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Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a rope suspension bridge near Ballintoy, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The bridge links the mainland to the tiny Carrick Island. The site is owned and maintained by the National Trust, spans twenty metres and is thirty metres above the rocks below.Today the bridge is mainly a tourist attraction, with 247,000 visitors in 2009. The bridge is now open all year round.

History

Carrick-a-rede means 'rock in the road'. It is thought salmon fishermen have been erecting bridges to the island for over 350 years. It has taken many forms over the years. In the 1970s it featured only a single handrail and large gaps between the slats. A version of the bridge, tested up to ten tonnes, was built with the help of local climbers and abseilers in 2000. A subsequent design was engineered in 2004 and offers visitors and fishermen alike a much safer passage to the island. The current wire rope and Douglas fir bridge was made by Heyn Construction in Belfast and erected early in 2008 at a cost of over £16,000. Although no one has fallen off the bridge, there have been many instances where visitors, unable to face the walk back across the bridge, have had to be taken off the island by boat.[citation needed]

An admission fee is charged for crossing the bridge.

Fishing

It is no longer used by fishermen during the salmon season, which used to last from June until September, as there are now very few salmon left. In the 1960s, almost three hundred fish were caught per day, but by 2002, only three hundred were caught over the entire season. The salmon return via the area to spawn in the River Bann and the River Bush.

Features

The area is exceptional in natural beauty with stunning views of Rathlin Island and Scotland. The site and surrounding area is an Area of Special Scientific Interest, with unique geology, flora and fauna. Underneath large caves are visible, which once served as home for boat builders and as shelter during stormy weather.

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Lough Neagh

Lough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name is derived from Irish: Loch nEathach, meaning "Lake of Eathach"

Geography

With an area of 392 square kilometres (151 square miles), it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles (30 km) to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty miles (30 km) long and nine miles (15 km) wide. It is very shallow around the margins and the average depth in the main body of the lake is about 9 m (30 ft); although at its deepest the lough is about 25 metres (80 ft) deep.

Islands

Coney Island

Coney Island Flat

Croaghan Flat

Derrywarragh Island

Padian

Ram's Island

Phil Roe's Flat

The Shallow Flat

Hydrology

Of the 4550 km² catchment area, around 9% lies in the Republic of Ireland and 91% in Northern Ireland; altogether 43% of the land area of Northern Ireland is drained into the lough,which itself flows out northwards to the sea via the River Bann. As one of its sources is the Upper Bann, the Lough can itself be considered a part of the Bann.

Towns and villages

Towns and villages near the Lough include Craigavon, Antrim, Crumlin, Randalstown, Toomebridge, Ballyronan, Ballinderry, Moortown, Ardboe, Maghery, Lurgan and Magherafelt.

Legend

An old Irish story tells how the Lough was formed when Ireland's legendary giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) scooped up a portion of the land and tossed it at a Scottish rival. He missed, and the chunk of earth landed in the Irish Sea, thus creating the Isle of Man.

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Графства

County Antrim (named after its county town, Antrim) is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000. It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland, lying within the historical province of Ulster.

The Glens of Antrim offer isolated rugged landscapes, the Giant's Causeway is a unique landscape and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Bushmills produces legendary whiskey, and Portrush is a popular seaside resort and night-life area. The majority of the capital city of Northern Ireland, Belfast, is also in County Antrim, with the remainder being in County Down.

County Armagh (named after its county town, Armagh) is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the south shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 1,254 km², with a population of approximately 159,085. It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland, lying within the historical province of Ulster. County Armagh is known as the "Orchard County" because the land is so fertile for apple-growing.

County Down (named after its county town, Downpatrick) is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the south-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,448 km², with a population of approximately 492,840 It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland, lying within the province of Ulster.

Although Downpatrick is the county town, the largest town is Bangor. Newry lies on the boundary between counties Down and Armagh, while Lisburn and Belfast lie on the boundary between counties Down and Antrim. Down contains both the southernmost point in Northern Ireland (Cranfield Point) and the easternmost point on Ireland (Burr Point).

The county borders County Antrim to the north, the Irish Sea to the east, County Armagh to the west, and County Louth to the southwest. It is one of only two counties of Ireland to presently have a majority of the population from a Protestant community background, according to the 2001 census. The other is County Antrim.

County Tyrone (from Irish: Tír Eoghain meaning "land of Eoghan") is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. Adjoined to the south-west shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 3,155 km², with a population of approximately 166,516, with its county town being Omagh. It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland, lying within the historical province of Ulster.

County Fermanagh

County Fermanagh (from Irish: Fear Manach meaning "men of Manach") is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north of the island of Ireland. The only county in Northern Ireland not adjoining Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 1,691 km², with a population of approximately 57,527, with Enniskillen its county town. Lying within the historical province of Ulster, it is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland.

Fermanagh is situated mostly in the basin of the River Erne, and it is often referred to as Ireland's Lake District,[citation needed] together with neighbouring County Cavan. The county is approximately 120 km (75 mi) from Belfast and 160 km (99 mi) from Dublin.

The county borders County Tyrone to the north-east, County Monaghan to the south-east, County Cavan to the south-west, County Leitrim to the west and County Donegal to the north-west.

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Ballygally Castle

Ballygally Castle is in the village of Ballygally, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located approximately three miles north of Larne. The castle overlooks the sea at the head of Ballygally Bay. The castle is the only 17th century building still used as a residence in Northern Ireland, and is reputed to be one of the most haunted places in the province.

History of the castle

The castle was built in 1625 by James Shaw, of Scotland, who had come to the area and rented the land from the Earl of Antrim for £24 a year. It was built in the style of a French chateau with high walls, steep roof, dormer windows and corner turrets. The walls are five feet thick with loopholes for muskets. An open stream ran through the outer hall to provide water in case of siege. The castle did come under attack, from the Irish garrison at Glenarm, several times during the rebellion of 1641 but each assault was unsuccessful. The castle was owned by the Shaw family until it passed into the hands of William Shaw in 1799. He sold the estate for £15,400. In the 1950s the castle was bought by the carpet tycoon Cyril Lord and was extended and renovated. It is now owned and run by the Hastings Hotels Group.

Reputed hauntings

The castle is reputed to host a number of ghosts, the most active of which is the former resident, Lady Isobel Shaw, who amuses herself by knocking at the doors of different rooms and then suddenly disappearing. When she was alive, Isobel was locked in her room and starved by her husband. She leapt to her death from a window. Madame Nixon is another ghost who lived in the hotel in the 19th century. She can be heard walking around the hotel in her silk dress.

Belfast Castle

Belfast Castle is set on the slopes of Cavehill Country Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland in a prominent position 400 feet (120 m) above sea level. Its location provides unobstructed views of the city of Belfast and Belfast Lough.