Cushendall

Cushendall (from the Irish: Cois Abhann Dalla or Bun Abhann Dalla meaning "foot of the River Dall") is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the A2 coast road between Larne and Portrush, in the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It lies at the meeting point of three of the Glens of Antrim: Glenaan, Glenballyemon and Glencorp. This part of the Irish coastline is separated from Scotland by the North Channel, the Mull of Kintyre is 16 miles away. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,241 people, of whom 98% were Catholic.

Much of the historic character of the 19th century settlement on the north bank of the River Dall remains. Consequently, in 1973 it was designated as only the second Conservation Area in Northern Ireland, and includes the largely intact Irish Georgian buildings of the town’s four original streets. Cushendall lies in the shadow of the table topped Lurigethan Mountain. It is known for its traditional Irish music sessions and friendly pubs. Each August, Cushendall hosts the Heart Of The Glens festival. The festival has been running since 1990.

1 Places of interest
2 Sport
3 The Troubles in Cushendall
4 Tourism
5 References
6 External links
7 See also

[edit] Places of interest

The Curfew Tower in the centre of the village was built by then landlord of the village, Francis Turnley, in 1817, to confine riotous prisoners. Dan McBride, an army pensioner, was given the job of permanent garrison and was armed with one musket, a bayonet, a brace of pistols and a thirteen-feet-long pike. The tower is now owned by former musician Bill Drummond.

Oisín's Grave, off the main Cushendall to Ballymoney road, is a megalithic court cairn on a hillside in Lubitavish, near the Glenann River. It is believed to be the burial place of Oísín - the Celtic Warrior Poet. A stone cairn was erected here in 1989 in memory of John Hewitt, the poet of the Glens.

The ruins of Layde Church, one of the oldest and most important historical sites in the Glens are situated on the coast road between Cushendall and Cushendun. The exact origins of the site are unknown but it probably began life as a holy place in the Iron Age or before. It was in ruins in 1622 but rebuilt about 1696 and remained the site of Protestant worship until the 1800s.

Red Bay Castle, situated between the villages of Cushendall and Waterfoot. Built by the Bisset family in the 14th century and later occupied by the MacDonnells, one of the outposts of the Kingdom of Dál Riata.

Glenariff Forest Park, 5 miles inland from Cushendall, covers an area of 1185 hectares. In the park are two small rivers containing spectacular waterfalls, tranquil pools and stretches of fast flowing water tumbling through rocky gorges. There is a café, toilets and an exhibition centre. Four way-marked trails of varying length (1-9 km) wind through the forest leading you into some of the park’s wooded areas. One follows the Glenariff River with its famous waterfalls and passes through the National Nature Reserve.

Pubs in Cushendall include An Caman, McCollam's (aka Johnny Joes) and the Central Bar.

[edit] Sport

[edit] Hurling

Ruari Og GAA Club are currently both County Antrim and Ulster champions. Founded in 1906, the club plays its home matches at Pairc Mhuiré in Cushendall. Senior success has been mirrored in under-age competitions as well. In 2007 Cushendall became one of the most successful hurling clubs in Co. Antrim, equaling Dunloy's record of Antrim Championships, but surpassing them in Feis Cups. The club have won 10 County Championships in their history, the third most overall - Behind McQuillans, Shamrocks, and O'Donovan Rossa. They have also won numerous underage tournaments including the North Antrim Feile na Gael beating Ballycastle in the 2007 final.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Golf

The golf course at Cushendall is bordered by the sea on one side and Lurig Mountain on the other. On a clear day golfers can see across the Irish Sea to the Mull of Kintyre. The course is a 9 hole mixture of parkland and links. In general it is an easy walking course but there a few short but steep climbs.

[edit] Sailing

Cushendall Sailing and Boating Club, founded in 1960, provides a service to people boating, with changing and toilet facilities, a secure boat storage park, social areas and a bar. CSBC also organise events based in the club and on the water. It played host to the 2000 World Topper Championships.

[edit] The Troubles in Cushendall

On the 25th of February 1977 Sergeant Joe Campbell a Catholic RUC officer was shot dead by the UVF as he locked up the local RUC station. The circumstances regarding the murder were suspicious and the case was referred to the police ombudsman amid rumours of security force collusion with loyalists.

This was an isolated incident and in general, Cushendall was seen by many as a safe haven. The 1970s and 80s witnessed large numbers of people from the bigger towns and cities relocating to Cushendall for the summer months. The new influxes of residents brought both demand for new houses and caravans, hence the 3 caravan sites located around the village. In fact many of the families that made Cushendall their summer home in the height of the troubles are drawn back by the wonderful atmosphere and surroundings.^{[citation needed]}

The police station in the village had been subjected to a few minor attacks by republicans over the course of the troubles.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Tourism

Holiday accommodation in the area ranges from Self Catering to Bed & Breakfast and caravan and camping. Cushendall has three caravan and camping sites, located at the Coast Road, Glenville and Gortaclee. These are seasonal and are normally open from mid-March until the end of September.^[1]