in 1717 the vessel ‘Friends Goodwill’
left the port with emigrants bound
08 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
for America and in 1872 regular
sailings were established between
Larne and Stranraer.
Larne to Glenarm
Heading north from Larne, where
the road drops down to the coast, a
plaque on a plinth by the seashore
railings is the monument to William
Bald, who engineered the Antrim
Coast Road, and the men of the
glens who built it between
1832 and 1842.
The road was - and is - quite an
engineering feat. Bordered on one
side by the North Channel and on
the other, for much of its length, by
cliffs of white chalk and dark basalt,
it occupies a narrow ribbon of land
that includes parts of post-glacial
raised beaches. Passing through
the famous landmark of the Black
Arch just north of Larne, there is an
underground sea tunnel where the
foamy turbulence of the water gives
this the name Devil’s Churn. Local
legend recalls a drunken piper who
lost his way in this tunnel, and still
plays his pipes at a distant house
where the tunnel is said to emerge.
A few miles north of Larne is
Carnfunnock Country Park, a
place to stop off for walks,
camping and caravanning.
Rounding Ballygally Head, a
prominent volcanic plug, there is a
small rocky promontory crowned
by the remains of a stone building.
This is known as O’Halloran’s
Castle, after a character in a
novel written by a Larne doctor in
There is a surprise around almost
every headland on this scenic road,
1820. Other stories linked to this
ruin tell of it being the home of
a famous bard, a place where a
local chieftain’s daughter was held
captive and - more likely - a small
Anglo-Norman castle built early in
the thirteenth century.
not least being the attractive small
town of Glenarm, and the first of
the Antrim glens.
A more substantial building is
Ballygally Castle, built in 1625
by James Shaw of Greenock,
Glasgow. More of a fortified house
than a castle, it claims a resident
ghost, Lady Isabella Shaw, shut
in the tower by her cruel husband
because she failed to produce a
son and heir. It is now a hotel
and restaurant.
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Salmon fishing, Glenarm
Glenarm Harbour
Wild Garlic
Glenarm Castle
Journey through the Glens
Glenarm - Glen of the Army
Glencloy - Glen of the Hedges
Glenarm
Travelling up the glen, rushy
fields gradually give way to a
more open landscape of small
farms with stone-walled pastures,
then extensive moorland. The
whaleback ridge of Slemish
Mountain becomes visible to
the south-west. Here, in the fifth
century, a young man was brought
from Britain to work in service to
a local landowner, tending pigs
on the slopes of Slemish. He was
to become Saint Patrick, Ireland’s
patron saint.
From the top of the glen, the great
expanse of bogland visible to the
north is the Garron Plateau, the
nearest thing to a wilderness in
agriculturally dominated Northern
10 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
Ireland and a designated Area of
Special Scientific Interest.
Looking across the glen, the
patchwork of dark spruce and
paler larch is evident in the
forest plantations, while lower
down towards the river are other
woodlands, including hazel scrub.
In early spring, before the leaves
are fully developed and reduce
the light, the ground beneath
these deciduous trees is carpeted
with primroses, wood anemones,
bluebells and other wild flowers,
many of which can also be seen
adorning the grassy road banks.
There is a small lay-by on the
right-hand-side of the B97 road
at the top of the glen’s north side,
with a fine view on a clear day.
A viewpoint panel explains the vista,
from Scotland’s Mull of Kintyre in
the north, to nearer features such
as the glen, its castle and the spire
of Saint Patrick’s Church in the
coastal town of Glenarm.
Glenarm Castle
Castle turrets have been a feature
of Glenarm since Medieval times.
The Bisset family is an early link
to the first castle at Glenarm. John
Bisset was exiled from Scotland
in 1242 for murdering a local earl.
He acquired lands on the Antrim
coast, and resided at Glenarm
Castle, which was then on the
north side of the river. Another
Scot, John Mor McDonnell, brother
of the Lord of the Isles, married
FAIRY FIDDLERS
This glen has produced its fair
share of skilled fiddle players, and
in the past, when flax was grown
in abundance, the fiddlers would
be key entertainers at the flax
harvest celebrations. Those with
exceptional skills and knowledge
of rare and beautiful tunes were
said to have learned these from
the fairies, known to be fine
musicians. Ask about belief in
fairies and you may receive a
cautious or shy response. Fairies
are feared, and it is safer to refer
to them less directly, using terms
such as ‘the little folk’.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 11
into the Bisset family and their
descendants inherited the castle,
which has been home to the Earls
of Antrim for over four hundred
years. Randal McDonnell rebuilt
the castle, this time on the north
side of the river, in 1636. Six years
later, it was attacked and burned,
then rebuilt in 1750, with attractive
towers, turrets and crenellations.
Today’s owner is Randal McDonnell,
Viscount Dunluce and the fourteenth
Earl of Antrim.
Glenarm Town
Glenarm is a small town with a
village atmosphere. Believed to have
been granted a municipal charter
by the Anglo-Norman King John
early in the thirteenth century, it is
one of the oldest towns in Ireland.
12 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
A major feature is the Barbican
Gate of Glenarm Castle, built when
Edmund McDonnell restored the
castle in 1825.
The harbour dates from the
fifteenth century. It was once filled
with trading and fishing boats, but
it is less commercial now. Today’s
lobster and crab fishers work close
inshore, using small boats and
there is an Atlantic salmon farming
enterprise, with floating holding
pens visible in the bay.
Glencloy
Glencloy is a shorter, broader glen
than Glenarm. Hedges of hawthorn
and gorse lower in the glen give
way to neat stone walls on higher
ground, all part of the many small
farms. Views from the top are of
moorland and forest, and once
again Slemish Mountain can be
seen. Look out for occasional
impressive stone gate pillars,
usually with a conical top. Once
widespread throughout the glens,
here and there some were left with
flat tops so that the fairies could
dance on them.
Doonan Fort and Waterfall
Well down the north side of the
glen on the A42 road is a walled
lay-by. A nearby flat-topped mound
is Doonan Fort, an Early Christian
stockade built to defend homes and
livestock and occupied about 1200
years ago. At the lower end of this
lay-by is a small viewing platform,
overlooking Doonan Waterfall.
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Carnlough
Beginning life in the early
seventeenth century as a small
fishing settlement, Carnlough is
an attractive village with its neat
limestone bridge, picturesque
harbour and historic buildings.
Beside the coast road just north
of Garron Point is a large inscribed
slab of chalk known as the Famine
Stone. It was inscribed by the
Marchioness as a memorial to the
hardships and loss of life in the
Great Irish Famine of the 1840s.
Londonderry Arms Hotel
This attractive and stately hotel in
the centre of Carnlough was built
in 1850 and was once owned by
Winston Churchill when he was
The White Lady
A short distance north of the
Famine Stone, on the inland side of
the road, is a tall chalk pillar, once
a sea-stack, known as the White
Secretary of State for War. It was
part of the estate of his greatgrandmother, Frances Anne Vane,
Marchioness of Londonderry, and
came to him as an inheritance.
It is now owned and managed,
(and has been for many years),
by the O’Neill family.
Lady. It has the appearance of a
bustled Victorian woman, looking
out to sea. Nearby is the Foaran
River, a tumbling stream running a
brief course from the cliffs to the
sea, said to be the shortest river
in Ireland.
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Glencloy Glen
Carnlough Harbour
The White Lady
Garron Plateau
Bluebells
Cranny Waterfall, Carnlough
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Looking towards Lurigethan
Glenariff Glen
Lurigethan
Glenariff Forest Park
Watershee
Journey through the Glens
Glenariff - arable or fertile glen
Glenballyeamon - Edwardstown glen
Glenariff
If, as the road sign approaching
the village of Waterfoot proclaims,
Glenariff is ‘The Queen of the
Glens’, then she is ably crowned by
the prominent peak of Lurigethan
on the north side. The wide base
of the glen meets the sea at a long
strand by Waterfoot. Glenariff
is indeed a spectacular glen, a
classic U-shaped valley created
by a glacier. Tumbling waterfalls
feed the river that meanders along
the valley bottom, woodland and
scrub clothe the steeper slopes,
and narrow fields run up the sides
of the valley, crossed regularly by
Lurigethan
Lurigethan, also known as
Lurigedan or simply Lurig, is the
long ridge bordering the north side
of Glenariff, separating it from
Glenballyeamon. The faint outlines
of an early Iron Age, (approximately
500 B.C. to 500 A.D.), promontory
fort are visible to those energetic
enough to scramble to the top of
this steep-sided headland. What
a view those early high ground
dwellers had! The Antrim hills are
spread out all around, sheltering
the middle glens, and across
the North Channel, the hills of
Galloway in Scotland can be seen
This hill top fortification is also
known as Lignafenia, which means
the ‘hollow of the warriors’, a
reference to the band of adventurers
known as the Fianna, led by Fionn
mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool). They
are characters from Irish tales of
long ago, and Finn reappears, in
elevated status, as the colossus
who built the Giant’s Causeway on
the nearby north Antrim coast.
hedges - part of the distinctive
‘ladder farms’ of Glenariff.
on a clear day.
ore). Iron mining began in upper
Glenariff in 1873 and ceased in the
1880s. The flat trackway of an old
14 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
Glenariff Mines
The thick layers of basalt that
cap the glens hills have layers of
weathered red soils that contain
iron ore and bauxite (aluminium
THE WATERSHEE
Usually appearing as either
a female fairy or a beautiful
woman, the Watershee lures
weary travellers into bogs and
lakes with her sweet singing;
only to drown them and devour
their unfortunate souls.
Only the wearing of a cross
or saying a prayer will protect
human beings from her dark and
evil ways.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 15
iron ore railway - the first three foot
gauge in Ireland - can still be seen
on the southern slope of Glenariff.
Larger deposits of iron ore were
extracted a short distance
south-west of Glenariff, in the
hills around Glenravel, which is
known as ‘The Tenth Glen’. Mining
here was at its peak in the 1870s
and 1880s. These ores were
transported by road using horses
and carts, then by railway down to
Red Bay where they were joined by
the outputs from local mines and
shipped to Britain for processing.
The supports of a chalk-built
railway bridge, an old pier and
a line of former miners’ houses
can be seen as the coast road
approaches Waterfoot.
16 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
Another pier survives by the
sandstone arch just north of the
village, once busy with sailing
ships loading the iron ore, and
later a terminus for a small ferry
that connected with Campbeltown
in Scotland from 1969 to 1972.
There is a minor road from the shore
near Cushendall Golf Club that
winds uphill to the remains of the
ancient church and graveyard of
Layde, a quiet place from which to
enjoy views of Red Bay and the lush
countryside surrounding Cushendall.
Cushendall
Cushendall is a conservation town,
and is known locally as the Capital
of the Glens. The prefix ‘Cush...’ in
Cushendall and Cushendun means
‘the foot of the river...’ and in these
cases the rivers are the Dall and
the Dun. Francis Turnley, who built
the prominent curfew tower in its
centre in 1817, owned Cushendall,
once known as Newtownglens.
Troublesome citizens were confined
in this tower.
Glenballyeamon
The road from Cushendall up the
south side of the glen is close to the
steep slope of Lurigethan, where
crooked tracks have exposed bits of
the white chalk that form the lower
part of this basalt-capped ridge.
The dark lump of Tievebulliagh
dominates the view of the north
side of this glen. The scene changes
from small and fertile farms to high
moorland with forest plantations
stretching away to the south-west,
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Tievebulliagh
Layde Church and Graveyard
Turnley’s Tower, Cushendall
Redbay Harbour, Waterfoot
Redbay Castle
Glenariff Mountain
where Trostan, at 1800 feet, is the
highest hill in Antrim. At the top of
Glenballyeamon, Gaults Road links
the two sides.
Ireland’s first export industry,
and another ‘axe factory’, exploiting
the same type of rock, existed on
Rathlin Island off Ballycastle.
Tievebulliagh axe factory
The dark outcrop of Tievebulliagh
is a hard volcanic rock called
Porcellanite - so named because it
is a blue-grey porcelain-like colour.
Around five to six thousand years
ago, stone-age settlers quarried
this rock to make axe heads, then
used sandstone to add a beautiful
polish and a sharp edge. These
artefacts were so distinctive that
archaeologists have recognised
them from finds scattered the
length and breadth of Britain and
Ireland, and as far away as Greece.
Tievebulliagh may have been
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 17
Journey through the Glens
Glenaan - Glen of the colt’s foot
Glencorp - Glen of the slaughtered
Glendun - Glen of the brown river
Glenaan
Lower Glenaan has beautiful
fuchsia hedges, ablaze with
hanging scarlet and lilac flowers
in summer. This hardy variant,
Fuchsia Magellanica, has been
extensively planted as a hedging
shrub throughout the glens and
along parts of the Causeway Coast,
and has adapted well to the
maritime climate.
Battle of the Boglands
On the treacherous peat bogs of
Orra Beg, in 1559, the McDonnells
of the Isles, settlers from Scotland,
fought the Ulster MacQuillans,
who had the advantage of horse
soldiers led by Hugh Phelim O’Neill.
Prior to the battle, the McDonnells
dug pits in the bog, disguised
18 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
these with heather, and once the
confrontation began, lured the
cavalry into these traps. As the
enemy floundered, the McDonnells
cut them down, and were victorious.
Hugh Phelim O’Neill was killed
nearby, and his tomb, difficult to
find now, lies amongst the boggy
humps and hollows near the
summit of Slievanorra.
American Wakes
A wake in Ireland is a gathering to
mourn the deceased, but it is also
a celebration of that person’s life.
An American wake, once a regular
event in a more populated Glenaan,
was a party tinged with sadness, to
say goodbye to emigrants leaving
for America.
Glencorp
The A2 road from Cushendall
towards Cushendun cuts through
Glencorp for a distance of about
two miles. This short, wide glen
has a pleasant landscape of fields,
lush hedges, woodlands, stone
walls and hills dotted with gorse
bushes, which often grow on rocky
ground where soils are thin, and
can hide or disguise early manmade features such as raths and
similar structures.
Raths
These circular earth-banked
structures, usually with an outer
ditch, are widepread throughout
the glens. Some are built of
stones, and are known as Cashels.
They are mainly Iron Age to Early
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I Ossian and Niaomh
Christian structures (500 BC to
1200 AD), sometimes referred to
as ringforts. They were defensive
enclosures for families and their
farm animals, protecting them
against small-scale local raids. On
the south slope of Cross Slieve hill,
north of Tiveragh, are two closely
spaced rath-like enclosures known
as The Twin Towers.
The Fairy Hill
A prominent round hill on the
east slope of Glencorp is called
Tieveragh. This is famed as the
home of multitudes of fairies, said
to emerge in a procession on May
Eve (30 April). Those who doubt
the existence of the little folk
will not see them, for they reveal
themselves only to believers.
OSSIAN THE BARD
Ossian, (pronounced
‘awsheen’), son of Finn
MacCool, was a poet as well
as a warrior, and he lived for a
while with a beautiful woman,
Niaomh, who had tempted
him to dwell in the Underworld,
known as Tir Na Nog, Land of
Eternal Youth, where no one
ever aged. He was warned never
to set foot on land again or he
would at once grow old and frail.
However, he could not resist
coming back to Glenaan, and
on doing so, he fell from his
horse and on contact with the
ground aged and died almost
at once. A stone-age burial
cairn at Lubitavish, half a mile
up Glenaan, has long been
romantically associated with the
grave of Ossian and also has a
memorial to John Hewitt, the
famous poet of the Glens.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 19
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Glendun
Glendun Viaduct
Cushendun
Glencorp
Aerial view over Cushendun
Glendun
A steep-sided and pretty glen,
its river tumbling over shiny
stones of greenish-grey schist,
the peat-stained water the colour
of whiskey. Moorland and bog
dominate the hills above the glen,
giving way lower down to small
fields bounded by stone walls and
hedges of hawthorn and gorse,
the latter not restricted to hedges
and appearing in clumps on
hillsides and ridges. Its vivid yellow
blossoms, smelling like coconut,
are so bright in late April and early
May, you almost need sunglasses
to view them. Hazel copses, known
locally as ‘scroggery’ - an old Scots
term - clothe the lower slopes.
This type of scrub is widespread
20 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
throughout the glens, and beneath
the hazels and other small trees,
and along the road banks, in
spring, is a wonderful richness of
wild flowers - white stitchwort,
lemony primrose, violet, bluebell,
wild garlic (white) and golden
celandine.
The Big Bridge
Down the valley where Glendun
begins to widen, the A2 road crosses
the Dun river on a magnificent
high viaduct, known in the area
simply as ‘the big bridge’. It took
glensmen five summers to build
(1834-1839), drawing the stone by
horse and cart from Layde quarry
near Cushendun. Charles Lanyon,
architect of some of Belfast’s finest
buildings, including Queen’s
University, designed the bridge.
Cushendun
This attractive village, owned by
the National Trust and best known
for its unusual Cornish-style
architecture, (the work of Clough
Williams Ellis between 1912 and
1925), has a pleasant beach with
a car park behind the warren on
the other side of the road. Behind
the car park is Glenmona, once the
home of Lord Cushendun, Ronald
McNeill, (1861-1934), a prominent
Ulster and British politician.
Castle Carra
This ruin of a tower house stands
in a field above Rockport House
at the north end of Cushendun
Bay. In 1567, two years after being
defeated by the self-proclaimed
Earl of Ulster Shane O’Neill, the
McDonnells entertained their
former adversary in Castle Carra,
providing two days of hunting and
feasting. However, on the third day,
taking advantage of the confusion
of a quarrel, they stabbed O’Neill
to death and their earlier defeat
was avenged. According to one
account, the proud O’Neill was
cruelly mangled, his head was
cut off and sent pickled in a jar to
be displayed on a spike at Dublin
Castle. In a field a little way up the
Torr Road, a cairn and a large Celtic
cross mark the site where Shane
O’Neill’s remains were laid.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 21
1
2
I
3
4
1 Watertop Open Farm
2 Murlough Bay
I The vanishing Horsemen
of Loughareema
3 Loughareema, empty
4 Torr Head with Mull of Kintyre
in background
Journey through the Glens
Leaving Cushendun, you are faced
with a choice of routes to Ballycastle.
Either take the narrow and
dramatic coastal route or the road
out of the village to the north
which swings uphill to join the
A2 across the moors, passing
the famous vanishing lake and
dropping down the lovely valley
of the Carey river past Bonamargy
Friary to Ballycastle.
Loughareema - The Vanishing Lake
Dropping down from the
moorlands of Cushleake and
Grange, the A2 road passes
over a stone-walled culvert by
Loughareema, the ‘fairy lough’
immortalised in the songs and
poems of former Cushendun
poetess Moira O’Neill. One day a
sparkling lake, a few days later a
22 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
bed of cracked mud and not a drop
of water in sight, this is indeed a
mysterious place.
Culfeitrin Church
About half a mile from Ballyvoy
hamlet, on the right hand side
of the road travelling towards
Ballycastle, is an attractive stone
Church of Ireland. This is an
ancient site, with two Bronze Age
standing stones rising amongst the
more recent headstones close to
the south wall of the church. What
makes these stones unusual is
their recognition by archaeologists
as ‘male and female’ stones, the
former tall and pointed and latter
smaller with a flat top. Such
combinations are rare.
The mound a short way before the
Church, cut through by the road
and visible in the field opposite,
was a fort known as The Seat
of the Kings of Ulster, once a
substantial stone construction.
Evidence of battles came from
a nearby bog where spears and
other weapons were found.
The Torr Coast Road
This is an extremely narrow winding
and hilly road with spectacular
views on a clear day across
the sound to Scotland’s Mull of
Kintyre, twelve miles at the closest
point. From further north on this
road, the Scottish islands of Jura
and Islay can also be seen in good
weather, lying to the north-west.
Torr Head is an obvious promontory
- once an ancient fort - and a steep
run downhill brings you past the
ruins of coastguard houses to a
small car park. A scramble up to
the disused coastguard lookout
rewards you with spectacular views.
Sea mammals, usually the common
porpoise and more rarely the minke
whale, pass by offshore.
Between Torr Head and the hamlet
of Ballyvoy, there are signposts
to Murlough Bay, one of the most
scenic places in Ireland, and to Fair
Head (636 ft), an imposing cliff
that marks the north-east corner
of Ireland, looking out over Rathlin
Island and Scotland.
THE VANISHING HORSEMEN
Loughareema lake lies in an
area riddled with sink-holes,
and it empties rapidly through
these to underground
watercourses, and can fill again
quickly as rainwater drains off
the surrounding bogs. The old
road ran across the dry bed of
the lake, and one dark night
long ago, a Colonel McNeill, his
coachman and horses drowned
when the driver misjudged the
state of the water level. It is
said that their ghosts still haunt
the lake.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 23
1
2
3
4
1 Breen Wood
2 Autumn Gold
3 Glenshesk, looking
towards Rathlin Island
4 Armoy Round Tower
Journey through the Glens
Glenshesk - Glen of the Sedges &
Glentaisie - Glen of Taisie of the bright sides
Glenshesk
This is a well-wooded glen, and
is reached by taking the B15 road
beside the River Margy Bridge at
Ballycastle golf course.
Drumeeny Church
On a ridge above the Glenshesk
River on the Knocklayd side is the
ruin of a Drumeeny Church, said to
have been founded by Saint Patrick
in the fifth century. The site may
have also been a place of ritual in
pre-history, with links to the Stone
and Bronze Ages (5000 BC to
500 BC). It is an enigmatic spot,
difficult to find but worth the effort.
The Fairy Wood
Five miles up Glenshesk from the
Margy Bridge, where the Drumavoley
24 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
Road meets the B15, there is a
small car park. An information
panel at the entrance tells you this
is the way to Breen Wood. Breen
means ‘the place of the fairies’,
and if you make the effort to walk
the three-quarters of a mile to
this ancient oakwood you will
be rewarded by an enchanting
location, a 2000 year old survivor
of the type of woodland that once
covered large expanses of Ireland.
Eternal Flames
The distinctively fragrant
blue smoke of peat fires from
hearths throughout the glens is a
welcoming feature, typical of rural
Ireland. Peat - or turf - has been cut
from the extensive bogs in the hills
around the glens for centuries,
formerly by hand using a sleán or
long-bladed spade but now mainly
with specialised machinery.
The cottage fire was kept alive
overnight by raking the ashes
over the glowing peat embers, a
process known as smooring. The
ashes retained enough heat for
the fire to be fanned into life again
the next morning and it is said
there were cottages about the
glens where the fire never went
out. If the Grogoch or any of the
other wee folk visited during the
night, they could sit at a warm and
welcoming fire.
Doonfin
You do not have to travel far in
County Antrim to encounter Finn
MacCool, whether in his legendary
giant form or as a Celtic warrior.
In the latter guise he is said to
have slain his favourite hunting
dog Bran in Glenshesk - at a spot
now known as Doonfin - during
an incident in the pursuit of deer.
Hunting features frequently in tales
of Finn and his band of fighters,
the Fianna, and Finn’s two dogs,
Bran and Skolawn, are recorded
as being a type of greyhound, but
no doubt larger and heavier than
today’s refined racing dogs.
Armoy Round Tower
At the ancient crossroads of
Carneagh, at the top of the two
glens, is Saint Patrick’s Church of
Armoy, in the grounds of which
stands an eleventh or twelfth
century round tower. The upper
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 25
storey and cone-shaped roof are
missing, but the remains of the
lower part of the tower are in good
condition. A church was founded
here by Saint Olcan, who was
Bishop of Armoy in 460AD and
saved from dying at birth by Saint
Patrick. Excavations at this church
in 1997 revealed the 400-500 year
old remains of a leper, an unusual
discovery because normally one
so afflicted was not buried in
Church grounds.
battle with the Norweigans, was
given a gift of land by the grateful
couple, Congal and Taisie. Fergus
chose to settle at Broom-More
on the slopes of what was to
become known as Glentaisie. His
legendary mansion of Duntaisie is
visible as a large mound - probably
a fort or motte - on the hillside
above Ballydurnian, about a mile up
the glen from start of the Hillside
Road, which forks from the road
to Coleraine.
Glentaisie
Glentaise, interpreted as ‘Glen of
the bright sides’ gained its name
from a popular folk tale , (see
Fairy Facts).
The Battle of Glentaisie
In 1565, Shane O’Neill - whose fate
at Castle Carra in Cushendun is
described on page 21 - defeated a
greatly outnumbered force of the
clan McDonnell in Glentaisie, slaying
around seven hundred of their men.
One Chieftan, Fergus MacLaide,
who helped defend Rathlin in the
26 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
Knocklayd
The name means ‘The Broad Hill’,
and on the round top is the remains
of a large burial monument, possible
a passage grave. Known as the
Cairn of the Three, legend records
that three large bronze swords were
found here, embedded upright in
the ground like King Arthur’s famous
sword, Excalibur.
Knocklayd featured in a major
hoax in the newspapers of 1788.
Reports claimed that the top of the
hill burst open, releasing burning
matter and hot stones that killed
cattle in the nearby fields. Lava
was supposed to have flowed
down the valley then over the top
of nearby Fair Head, which was an
uphill journey! The source of this
I
1
2
3
4
5
I
1
2
3
4
5
Wedding of Taisie
Glentaisie
Knocklayd
Fairhead
Cotton Grass
Gorse
story may have been a bog slide on
the slopes of Knocklayd, but the
exaggerated claim of a volcanic
eruption came at a time when
scientific debates were running hot
and heavy about whether basalt,
(the rock that caps Knocklayd),
originated in lava flows or
sediments deposited in oceans.
One of the predictions made by
the Black Nun of Bonamargy in the
17th Century was that Knocklayd
would erupt and spread lava across
12 miles of surrounding countryside.
THE WEDDING OF TAISIE
Taisie, the daughter of a King
of Rathlin, was a great beauty
who had gained the attentions
of the King of Norway. He sent a
contingent of his men to bring
her back to be his bride but his
demand was refused for Taisie
was promised to Congal, heir to
the Kingdom of Ireland.
When Taisie and Congral’s
wedding celebrations were in
full swing the King of Norway
suddenly arrived with his
army to capture Taisie but in
the subsequent battle the
Norwegian king was killed
and his army returned home
leaderless and empty handed.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 27
1
3
5
2
4
I
1
2
3
4
5
I
Ballycastle Golf Club
Wild Orchid
Ballycastle Marina
Lammas Fair
Bonamargy Friary
Black nun of Bonamargy
Journey through the Glens
Beautifully situated where the North Channel
sweeps past Fair Head to mingle with the
Atlantic Ocean, Ballycastle is the northern
gateway to the Glens of Antrim.
It is also a popular seaside resort,
famed for its historic and lively
Lammas Fair, held in late August.
The son of Sorley Boy McDonnell,
the first Earl of Antrim, built a
castle in the centre of the old
town. This was first recorded in
1565, and before then the name
of Ballycastle probably did not
exist. The bay was know as Port
Brittas, and a small settlement
by the river Margy was called
Margietown. There is now no
trace of the old castle. West of the
town, at Dunaneeny, on the cliffs
overlooking Rathlin Island, was the
16th Century McDonnell castle. It
too has vanished, save for a few
stones near the cliff edge in the
private estate of Clare Park.
28 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
Looking around Ballycastle today,
it may be difficult to believe that in
the eighteenth century this was a
busy industrial town, largely due
to the energy of a local landlord,
Hugh Boyd. A visitor to the town
in 1760, for example, would have
seen a glass works, tanneries, a
brewery, soapworks, bleachworks
and, towards Fair Head, coal
mines, ironworks and salt pans.
Local natural resources such as
coal, limestone (chalk), sand,
sea water, fireclay and seaweed,
(burned to make kelp, a source of
many useful chemicals), were all
used to facilitate these industries.
A less tangible resource, but
equally rich, is the wealth of folklore
that abounds in the area. Here are
just some of the tales.
Bonamargy Friary
Founded by Rory McQuillan in the
late fifteenth century and built of
red sandstone, granite and dark
basalt, this Fransican friary was
shut down in the 1530s as part of
Henry VIII’s purge carried out
against such establishments. The
church was burned in 1584, but
the McDonnells, who acquired
the friary in 1559, added a private
chapel next to the ruin in 1621.
The site continued to be used as
a graveyard.
Deirdre of Sorrows
Another story of exile and return
is centred on a rocky promontory
along Ballycastle beach called
Carraig Uisneach, currently known
as the Pans Rock - a former saltmaking site.
Around the first century AD,
Deirdre, daughter of King Conor
of Ulster, fled to Scotland with her
lover Naisi and his two brothers
Ainle and Ardan, because her
father was jealous of her love for
Naisi. Eventually the King sent
word that they were forgiven and
could return. Deirdre and the three
sons of Uisneach came back to
Ireland, landing at what became
known thereafter as the Rock of
THE BLACK NUN
Bonamargy Friary contains
important tombs. The crypt of
the McDonnell clan is in the
main church, close to that of
their stewards, the McNaghtons.
A small rounded cross with a
hole in the centre at the west
door marks the grave of Julia
McQuillan, a recluse who
resided here in the 1600s, better
known as ‘The Black Nun’. She
was famous for her predictions,
some of which local believers
claim to have been fulfilled.
There have been many sightings
of a headless figure, reported
to be the Black Nun, haunting
Bonamargy.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 29
Uisneach. But in time the King’s
jealousy returned and overcame
his promise of pardon, and he had
the three brothers slain. Deirdre
died of a broken heart.
I
1
I
1
2
3
4
5
2
3
4
5
The Children of Lir
Fairhead
Buzzard
Butterfly
Fulmar
Wild Flowers
30 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
THE CHILDREN OF LIR
Lir was a famous Irish chieftain
whose wife died after giving
him a daughter and three sons.
He then married his dead wife’s
half-sister, who was jealous of
Lir’s love for his four children.
She cast a spell on them,
turning them into beautiful
white swans, and they were
destined to spend nine hundred
years in exile. Three hundred of
these years were passed here,
on the Waters of Moyle, and the
birds’ lonely cries were heard
about the bay. Finally, on the
coming of Christianity to Ireland,
the children of Lir regained
human form. Old and weak, they
were baptised and died together.
Every autumn, flocks of wild swans
fly in over this north coast on
migration from Iceland to spend
the winter in Ireland’s milder
climate. Their haunting and
musical calls are a reminder of
one of Ireland’s favourite legends.
The glens provide many habitats - sea, shore,
cliffs and slopes, woods and forests, farms,
bog and moorland, rivers, streams and
small lakes - that support interesting plants,
insects, birds and mammals:
some live here all the year round,
others are migrants. In the case of
plants, each season provides its
own delights: vivid yellow gorse,
(also known in Ireland as whin or
furze), in spring, rare and colourful
orchids in summer, tall thistles in
autumn - pillaged for their seeds
by flocks of finches. Even in the
depths of winter, there is a flower
in bloom somewhere amongst
these sheltered glens.
Over the open moorland and
grasslands, a large hawk, the
hen harrier, hunts its prey, and
skylarks sing in the clear air. The
russet Irish hare bounds across
the heather, and agile Irish stoats
negotiate stone walls hunting for
mice and small birds. These two
animals are slightly different to
their counterparts in Britain, hence
the Irish identity. The woods and
forests are filled with songbirds,
and fox and badger often make
their homes here, from which
they travel out into the open
countryside to find food. Broadwinged buzzards, our largest bird
of prey, drift over the farmlands,
hunting for rabbits. The rivers
are favoured by the shy otter, and
by special river birds such as the
bobbing, black-and-white dipper
and the vivid blue and orange
kingfisher. Salmon, brown trout
and sea trout provide excitement
for anglers in the glens rivers.
The cliffs are populated with grey
and white fulmars, which are not
seagulls, but members of the
petrel family, and expert gliders.
You may hear the shrieking call
of the Peregrine falcon echoing
for the heights. Large black
cormorants perch on sea rocks or
the remains of old piers, wings
sometimes spread to dry, for the
bird is not naturally waterproof,
and has to spread a body oil on its
plumage to repel water.
Seals occur around the coast.
Usually all you see is a dark head
bobbing in the water, but at Rathlin
Island off Ballycastle, they can be
watched basking on the shore.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 31
Whether walking or cycling it’s a journey not
to be hurried, every twist and turn in the road
will reveal new sights.
For cyclists the journey through the
Glens of Antrim on the Causeway
Coastal Route provides the link
between the way-marked National
Cycle Route No. 93 Ballyshannon
- Ballycastle and the return leg to
Ballyshannon via Armagh on the
National Cycle Route No.9 starting
from Belfast.
In addition, the Glens of Antrim
have an entire network of quiet
country lanes to enable cyclists to
experience rural life and get close
to nature.
Walkers are also well catered for
with a similar network of quiet
country lanes and way-marked
32 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
ways. On a clear day you can
see for miles - green fields, stone
walls and forests with stunning
mountains as a backdrop - and all
the way across to Scotland across
the North Channel.
Whether walking or cycling, these
are journeys not to be hurried, take
time to enjoy the scenery, the people,
the storytelling and the craic!
For full details including guided
tours and fully inclusive packages,
please contact any of the Tourist
Information Offices listed on the
back of this guide.
NORT
HERN
IRELAN
D
your g
to cy uide
cling
14 CY
CLING
ROUT
ES
Glenarm: Gleann Arma.
The glen of the army.
Glencorp: Gleann Coirp.
The glen of the slaughtered.
Overlooking Glenarm village, eleven miles north of
Larne on the famous Antrim Coast Road.
Close by Glenaan and roughly parallel to the main
road from Cushendall to Cushendun.
Glencloy: Gleann Claidhe.
The glen of the hedges.
Glendun: Gleann Abhain Doinne.
The glen of the brown river.
Two miles north of Glenarm, with the village of
Carnlough at its foot.
Adjacent to Cushendun village; spanned by a viaduct
on the main Cushendall - Ballycastle road
Glenariff: Gleann Airimh.
The arable or fertile glen.
Glenshesk: Gleann Seist.
The sedgy glen.
The best known of the nine, which sweeps majestically
towards the village of Waterfoot.
East of the town of ballycastle and sweeping towards
the ruins of historical Bonamargy Friary.
Glenballyeamon: Gleann Bhaile
Eamoinn. Edwardstown glen.
Glentaisie: Gleann Taoise Taobh Geal.
The Glen of Taisie of the bright sides.
At the foot of which is Cushendall, more or less at the
centre of the nine glens.
Roughly west of Ballycastle and, like Glenshesk, close
to the town.
Glenaan: Gleann Adhann.
The glen of the colts foot.
Or rush lights, a rugged glen, having the site of
the legendry Ossian’s Grave, with the Cushendall
Ballymoney mountain road.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 33
When exploring the glens, common sense
should be your constant companion.
With such diverse scenery, it is not
surprising that many areas have
been given protective designations.
You will find National Nature
Reserves (NNR), Areas of Special
Scientific Interest (ASSI) and other
designations applied to certain
areas. The built heritage has not
been ignored, and there are village
and town Conservation Areas. A
large expanse of the countryside
and coast, containing all nine glens
and comprising 273 square miles,
is listed as an Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty (AONB).
Farming is a major activity in
Northern Ireland. The countryside
and wildlife of the glens have been
influenced by agriculture. Farmers
are encouraged to join various
34 | A guide to the Glens of Antrim
voluntary schemes that provide
advice and financial assistance, so
that farming can help maintain an
attractive countryside with a good
variety of wildlife. These agricultural
and environmental initiatives
include the Environmentally
Sensitive Areas programme and
the Countryside Management
Scheme, both administered by the
Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development.
The local authorities in the
glens area, are active in tourism
promotion and provide a variety of
information services and activities.
Councils also employ Countryside
Officers who ensure that this
valuable asset is protected, while
still ensuring access to the region
is made available to as many
people as possible.
Ensure you park sensibly and
safely, respect the countryside and
its wildlife, and do not assume a
right to roam at will. Unless on a
way-marked route, it is best to ask
permission to enter farmland or
even open moorland, for much of
the glens countryside is privately
owned and farmed. For these
reasons, dogs are best left behind
if you are crossing farmland or high
ground where sheep are wandering.
When exploring the glens,
common sense should be your
constant companion.
Cahal Dallat, 1990 (reprinted 2004)
The Road to the Glens
(Historic Photographs)
The Friar’s Bush Press, Belfast.
Cahal Dallat, 1991.
Antrim Coast and Glens:
A Personal View
Belfast, HMSO.
Maureen Donnelly, 1974
The Nine Glens
Published by the author and
printed by The Newtownards
Chronicle, Newtownards, Co Down.
Maureen Donnelly, 2000 (revised),
The Nine Glens
Published by the author and
printed by Impact Printing,
Coleraine and Ballycastle.
Environment and Heritage Service.
Antrim Coast and Glens. Leaflet.
Department of the Environment.
Tony McAuley, 2000
Tony McAuley’s Glens: Walking
and Cycling in North Antrim
Cottage Publications,
Donaghadee, Co Down.
Jon Marshall, 1991
Forgotten Places of the North Coast
Clegnagh Publishing, Moss-side,
Co Antrim.
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland
Discoverer Maps Series (1:50 000),
Sheet 5 (Ballycastle) and
Sheet 9 (Larne)
Published by the Ordnance Survey
of Northern Ireland, Belfast.
The Glens of Antrim Historical
Association
The Glynns
(journal published annually
since 1973) Cushendall, Co Antrim.
The Glens of Antrim Historical
Society, 2000
From Glynn to Glen: a visual record
of a millennium
Glens of Antrim Historical Society,
Cushendall, Co Antrim.
Sandy Watson, 2004
Old Antrim Coast
Stenlake Publications, Catrine,
Ayrshire, Scotland.
A guide to the Glens of Antrim | 35
Causeway Coast and Antrim Glens Ltd
11 Lodge Road Coleraine Co. Londonderry
BT52 1LU Northern Ireland
T (028) 7032 7720 F (028) 7032 7719
E mail@causewaycoastandglens.com
www.causewaycoastandglens.com
Regional Tourist Information Centres
Ballycastle
Sheskburn House 7 Mary Street
Ballycastle BT54 6QH
T 028 2076 2024
F 028 2076 2515
E fcampbell@moyle-council.org
www.moyle-council.org
Carrickfergus
Museum and Civic Centre
Antrim Street, Carrickfergus BT38 7DG
T 028 9335 8000
F 028 9336 6676
E touristinfo@carrickfergus.org
www.carrickfergus.org
Limavady
7 Connell Street
Limavady BT49 0HA
T 028 7776 0307
F 028 7772 2010
E tourism@limavady.gov.uk
www.limavady.gov.uk
Ballymena
76 Church Street
Ballymena BT43 6DF
T 028 2563 8494
F 028 2563 8495
E tourist.information@ballymena.gov.uk
www.ballymena.gov.uk
Coleraine
Railway Road
Coleraine BT52 1PE
T 028 7034 4723
F 028 7035 1756
E colerainetic@btconnect.com
www.colerainebc.gov.uk
Ballymoney
Riada House, 14 Charles Street
Ballymoney BT53 6DZ
T 028 2766 0200
F 028 2766 0222
E kerrie.mcgonigle@ballymoney.gov.uk
www.ballymoney.gov.uk
Larne
Narrow Gauge Road
Larne BT40 1XB
T 028 2826 0088
F 028 2826 0088
E larnetourism@btconnect.com
www.larne.gov.uk
Newtownabbey
Development Services Department
Mossley Mill
Newtownabbey BT36 5QA
T 028 9034 0000
F 028 9034 0062
E info@newtownabbey.gov.uk
www.newtownabbey.gov.uk
This publication has been assisted by the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust as part of the
Natural Resource Rural Tourism Initiative under the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The information given in this Guide is given in
good faith on the basis of information submitted to The Causeway
Coast and Glens Limited and McCadden Design Limited. The Causeway
Coast and Glens Limited and McCadden Design Limited cannot
guarantee the accuracy of the information in this Guide and accept
no responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for
loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by the
reliance on the information contained in this Guide, or in the event
of the bankruptcy or liquidation of any company, individual or firm
mentioned, or in the event of any company, individual or firm ceasing
to trade, is hereby excluded.
Maps reproduced from the 2004 Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland
1:250 000 Ireland North map with the permission of the controller
of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, © Crown Copyright 2004.
Permit ID: 40302
Photography by E. Crawford, NITB, National Trust.
Design by McCadden Design.
Printed in Northern Ireland. WGB 02.06 12k