Page 272 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

270  IRELAND REGION B Y REGION

7 Old Bushmills
Distillery
Road map D1. Bushmills, Co Antrim.
Tel 028 2073 3272. @ from Giant’s
Causeway & Coleraine. Open Mar–
Oct: 9:15am–4:45pm Mon–Sat, noon–
4:45pm Sun; Nov–Feb: 10am–4:45pm
Mon-Sat, noon–4:45pm Sun. Closed
2 weeks at Christmas, Sun am. &
8 obligatory. = 0 7 limited.
∑ bushmills.com
The small town of Bushmills
has a great river for salmon and
trout fishing, but its main claim
to fame is whiskey. The Old Murlough Bay, on the coast facing Scotland to the east of Ballycastle
Bushmills plant on the edge of
town prides itself on being the 8 Rathlin Island High white cliffs encircle much
world’s oldest distillery. Its Grant Road map D1. Co Antrim. * 90. of the island, and at craggy Bull
to Distil dates from 1608, but the g daily from Ballycastle (028 2076 Point on the westerly tip, tens of
spirit was probably made here at 9299). n Giant’s Causeway (028 2073 thousands of sea birds, including
least 200 years before that. 1855). ∑ rathlin-island.co.uk kittiwakes, puffins and razorbills,
In 2005 Bushmills became make their home. A local minibus
part of the Diageo Group, but Rathlin is shaped rather like a service will take visitors to view
its products retain their own boomerang – 11 km (7 miles) in the birds. At the opposite end of
character. Most are a blend of length and at no point more the island is Bruce’s Cave, where,
different whiskeys; than 1.6 km (1 mile) wide. in 1306, Robert Bruce, King of
Old Bushmills, in The island is just a Scotland, supposedly watched a
contrast, is made 50-minute boat ride spider climbing a thread. The
from a combined from Ballycastle. spider’s perseverance inspired
blend of a single About 90 people the dejected Bruce to return
malt and grain. live on Rathlin and win back his kingdom.
The tour of the Island, making a
distillery ends with living from fishing,
a whiskey sampling farming and tourism. 9 Ballycastle
session in the 1608 Facilities are limited to Road map D1. Co Antrim. * 6,000.
Bar in the former Whiskey barrel at a café, a pub, a guest- @ g to Campbeltown (Scotland).
malt kilns, which are Bushmills Distillery house and a hostel. n Sheskburn House, 7 Mary St (028
also home to a small The fierce, salty Atlantic winds 2076 2024). _ Ould Lammas Fair
museum with old distilling ensure that the landscape on (end Aug), Apple Fair (end Oct).
equipment on display. Rathlin is virtually treeless. ∑ moyle-council.org

Irish Whiskey A medium-sized resort town,
Ballycastle boasts a pretty
The word whiskey comes from the Gaelic uisce beatha, meaning harbour and a sandy beach.
water of life. Distillation was probably introduced to Ireland by monks Near the seafront is a memorial
from Asia over 1,000 years ago. Small-scale production became part to Guglielmo Marconi, whose
of the Irish way of life, but in the 17th century, the English introduced assistant sent the first wireless
a licensing system and started to close down stills. In the 19th message across water from here
century, post-famine poverty and the Temperance movement to Rathlin Island in 1898.
combined to lower Ballycastle’s Ould Lammas Fair,
demand. The result held for nearly 400 years now, is
was that Scotch one of the oldest traditional fairs
whisky (with no “e”)
stole an export in Ireland. Held in late August, it
march on the Irish, features stalls selling dulce
but thanks to (dried, salted seaweed) and
lower production yellowman (honeycomb toffee).
costs, improved On the outskirts of town, the
marketing and the ruined 15th-century Bonamargy
rise in popularity of Friary houses the remains of
Irish coffee, sales Sorley Boy MacDonnell, former
Poster showing the Old Bushmills Distillery beside have increased chieftain of this part of Antrim.
the River Bush around the world. Sections of the church, gatehouse
and cloisters are well preserved.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp302–3 and pp323–5

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2)
Date 14th November 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm