I'm a Mennonite, living in my home town, Bury. Sorry, no prizes for guessing what a Mennonite is!
I'm a Mennonite, living in my home town, Bury. Sorry, no prizes for guessing what a Mennonite is!
Member since:10.08.2001
Reviews:10
Members who trust:2
We stayed in Portstewart, which is just in Co.Derry rather than Co.Antrim, but our holiday still turned out to be an Antrim experience. Three towns, Portstewart, Portrush and Coleraine, nestle in a convenient triangular arrangement on in the middle of the north coast of Northern Ireland, bisecting by the border between the two counties. It’s amazing how often a plebeian resort has a more genteel neighbour. That’s certainly the case with the two coastal resorts, sedate Portstewart and brash, bustling Portrush, a kind of junior Blackpool. Coleraine sits inland from the two towns and is less of a tourist attraction than a retail and commercial centre, complete with its own University.
Portstewart or Portrush would make ideal places to stay, for car drivers and non-drivers alike. We made good use of the 218 bus, which plies its way from along the coast to Belfast.
We visited friends in Derry whilst on our holiday and picked up resentful rumblings that the University of Ulster at Coleraine had not been sited there, instead. North Antrim, we found, is mainly Protestant, whereas Derry has a Catholic majority. Most of the time, the Antrim coast seemed a long way from the troubles but as our stay coincided with the Omagh bombing, we were more aware of Northern Ireland’s recent, turbulent history than we might otherwise have been. It was a deeply moving experience to return home on the train a week later and pass through towns where crowds of people, Protestant and Catholic, stood in silence as a mark of respect.
County Antrim is a place of contrasts. With a few exceptions there isn’t that much to see and do, inland. Antrim itself is uninspiring, except for a few older buildings like its interesting courthouse. The Irish Linen Centre in Lisburn is well worth a visit and the best place in Northern Ireland to understand how linen is made and used. But, it’s the Antrim coast, which is the glory of the county. Portrush may be a little on the loud side, but it is making a name for itself as a destination for surfers. Both Portrush and Portstewart have splendid, expansive beaches, which never seem to be so crowded that it’s impossible to find a quiet spot. We liked Portrush, with its characterful, fleapit cinema and lovely, bracing walks around Ramore Head.
Further along the coast, the cliffs rise higher and so does the beauty of the landscape. Dunluce castle is a few miles along the coast from busy Portrush and now clings to a Cliffside overlooking the sea. In-between coach parties, it’s an interesting place to go. We saw a Merlin and Peregrine Falcons hunting nearby whist we were there. The undisputed highlight to the Antrim Coast is the Giant’s Causeway. This site near Portballintrae is impressive, whichever way you look at it, but we especially enjoyed the view from the cliffs above the Causeway. Geologists tell us that lava erupted from a fissure and crystallised into those distinctive hexagonal basalt columns about 60 million years ago. A more colourful explanation had the Irish giant building stepping-stones to the Scottish island of Staffa, where similar basalt formations are found. We thought that the Causeway would be a good place for anyone with a mobility impairment to visit. A shuttle service links the Visitor’s Centre with the Causeway itself. Further east, along the coast from the Causeway is the splendid, White Park Bay, with its wonderful, sweeping beach.
The Giant’s Causeway may be the most visited place in Ireland but, for us, the highlight of our holiday was a visit to Rathlin Island, accessible via the pleasant town of Ballycastle. The island is only 6km long and about 1.5 across, at most. Its 100 inhabitants are outnumbered by clouds of seabirds, which can be viewed at the Kebble Nature Reserve at the western end of the island. A minibus, complete with friendly, talkative driver runs visitors to the reserve from the ferry harbour, if you don’t fancy the walk. Ballycastle itself is a pleasure. We discovered many of the shops selling a local confection called Yellowman which is tasty enough, but is sure to guarantee dentists work for many years to come. There are lots of affordable places to eat and stay in Ballycastle, but we especially liked an unpretentious ice cream parlour on the seafront, which served truly wicked hot chocolate. Ballycastle is also the home of the Corrymeela Community – a Christian community dedicated to reconciliation between Catholics and Protestants.
Further east, off the scenic road between Ballycastle and Cushendun, is Murlough Bay. This is, arguably, the most spectacular part of the Antrim coast. However, anyone wanting to see this area fully will need a car or should be prepared to walk some distance. By all accounts the road down to Larne is one of the most scenic in Europe. As we didn’t come that way, that experience and a visit to the nine glens of Antrim will have to wait until another time.
Antrim is an engaging place to visit, for families, nature lovers or surfers. Here are some of the best beaches in Britain and some of the most splendid coastal scenery. If you want a wild time and the nightlife don’t go to Antrim. At least, don’t go when we’re there! Lovers of the great outdoors and relaxation, though, will go away talking about when and not if they will be coming back.
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Another grand op. I've only ever visited the south of Ireland - reading this reminds me that I wouldlove to visit the north as well. It sounds beautiful!
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Aug 17th, 2001
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