Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [589]
SLEEPING
Cushendun Caravan Park ( 2176 1254; 14 Glendun Rd; camp/caravan sites from £9/17; Easter-Sep) The local council-run camping ground enjoys a pleasant woodland setting just north of the village and a mere five-minute walk from the beach.
Villa Farmhouse ( 2176 1252; maggie.scally@hotmail.co.uk; 185 Torr Rd; s/d from £35/60; ) This lovely old whitewashed farmhouse is set on a hillside 1km north of the village, with great views over the sea and down to Cushendun Bay. The owner is an expert chef and breakfast will be a highlight of your stay – best scrambled eggs in Northern Ireland?
Cloneymore House ( 2176 1443; ann.cloneymore@btinternet.com; 103 Knocknacarry Rd; s/d £40/50; ) A traditional family B&B on the B92 road 500m southwest of Cushendun, Cloneymore has three spacious and spotless rooms named after Irish and Scottish islands – Aran is the biggest. There are wheelchair ramps and a stairlift, and all rooms are equipped for visitors with limited mobility.
Mullarts Apartments ( 2176 1221; www.mullartsapartments.co.uk; 114 Tromra Rd; d per weekend/week £140/375; ) An unusual alternative, Mullarts offers three luxury, self-catering apartments housed in a converted 19th-century church, 2.5km south of the village. There are two double apartments, and one that can sleep up to six people.
EATING & DRINKING
Theresa’s Tearoom ( 2176 1506; 1 Main St; mains £3-9; 11am-7pm Easter-Sep, to 6pm Sat & Sun Oct-Easter) The cosy village tearoom beside the bridge offers tea and cakes, sandwiches and salads, and hot lunch dishes such as fish and chips, grilled chicken and vegetable tortilla wraps.
Mary McBride’s Pub ( 2176 1511; 2 Main St; mains £5-9; food noon-9pm Apr-Sep, to 8pm Oct-Mar) The original bar here (on the left as you go in) is the smallest in Ireland (2.7m by 1.5m) but there’s plenty of elbow-bending room in the rest of the pub. It has lost some of its charm in recent years, and the food – standard pub grub – is not as good as it used to be, but it’s the only place in the village for an evening meal.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Bus 150 runs from Ballymena to Cushendun (one hour, six daily Monday to Friday, four Saturday) via Glenariff Forest Park and Cushendall; Ballymena can be reached by train from Belfast and Derry. Also see the Antrim Coaster service, Click here.
Cushendall
pop 1250
Cushendall is a holiday centre (and traffic bottleneck) at the foot of Glenballyeamon, overlooked by the prominent flat-topped hill of Lurigethan. The beach is small and shingly, though; there are better ones at Waterfoot and Cushendun.
The tourist office ( 2177 1180; 24 Mill St; 10am-1pm & 2-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat Jul-Sep, 10am-1pm Tue-Sat Oct-Jun) is run by the Glens of Antrim Historical Society, which also offers public internet access.
SIGHTS
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’.
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.
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.
SLEEPING & EATING
Cushendall Caravan Park ( 2177 1699; 62 Coast Rd; camp/caravan sites £9/17; Easter-Sep) This camping ground overlooks the sea, just over 1km south of the town centre.
Village B&B ( 2177 2366; alexmckillop@hotmail.com; 18 Mill St; s/d £35/50; Apr-Sep; ) Bang in the