Northern Ireland Towns

(www.nitowns.com)

 

Introduction to Bushmills & Giants Causeway

The Town

Bushmills sits slightly inland from the Antrim coastline between the world famous Giants Causeway (unusual stone formation)and the little coastal village of Portballintrae.The main street with the Portrush- Ballycastle road crossing at right angles form the town center which is known as "The Diamond". The fine stone"Clock Tower" built by Sir Francis Macnaughten looks down over the diamond from the east side. The usual little shops bars cafes etc border the streets.

"The Old Bushmills Whiskey Distillery", the oldest lisenced distillery in the world (1608) is on the river bank just ten minutes walk south of the town center.

Bushmills was a mill town in it's hay-day with several mills producing flax ,corn as well as spades.

One of the earliest mills to operate in Co Antrim can still be seen here.

 Fishing

Salmon and trout fishing is excellent on most stretches of the river, a rod lisence and permit in required and booking in advance for a stretch of the river is advisable.

 

The Giants Causeway

(One mile out of town...A world heritage site)

 

About one mile out of town towards Ballycastle the Giant's Causeway lies hidden from the coast road, behind a scenic Co Antrim cliff face. Unusual six sided basalt pillars (around 40,000) were created when volcanic lava cooled in the earths crust 55 million years ago( I remember it well!). A little peninsula stretching a few hundred yards into the Atlantic Ocean is the main area where this stone formation can be seen. Other little patches are visible on the surrounding cliff face, the "Giant's Organ" (nickname because of its church organ look alike) being the most superior of these.

The Giant

Legend has it that the Giant Finn McCool crossed the sea regulary to visit his loved one on Staffa, a Scottish island in the Hebridies so he decided to build a Causeway that he could use to cross the sea in ease. Mc Cool was a very strong warrior who could run at great speed. The "Isle of Mann" between the east coast of Ireland and mainland England is said to be created by Finn. Apparently while fighting a Scottish giant he lost his temper, pulled a sod from the ground and threw it out at the giant. The sod didn't travel as far as McCool expected but instead fell short of it's target landing in the middle of the sea. The hole that was left in the earth where the sod was torn up from is now the large lake in the center of Northern Ireland (Lough Neagh) and the sod the Isle Of Mann

*More information on photo pages*

 

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