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Our trip to Antrim and the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
April 9-23, 2013

Bushmill Distillery, Dunluce Castle, Waterfalls in Glenarm Forest

Friday, April 12


Glenarm Forest:



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Page 05: Sat – Drive from Antrim to Dingle, Murphy’s Pub.
Page 06: Sun – Dingle and Music at Courthouse
Page 07: Mon – Shopping in Dingle.
Page 08: Tue – Loch a'Dúin, Doyle’s Restaurant, Music at Courthouse.
Page 09: Wed – Cottage, An Canteen Restaurant, Michael & John at Mighty Session
Page 10: Thu – Fenit Pier and Bana Beach
Page 11: Fri – Inch Strand, Sammy’s Cafe, An Canteen, Music at John Benny’s.
Page 12: Sat – Dingle, Dinner at Michael & Dara’s, Music at Courthouse.
Page 13: Sun – Cottage, Global Village Restaurant, Dick Mack’s Pub.
Page 14: Mon – Dingle, An Canteen Restaurant, Pack and Return Home.
Page 01: Tue – Prep and Travel to Dublin.
Page 02: Wed – Drive from Dublin to Barbican Gatelodge in Antrim.
Page 03: Thu – Giant’s Causeway.
Page 04: Fri – Bushmills, Dunluce, Waterfall in Glenarm Forest.
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Bushmill Distillery, Dunluce Castle, WATERFALLS in Glenarm Forest

Bushmill Distillery , Dunluce Castle , and Glenarm Forest Park

Friday, April 12


I woke up four hours later to use the bathroom. Five minutes after I got back into bed, KC got up to use it, too, something he rarely does. A half hour later, he got up again. What was wrong? Apparently, he had a rash on his lower legs that was itching so badly it woke him up and was keeping him awake. He got up and made coffee.

I got up and rifled through my pills, potions and powders for something that might help him. Fortunately, I had anticipated poison ivy, since we do so much hiking, and brought up all I had – a cream, , a spray, , and a gel. He tried the cream, Keys MetaCare with Neem & Karanja Oil, and it gave him immediate relief. Thank goodness (and score one for natural cures!).

It was really cold in here now and the radiators were blocks of ice. Neither of us wanted to go outside to the utility room to turn them on so we tried lighting a fire in the small stove. There was one expertly built and ready to light already in the stove so I put a match to the starter and it burned brightly for several minutes, until the kindling was gone, and then went out. We re-lit it three more times and then ran out of matches.

Attempting to make a fire:



By now it was 8:00 am and the heat should have been on half an hour ago, but it wasn’t, so I went down to investigate. For some reason, the heat was not on so I turned it on and went back up. It took about 10 minutes for heat to start coming through the radiator and another half an hour for it to get hot enough to start warming the room. We joked that the only time we were truly warm was when we were in the car.

It was overcast and drizzly again today so I suggested we do Bushmill Distillery first, have lunch at Bushmills Inn, and then go on to the castle. KC agreed.

We drove directly to the distillery via the longer but more scenic Causeway Costal Route (A2) and arrived around 11:00 am.

Bushmills road sign:


Bushmills entrance sign:


Bushmills seen from the parking lot:



KC signed up for the tour while I used the washroom. We were slotted for the 11:20 tour and our guide was Seamus. He asked each of us where we were from and given that one of the tour members was from Scotland he kept comparing the Irish method with the Scottish one. He was pretty funny.

Unlike the Old Midleton’s Distillery, Bushmills is a working one, and we were not allowed to take pictures because there are fumes everywhere and they’re afraid the flash might ignite them. As soon as we walked in the door, you could smell the fermentation. Their process is the similar to Midleton’s and, in fact, they do all Midleton’s bottling and shipping. They also use Midleton’s in their blended whiskeys. They’re both owned by the same parent company, Deagio, but I didn’t realize there was so much cooperation between them.

We almost didn’t do the tour, expecting it to be similar to the one at Midleton’s, but it was vastly different. One difference is that Bushmills doesn’t malt their barley; they get it already malted, from Midleton’s if I remember correctly, so the first step for Bushmills is to grind the dried malt and ferment it. It then goes to the stills where it is triple distilled, cut with reverse osmosis water, and finally bottled.

Another difference is that the distillery is newer so everything is state-of-the-art, stainless, and computer controlled. Stainless except for the stills, which are all copper because copper helps draw out impurities; and computer controlled except for the steps that require tasting!

Bushmills Black:



Like Midleton’s, the tour ends with a free tasting. I requested Bushmills Black and KC requested Bushmills Original. The Black was really delicious; the Original was too aggressive for me. When KC mixed a little water with the Black, I didn’t like it any more – it brought out the alcohol and sent all the creamy chocolate and caramel to the back. We debated whether to buy a bottle of their 21-year old for L126 but, since it is available in Chicago(for $120), we figured we’d buy it in Chicago rather than lug it all the way home.

Bushmills 12 year, personalized:



We did buy several bottles of their 12-year old, which is ONLY available at the distillery, and we had the labels personalized: two bottles for Quark’s and two for gifts.

We were hungry now so we drove down to the Bushmills Inn and had a delicious lunch in their gemutlich restaurant .

Bushmills Inn:


Entering through the rear:



We started with an order of “toasted soda farls with lashings of melting butter” which turned out to be buttered soda bread toast (I didn’t eat this). Then KC had the Pheasant Beaters Nose Bag which was an upscale bread, ham and cheese plate with house-made apple chutney and branston pickle; I ordered their fish and chips with mushy peas and a side of green beans, and KC ate my chips.

Sandwich page of the menu at Bushmills Inn:



The fish was very good. Not as good as Niall’s – nothing is – but miles better than the goujons we’d had the day before. I was hoping for something gluten-free but all their other options would have given me a migraine.

Fish and Chips at Bushmills Inn:


Pheasant Beaters Nose Bag:



KC’s eyelids were drooping: he had trouble falling asleep last night and was forced out of bed early so he was running on fumes and needed to get moving. On our way out, we asked the front desk for directions to Dunluce Castle (they also told me about a free app, Dunluce Castle, which gives you an audio tour, AND they gave me the password for their Wi-Fi so that I could download it). The castle was 10 minutes up the road and we got there just after 2:00 pm.

Photo of Dunluce Castle from their website:



Dunluce Castle is where the McDonnell’s lived before they moved to Glenarm Castle. According to legend: It was the 2nd Earl of Antrim and his wife who finally decided to abandon Dunluce. In 1639 as they were waiting for dinner one evening the kitchen, along with kitchen staff, fell into the sea. This is thought to have been the final straw.

Dunluce Castle seen from the road:



Dunluce Castle map from the pamphlet we received in the Visitor’s Center:



The 2:00pm tour had just left so we got the audio version and went off to explore on our own.

WOW! What an interesting place this used to be. It changed hands several times, as most castles did, and ended up in the hands of Randall McDonald who expanded it to the size it is now – which is huge – and turned it into a center of social activity, entertaining dignitaries and hosting huge parties with concerts and other activities. The oft-told tale that the family left when their kitchen fell into the sea, leaving only one survivor, is a tall one. It wasn’t the kitchen that fell; it was the entire north end of the castle! It had been hastily constructed and not properly supported. The family moved to Glenarm, which is where they still reside.

Dunluce Castle guestrooms in the outer ward for ‘lesser’ guests:


Dunluce Castle seen from one of the guest rooms:


Dunluce Castle entry to inner ward:


Listening to audio tour
(bars in foreground of pic with KC are referred to in Manor House description below):





Dunluce Castle Manor House Reconstruction, from the pamphlet:



Dunluce Castle Manor House description from the pamphlet:



Dunluce Castle outside manor House:


Dunluce Castle inside Manor House:


Dunluce Castle main hall exterior – with reconstructed bay window similar to original:


Dunluce Castle kitchen:


Dunluce Castle inner ward (for privileged guests):



The audio described the castle in its heyday as opulent, with wooden floors covered in oriental carpets, large tapestries on the walls, and paintings by the masters. Now, it is a ruin, and it’s hard to imagine its former glory. I would LOVE to see pictures or a reconstruction of the castle when it was intact.

Here is a list of 50 things you probably never knew about Dunluce Castle.


Dunluce Castle looking back from the inner ward:


Dunluce Castle view from the tower:


Dunluce Castle view of the coastline from the tower:


Dunluce Castle view of ocean from the inner ward:



Inside the visitor’s Center was a mock-up of what the castle used to look like. I wasn’t able to get it all into one shot so I took two and stitched them together in Photoshop. Except for the round towers, it looks like a normal house. Were all those buildings connected with an interior hallway, since we know they get snow in these parts?

Dunluce Castle mock-up front:


Dunluce Castle mock-up back:



Before we left, KC got a coffee-to-go in the Tea Shop next to the castle, and it seemed to revive him. I, on the other hand, kept nodding off, only to be jerked awake when KC rounded a curve at break-neck speed. On the detour I did manage to get a shot of some of the college buildings, even though KC refused to slow down. I also got a picture of the road signs at the entrance to the detour and there are two colleges, St. Killian and St. MacNissi. According to their website, St Killian is an all-ability co-educational school and was formerly known as St. MacNissi.

Tower Road college road signs St Killians AND St MacNissi's:


Tower Road Main Building for St. Killian’s College (formerly St. MacNissi):



I also got a picture of the white-washed walls along the road, AND of a sign that had worried me yesterday. Subsidence, means falling away, as into the sea!

Whitewashed walls:


Road liable to subsidence:



It was a little after 3:00 pm now so we decided to return to the Gatehouse, turn on the heat, and then take a walk around the village of Glenarm. When we got there the heat was cycled off, so I turned it on, but the radiators were still warm from the last on cycle and the rooms were not uncomfortable. We could now look forward to a cozy night in the Gatehouse.

First, we took some pictures around the entrance to the Gatehouse:

The Barbican Gatehouse from all sides:







We walked down Altmore Street to the Church and then over to the Marina.

Church seen from Marina:


View of the ocean:



Altmore Street south:




Glenarm harbor claims to be the oldest town in Ulster having been granted a charter in the 12th century. Quoted from Wikipedia, the Marina has long been a port of call for sailors and yachtsmen traveling to and from Scotland’s island-studded western coast and has proved a welcoming haven to visitors from all over the world. Glenarm Harbour offers 40 fully serviced pontoon berths within the village’s historical limestone harbor.

Glenarm Marina:



At a loss for what to do next, we walked up Altmore Street and found a stone archway at the end of it. It was marked as the entrance to a forest, Glenarm Forest, so we went through.

Altmore Street north:



Stone archway:



After looking at the map posted at the entrance, we decided to take the lower path, closest to the river, as far as the totem and return on the upper.

Glenarm Forest:



Our path options:


The path we took:



Almost immediately it became apparent that this was going to be a FANTASTIC walk! The trees were miles high and the ground was covered with something that looked like lilies of the valley but smelled like chives. I know lilies are part of the onion family so maybe they were lilies of the valley – billions of them! It was dense, lush, and green with a fast-moving brook snaking through it. We tried to capture the moment but I doubt we did.

Daffodils on the other side of the river:



First we saw the front side of Glenarm Castle on the other side of the river. Then, we saw some ducks with green heads bathing in the brook; then more ducks fighting over a female; then, some pheasants, and a hare.

Dunluce Castle from across the river:




Ducks:




On the left was a small waterfall hidden in the hillside – a fairy waterfall! Further up, there was another one. This forest was definitely more interesting than Glanteenassig. KC disagreed with that analysis – he loves the boardwalk at Glanteenassig – but I definitely preferred this environment.
Fairy waterfall:



There were wood sculptures along the path – a squirrel, a salmon, etc… which I thought detracted from its beauty. I didn’t like seeing the hand of man in this bastion of nature.

When we reached the totem pole, another wood sculpture, we debated whether to continue on the lower path or ascend to the higher. We weren’t tired but it was after 6:00 and we couldn’t remember when the sun set. The higher path looked really lush and interesting to me so we followed it.

Totem pole and inviting pathway behind me:





OH. MY. GOD. If I had a bucket list for this trip, what we saw next would have been at the top of it: we followed one of the brook’s tributaries as it tumbled over moss-covered rocks and at its head was a waterfall, THE waterfall; the one that I’d hoped to see but had given up hope on because we didn’t have time to see the Glens. I practically ran up to it.

Running to waterfall viewing ledge:



THE WATERFALL:



It looked exactly like the picture I’d found when I Googled, “waterfall glen antrim” only there wasn’t a hoard of people there now. We had it entirely to ourselves and it was stunning. We gaped at it for a few minutes and then walked up the trail to the upper path, which crossed the brooklet, intending to look down on it. Instead, we saw another waterfall!

Steps to second waterfall:



Barb jumping for joy on the way to the second waterfall:



The second waterfall:



I was in heaven. We have seen so many waterfalls on our trips to Ireland but they’ve either been too far away or not big enough to be impressive. These two were almost touchable, they were surging, and they were surrounded by moss covered stones. Perfection.

Looking down on first waterfall from bridge in front of second waterfall:



The upper pathway out:



This gem that we stumbled on was the jewel in the crown of our trip to Antrim. Not only did we see all the things we’d intended to – and that was quite a bit to pack into two days – we also saw one we didn’t.

The rest of the trail was uninteresting, compared to what we’d just, seen so we hurried back to the Gatelodge. When we got there, we went up to the upper level and took some pictures down onto the village.

Gatehouse upper level:


Glenarm Castle seen from the Gatehouse upper level:


Glenarm seen from the Gatehouse upper level:


Looking down at the river from the Gatehouse upper level:


Mouth of the river seen from the Gatehouse upper level:


Glenarm forest seen from the Gatehouse upper level:



Back inside the Gatehouse it was toasty warm so KC took a bath … in 3 inches of water. When I asked how he managed that he said he splashed a lot. I have no idea why he ran so little water.

I went straight to my laptop and started documenting the day. Around 9:00 I started nodding off at the computer. I stuck it out until 9:30 when I finished the commentary, and then suggested to KC that we both go to bed now and make an early start tomorrow. He agreed so we set the alarm for 6:00 am intending to leave at 6:30. We cleaned up as much as we could and went to bed at 10:45.


To continue to the next page, please use the links below.
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Page 05: Sat – Drive from Antrim to Dingle, Murphy’s Pub.
Page 06: Sun – Dingle and Music at Courthouse
Page 07: Mon – Shopping in Dingle.
Page 08: Tue – Loch a'Dúin, Doyle’s Restaurant, Music at Courthouse.
Page 09: Wed – Cottage, An Canteen Restaurant, Michael & John at Mighty Session
Page 10: Thu – Fenit Pier and Bana Beach
Page 11: Fri – Inch Strand, Sammy’s Cafe, An Canteen, Music at John Benny’s.
Page 12: Sat – Dingle, Dinner at Michael & Dara’s, Music at Courthouse.
Page 13: Sun – Cottage, Global Village Restaurant, Dick Mack’s Pub.
Page 14: Mon – Dingle, An Canteen Restaurant, Pack and Return Home.
Page 01: Tue – Prep and Travel to Dublin.
Page 02: Wed – Drive from Dublin to Barbican Gatelodge in Antrim.
Page 03: Thu – Giant’s Causeway.
Page 04: Fri – Bushmills, Dunluce, Waterfall in Glenarm Forest.
Original, all-on-one-page version.


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