The Antrim Coast Road: Day 8 – Ireland 2014

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16 April 2014

The Antrim Coast Road

Our final day was upon us, but it was destined to be a fun one! While we were all feeling bittersweet about the day, we charged ahead with smiles and great moods. We were set to travel a beautiful stretch of the Antrim Coast Road, taking in some amazing sites. Our first stop? Susie Millar’s family home.

The Two Pennies

I mentioned Susie’s story briefly in a previous post. I had purchased her book, The Two Pennies, while we were on board the Titanic Memorial Cruise. Thomas Millar, Susie’s great-grandfather, was a Titanic engineer who sailed on Titanic’s maiden voyage. Before he left, he gave his two sons a new penny each and told them not to spend them until they were all together again. They didn’t know that that day would never come. Thomas’s youngest son kept those pennies for the rest of his life, and Susie has possession of them today.

The house where Thomas Millar and his boys lived is located in Carrickfergus, and the boys would have been able to see Titanic sailing down the lough on the day she left, carrying their father with her.

We didn’t get to go into the actual house they lived in because it was occupied, but we did get to go into a nearby house that was practically identical.

Andrew Jackson’s Cottage

The house we did get to go into, The Andrew Jackson Cottage, has a unique American connection. Andrew Jackson served as the 7th president of the United States, from March 1829 to March 1837. The cottage has been lovingly restored to what it would have looked like when Andrew Jackson’s family lived there, but unfortunately, their original house was demolished to make way for a rail line. There is a plaque about 50 meters to the west that marks the original site of the Jackson cottage. It’s a fun historical stop, especially for Americans, and also houses the US Rangers Centre. The house was so packed that I only snapped two photos of the fireplace because I loved the tile. I wish I’d have taken more!

As we were getting ready to head back to the bus, we were given a wonderful surprise. Every single one of us was given a penny from 1912, painstakingly tracked down and purchased by our incredible friends who had planned the reunion for us. Billy and I framed ours and they sit on my desk where I can see them every day.

The Antrim Coast Road

We climbed back on the bus and settled in for the drive. I must say, the Antrim Coast Road is one of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever traveled. Sea stretches to one side while land rises on the other. I took so many pictures from the bus window and pretty much all of them are rubbish, but they bring me so much happiness to look at.

One of the things I remember the most is the natural stone arch that we drove through. It’s just the neatest! The road skinnies down to one lane and our bus barely scraped through. Our bus driver was a pro, though, and had no trouble navigating the twisting coastal route. After a few hours, we were nearing our next destination. We stopped briefly to admire Dunluce Castle (which we didn’t have time to visit properly) before popping into Bushmills Distillery for a tipple.

Bushmills Distillery

Bushmills Distillery has been producing whiskey in Ireland since 1608 and they hold the title of the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. You can take a tour of the distillery if you have the time, or if you are in the same boat that we were, you can pop in for a taste and a good lunch at the café. We had a very brief visit, but it was still fun to take in the scenery and the delicious whiskey!

The Giant’s Causeway

A mere six minutes down the road is the Giant’s Causeway, a stretch of interlocking basalt columns that line the coast and jut out into the sea. There are a few ways you can experience the area, and we chose to walk along the clifftops before ambling down to the most iconic area of the causeway. If you are able-bodied and up for a small hike, the cliff walk is absolutely worth it. The views are unbeatable! If a hike isn’t quite your thing, you can catch the bus down to the causeway and back up again afterward. While walking the stones is free, parking is reserved for those purchasing tickets, so keep that in mind.

Legend or Nature?

As we walked along the path, one of our friends relayed the lore of the causeway to us. In short, the Irish giant Finn McCool was having a squabble with the Scottish giant called Benandonner. Finn threw chunks of land into the ocean to make a causeway to Scotland, but he quickly retreated back to Ireland when he saw Benandonner’s size. Things would have come to blows if not for Finn’s quick-thinking wife, who disguised Finn as a baby. Seeing how large the ‘baby’ was, Benandonner was not keen on sticking around to find out the size of the father and so returned to Scotland. What we see today are the remnants of the causeway leading across to bonny Scotland.

Fact or legend? It matters not to us. The Giant’s Causeway is incredibly breathtaking and absolutely worth the visit! We also took in the Giant’s Organ while there, another wonder of the rock.

Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge

Back on the bus and 15 minutes down the Antrim Coast Road, we piled out at the Carrick–A-Rede rope bridge. I was so looking forward to this attraction because I have an odd love/hate for heights. While I’m generally terrified, I’m also feeling the thrill of it all, which is something I crave. Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling very well by the time we arrived. There is a decent walk to get to the actual rope bridge, and there are many stairs, but we took it slow and eventually reached the bridge itself.

Originally put up by salmon fishermen in 1755, it spans the 20-meter gap to the small island on the other end. One of the ladies in our group told us of coming on a school visit when she was a child. At the time, there was only a rope railing on one side! She refused to cross it while we were there, saying that crossing as a child was traumatic enough. We could imagine!! Rest assured that today the rope bridge is quite secure and has rope railings on BOTH sides.

Back On The Bus

With all of the sites seen, we climbed back aboard the bus and began the few hours drive back to Belfast along the Antrim Coast Road. We marveled at the beauty of the area and chatted with all of our newfound friends. Our last day was nearly over and none of us were ready to say goodbye.

Back in Belfast, many of us went out to eat at The Northern Whig and had a lively last night in the great city. After long goodbyes and many tears, we all turned in for the night. Most of our group was headed back to their corners of the world the next morning, but not us. For Billy and me, our adventure was just beginning. We’d be spending the next three weeks taking in Ireland all on our own.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy