Places to visit

Giants Causeway - Clochán an Aifir or Clochán na bhFomhórach

Giants Causeway - Clochán na bhFomhórach 1
Giants Causeway (Irish: Clochán an Aifir or Clochán na bhFomhórach) is a remarkable and beautiful place that is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a nature reserve. Located on the northern coast of County Antrim (Irish: Contae Aontroma) in the northeast of Ireland (Irish: Éire). The area is made up of about 40,000 interlocked basalt columns resulting from a volcanic eruption some 60 million years ago. The majority of the columns are hexagonal, but others have a different number of sides.
 

Dunseverick Castle - Dún Sobhairce

Dunseverick Castle is situated in County Antrim, Ireland (Irish: Contae Aontroma, Éire), near the small village of Dunseverick (Irish Dún Sobhairce). The remains of a tower and of the castle can be seen on this site, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides. Dunseverick Castle is an ancient and important Irish historical site and one of the Royal roads from Tara ended here. Tara was the seat of the Kings of Ireland in County Meath. The site was originally founded by Sobairce one of the kings and he built a fortress on this site in about 1525BC. Dunseverick Castle is also an ancient royal site of the Dál Riada, a Gaelic kingdom from at least the 5th century AD. Dál Riada  was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and the north-eastern corner of Ireland. The name Dál Riata is derived from Old Irish. Dál, from Proto-Celtic dālom meaning a portion of land with Riata or Riada believed to be a personal name. This makes Dunseverick Castle an ancient royal site of the Dál Riada.St Patrick is also said to have visited in the fifth century AD and it was also the subject of Viking raids in the late ninth century AD. The castle was eventually captured and destroyed in the Cromwell period.

Kinbane Castle - Caislen Ceinn Bán

Kinbane Castle (Caisleán Ceinn Bán) is situated in County Antrim, Ireland (Irish: Contae Aontroma, Éire) on a headland projecting into the sea, approximately 5 km from Ballycastle (Irish: Baile an Chaistil) on the road to Ballintoy (Irish Baile an Tuaigh). This castle was built in 1547 by Colla MacDonnell and is a two storey structure located on a headland projecting into the sea. The castle had been besieged by the English and it is said that in the sixteenth century a garrison of English soldiers were killed when laying siege to the fortress. The castle was eventually presented by the MacDonnells to Owen Mac EoinDub MacAlister in reward for his loyalty to the MacDonnell clan. The castle remained in the possession of the MacAllisters until the eighteenth century.

Ballyvennaght Portal Tombs

Ballyvennaght has two portal-tombs which are approximately 20 metres apart and possibly dating to about 4000- 3000 BC. The site is located to the east of the A2 and off the coastal road about two km north of the village of Cushendun, County Antrim, north of Ireland (Irish: Cois Abhann Doinne, Contae Aontroma, Tuaisceart Éireann). The westernmost tomb has a large capstone about 3 metres across. The portal stones are about 1.5 metres high. The other tomb has collapsed under the weight of its capstone. The remains of a cairn which formed part of the burial monument for both can be seen.

Ticloy Portal Tomb

The tomb has two capstones raised to about 1.8 metres high. It is located on the south slope of Ticloy Hill. Ticloy Tomb is north of the A42 and north from the Killycarn Road in County Antrim (Irish: Contae Aontroma). The remains of the tomb consist of the north portal, two side-stones, one on the north and one on the south side, plus a slightly gabled back-stone. The single chamber is roofed by two large capstones.

Olderfleet Castle

Olderfleet Castle is a ruined four-storey towerhouse. The remains of the building stand at Curran Point to the south of Larne Harbour in the northeast coast town of Larne, County Antrim, in the north of Ireland (Irish: Latharna, Contae Aontroma, Tuaisceart Éireann) on the island of Ireland (Irish: Éire). The original towerhouse is thought to have been possibly constructed around 1250. The remains of the building that can now be seen have been estimated to have been built in around 1612.

Carrickfergus Castle

This is a Norman Castle built in the twelfth century with a number of alterations made over the years. It has been subjected to a number of sieges by French, English, Scottish and Irish. The castle is open to the public. It is located south from Larne along the A2 in the town of Carrickfergus, County Antrim (Irish: Carraig Fhearghais, Contae Aontroma), on the north shore of Belfast Lough (Irish: Loch Lao).

Belfast - Béal Feirste Castle

Belfast Castle is on the slopes of Cavehill Country Park in Belfast (Irish: Béal Feirste). Its in a prominent position some 400 feet (120 m) above sea level allows for excellent views over the City of Belfast and Belfast Lough (Irish: Loch Lao). The building that can be seen now was built in the 1860's. It replaced an earlier twelfth century Belfast Castle which was burnt down in the early eighteenth century. The present Scottish style building is open to the public and provides leisure and restaurant facilities.

Ballynahatty - The Giants Ring Henge

The Giant's Ring in Ireland (Irish: Éire) is a henge monument at Ballynahatty (Irish Baile na hÁite Tí) near Shaw's Bridge, Belfast (Irish: Béal Feirste). This was built in the Neolithic period in about 2700BC pre-dating the Egyptian pyramids. The site has a circular enclosure of about 590 ft (180 m) in diameter and 2.8 hectares (6.9 acres) in area. It is surrounded by a circular earthwork bank reaching 11 ft  (3.5 m) in height at places. East of the centre of the enclosure is a small passage tomb with a vestigial passage facing west. 

Nendrum Monastery

Nendrum Monastery was a Christian monastery on Mahee Island in Strangford Lough, County Down, Northern Ireland (Irish: Loch Cuan, Contae an Dúin, Éire). This is said to have been founded in the fifth century by St Machaoi. The remains on the site include three concentric dry stone enclosures. The central enclosure has the remains of a round tower, a graveyard and ruined church and sundial. The sundial is thought to date from about 900AD. The second enclosure has the remains of workshop and burials. Items from the site are kept at the University of Ulster, including slate tablets with Celtic designs, a stone with inscriptions in runes and a bell.

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