Northern Ireland

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Bushmills & The Antrim Coast

Located in the South West of Ireland in the County of Kerry - Ireland's premier visitor destination. Killarney offers so much to visitors with plenty to see and do all year round. It sprang into prominence when 18th century tourists were drawn to its wonderful setting under the shadow of Ireland's highest mountains and beside its scenic lakes. Killarney is also the starting point of the drive around the Iveragh peninsula, a dramatically scenic route, commonly known as the Ring of Kerry. The complete route is 100 miles long but your journey will be broken by many stops to admire the scenic beauty of the area that changes dramatically around every corner.

Local Places of Interest and Activities

The Giants Causeway — According to legend, the symmetrical columns reaching out to sea were the work of the giant, Finn MacCool. Today geologists try to convince us that thousands of polygonal columns were formed 55 million years ago, when a lava flow cooled and solidified, and that the oldest rocks of the Causeway started posing for visitors about 600 million years ago. The facts and the fiction of this "World Heritage Site" are vividly presented in the Causeway Centre, where there is an audio-visual theatre, tea room and gift shop.

Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge — There has been a rope bridge here for over 200 years, but in earlier times it had just a single hand rail. It was first erected to reach an important fishery. Salmon entering the bay below Carrick-a-Rede will not swim through the narrows below the bridge, but are deflected by the island into the fish nets. Crossing this narrow bouncy bridge of planks and ropes, precariously poised 80 feet above the sea, is not for the fainthearted. It is erected each Spring and is normally taken down in mid-September.

Dunluce Castle — The dramatic ruin of Dunluce Castle forms the remains of the largest, most sophisticated castle on the Northern Irish coastline. Perched on an 100 foot-high sheer cliff, the only way to enter is across a long narrow bridge overlooked by the battlements. The castle dates from the 10th century, and the history of the castle is a story of the legendary "Sorley Boy" of the wild MacDonnells from Scotland, and their terrible feuds with the O' Neills of Ulster and the forces of the English crown.

Bushmills Distillery — King James I granted the original licence to distil "Aqua Vitae" at Bushmills in April 1608 and so the village has been making the finest Irish malt whiskey for almost 400 years. The distillery is situated just two miles from the Giant's Causeway and close to the Bushmills Inn. "Old Bushmills" runs a guided tour for you to see everything first hand and of course no visit is complete without enjoying a glass of the final product. The Bushmills Inn naturally features the full range of Bushmills whiskey including its own unique 25 year-old private cask pure malt.

Ballintoy Harbour —Ballintoy's hidden beauty is found at the end of the harbour road where you will find a small beach and a limestone harbour. In recent years the harbour has been upgraded and is very popular with fishermen and deep sea divers alike. The beautiful limestone and basalt cliffs, the caves and headlands in the harbour area are a spectacular site. You will be encouraged to arrange a fishing trip in one of the local boats or you can simply watch the artists painting.

Tours to take of the surrounding area

The Glens of Antrim — Continue on the Antrim Coastal Road over bridges and under arches, past bays and beaches into the Glens of Antrim. Wild in their beauty, each glen deserves a visit, but above all else don't miss Glenariff, the queen of the glens with its gushing waterfalls and scenic path skirting the sheer sides of the plunging gorge.

The City of Derry — You can enjoy a walking tour of the historical city of Londonderry. The Derry walls are one of the finest examples in Europe, built during the period 1613-1618 as defences for early seventeenth century settlers from England and Scotland. They have withstood several sieges, the most celebrated lasting 105 days and encircle the old city, a circuit of one mile.

The Inishowen Peninsula — Tour the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal. 26 miles in length and breadth at its greatest point. It is the most northerly part of Ireland, Lough Swilly forms its westerly boundary and Lough Foyle its eastern. Monuments of an earlier age grow from the landscape as castle towers and ancient churches. The Celtic crosses and the pagan monuments come together in a colourful tapestry with these great houses of the last century, to leave lasting memories for the visitor of this undiscovered part of Ireland.

The Grianan of Aileach — one of the finest stone forts in Ireland. From the hill-top there are commanding views over Lough Foyle, Lough Swilly, and Londonderry. In the walls are small chambers, a series of stairs at regular intervals inside the walls gave access to the wallwalk. Legend says it was built by the ancient gods; the ring fort was known as the Sun Palace and was held sacred.