Sights in County Antrim
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
Giant’s Causeway & Bushmills Railway
The Giant’s Causeway & Bushmills Railway follows the route of a 19th-century tourist tramway for 3km from Bushmills to below the Giant’s Causeway visitor centre. The narrow-gauge line and locomotives (two steam and one diesel) were brought from a private line on the shores of Lough Neagh. Trains run hourly between 11am and 5.30pm, departing on the hour from the Causeway, on the half-hour from Bushmills, daily in July and August, weekends only from Easter to June and September and October.
reviewed
-
Dunluce Castle
Views along the Causeway Coast between Portrush and Portballintrae are dominated by the ruins of Dunluce Castle, perched atop a dramatic basalt crag. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was the seat of the MacDonnell family (the earls of Antrim from 1620), who built a Renaissance-style manor house within the walls. Part of the castle, including the kitchen, collapsed into the sea in 1639, taking seven servants and that night's dinner with it.
A narrow bridge leads from the mainland courtyard across a dizzying gap to the main part of the fortress. Below, a path leads down from the gatehouse to the Mermaid's Cave beneath the castle crag.
Dunluce is 5km east of Portrush, a one-h…
reviewed
-
Carrickfergus Castle
The central keep of Ireland's first and finest Norman fortress was built by John de Courcy soon after his 1177 invasion of Ulster. The massive walls of the outer ward were completed in 1242, while the red-brick gun ports were added in the 16th century. The keep houses a museum and the site is dotted with life-size figures illustrating the castle's history.
The castle overlooks the harbour where William of Orange landed on 14 June 1690, on his way to the Battle of the Boyne; a blue plaque on the old harbour wall marks the site where he stepped ashore, and a bronze statue of the man himself stands on the shore nearby.
reviewed
-
Andrew Jackson Centre
The parents of the seventh US president left Carrickfergus in the second half of the 18th century. His ancestral home was demolished in 1860, but a replica thatched cottage complete with fireside crane and earthen floor now houses this memorial on the coast, 2km north of the castle. It has displays on the life of Jackson, the Jackson family in Ulster and Ulster's connection with the USA, and is open by appointment only; contact the tourist office in advance.
Next door is the US Rangers Centre, with a small exhibition on the first US rangers, who were trained during WWII in Carrickfergus before heading for Europe.
reviewed
-
Arthur Cottage
The ancestors of Chester Alan Arthur (1830–86), 21st president of the USA, lived in an 18th-century thatched cottage in Cullybackey, about 6km northwest of Ballymena.
reviewed
-
RSPB West Light Viewpoint
RSPB West Light Viewpoint provides stunning views of the neighbouring sea stacks, thick with guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills and puffins from mid-April to August.
reviewed
-
A
Ballycastle Museum
The tiny museum in the town's 18th-century courthouse has a collection of Irish arts and crafts works.
reviewed
-
Slemish
The skyline to the east of Ballymena is dominated by the distinctive craggy peak of Slemish (438m). The hill is one of many sites in the North associated with Ireland's patron saint – the young St Patrick is said to have tended goats on its slopes. On St Patrick's Day, thousands of people make a pilgrimage to its summit; the rest of the year it's a pleasant climb, though steep and slippery in wet weather, rewarded with a fine view (allow one hour return from the parking area).
reviewed
-
Ossian's Grave
In Glenaan, 4km northwest of Cushendall, is Ossian's Grave, a Neolithic court tomb romantically, but inaccurately, named after the legendary 3rd-century warrior-poet. The site is signposted off the A2; you can park at the farm and walk up.
reviewed
-
B
Marconi Memorial
In the harbour car park, the Marconi Memorial is a plaque at the foot of a rock pinnacle. Guglielmo Marconi's assistants contacted Rathlin Island by radio from Ballycastle in 1898 to prove to Lloyds of London that wireless communication was a viable proposition. The idea was to send notice to London or Liverpool of ships arriving safely after a transatlantic crossing – most vessels on this route would have to pass through the channel north of Rathlin.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Layde Old Church
From the car park beside the beach, a coastal path leads 1km north to the picturesque ruins of Layde Old Church,with views across to Ailsa Craig (a prominent conical island also known as 'Paddy's Milestone') and the Scottish coast. Founded by the Franciscans, it was used as a parish church from the early 14th century until 1790. The graveyard contains several grand MacDonnell memorials. Near the gate stands an ancient, weathered ring-cross (with the arms missing), much older than the 19th-century inscription on its shaft.
reviewed
-
Giant's Causeway & Bushmills Railway
Brought from a private line on the shores of Lough Neagh, the narrow-gauge line and locomotives (two steam and one diesel) follow the route of a 19th-century tourist tramway for 3km from Bushmills to below the Giant's Causeway visitor centre. Trains run hourly between 11am and 5.30pm, departing on the hour from the Causeway, on the half-hour from Bushmills, daily in July and August, weekends only from Easter to June and September and October.
reviewed
-
Curran Strand
Portrush's main attraction is the beautiful sandy beach of Curran Strand that stretches for 3km to the east of the town, ending at the scenic chalk cliffs of White Rocks. In summer, boats depart regularly for cruises or fishing trips.
reviewed
-
Curfew Tower
The unusual red sandstone Curfew Tower at the central crossroads was built in 1817, based on a building the landowner had seen in China. It was originally a prison 'for the confinement of idlers and rioters'.
reviewed
-
Coastal Zone
You'll find more activities for kids at the Coastal Zone, including marine-life exhibits, a touch pool, rock-pool rambles and fossil hunts.
reviewed
-
Carrickfergus Museum
The glass-fronted Heritage Plaza on Antrim St houses the local museum, which has a small collection of artefacts relating to the town's history, and a pleasant coffee shop.
reviewed
-
C
Bonamargy Friary
Just east of town are the ruins of Bonamargy Friary, founded in 1485. It's an attractive site to explore, but sadly the vault – which contains the tombs of MacDonnell chieftains, including Sorley Boy MacDonnell of Dunluce Castle – is not open to the public.
reviewed
