Achill Island
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Achill Island (Irish: Acaill, Oileán Acla) in County Mayo is the largest island of Ireland, and is situated off the west coast. It has a population of 2,700. Its area is 57 square miles (147.6 km²). Achill is attached to the mainland by Michael Davitt Bridge, between the villages of Achill Sound and Polranny, so it is possible to drive onto the island. This is a causeway and swing bridge which allows the passage of small boats. A bridge was first completed here in 1887, and replaced by the current structure in 1949. Other centres of population include the villages of Keel, Dooagh, Dooega and Dugort. The parish's Gaelic football pitch and two secondary schools are on the mainland at Polranny. Early settlements are believed to have been established on Achill around 3000 BCE. A paddle dating from this period was found at the crannog near Dookinella. |
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The Giants Causeway
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While none of Ireland’s man-made or natural features received any recognition in the ancient Wonders of the World we can only presume that the ancient Greeks and Romans who compiled that list did not have the opportunity to visit County Antrim!
No better contender for this role could be found than the legendary Fionn Mac Cumhail, a giant among giants.
It is told (by a very reliable source!) that during a fight with a Scottish giant, he scooped up a huge clod of earth and flung it at his fleeing rival. The remaining cavity filled with water and formed Lough Neagh while the clod, landing in the middle of the Irish Sea, would eventually form the Isle of Man.
On another occasion he spied with his sharp eyes a lady giant on the island of Staffa with whom he fell in love. To allow her cross to Ulster without the inconvenience of wetting her feet, he built a highway of stepping-stones from Antrim to Scotland, the present Giant’s Causeway. |
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Rathlin Island
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A rare place, wild, beautiful and of extraordinary ecological value and social interest.
This island lies 6 miles off Ballycastle in Northeast Ireland and 16 miles from the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. It is eight miles long and less than one mile wide.
Shaped like a boot made with layers of basalt on limestone on the higher parts. It is surrounded by limestone and basalt sea cliffs reaching 470 ft in places. Three lighthouses stand as monument to its wild coast while over 40 recorded shipwrecks lie in the depths of underwater cliffs, caves and a marine botanical paradise. |
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Islandmagee
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Islandmagee
A beautiful coastal country paradise ideal for golfing, sea fishing, diving, horse riding and bird watching. Islandmagee is 8 miles long and is joined to the mainland by an attractive raised causeway
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Carnlough
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Carnlough
A relaxed fishing village at the foot of the famous Antrim Glens. This site contains a wealth of tourism information on the area |
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Broughshane – Tha Garden Village of Ulster
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Broughshane – Tha Garden Village of Ulster
The village of Broughshane is world famous for its floral displays. The competitions the village has won include Ulster in Bloom ,Britain in Bloom, Europe in Bloom, Nations in Bloom
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Cullybackey
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Cullybackey
Cullybackey is the Ancestral Home of Chester Alan Arthur, 21st President of the United States of America.
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Glenarm Forest Park
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Glenarm Forest Park
Glenarm Forest Park is an 800-acre nature preserve once part of the demesne of Glenarm Castle, but now dedicated for public use as a peaceful picnic sanctuary and woodland trail, maintained by the Ulster Wildlife Trust. Through a stone archway at the top of Altmore Street visitors can stroll along the riverbank under towering spruce trees, ancient oaks and sycamores following different pathways marked on the map at the car park. No matter what the season, a walk in Glenarm Forest offers views of the Castle, waterfalls, wild flowers, native plants, and a chorus of birdsong. Open during daylight hours only
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Cushendall
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Cushendall
On the main Coast Road the 'The Capital of the Glens' is at the foot of the Lurigethan Mountain. As a Conservation area it is steeped in history, an example of this is the perfectly preserved Turnley's nineteenth century Curfew Tower, the focal point of
the village. Visit the Layde Graveyard which is said to be one of the oldest and most important historical sites in the Glens of Antrim. As a parish it dates back to before 1288.
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Reservation: reservation@lmho.net 
