Page 135 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

IRELAND  133

The extraordinarily regular columns of the Giant’s Causeway, exposed at low tide
a rival Scottish giant. The main claim to fame is whiskey. centuries. It also shows
geological explanation is that 61 The Old Bushmills plant prides what became of them,
million years ago, in a series of itself on being the oldest following stories of both
volcanic eruptions, molten lava distilery in the world, its “Grant fortune and failure.
poured from narrow fissures in to Distil” dating from 1608. The park has more than
the ground, filling in the valleys. In 1974, Bushmills joined the 30 historic buildings, some of
The basalt lava cooled rapidly. In Irish Distillers Group, based at them original, some replicas.
the process, it shrank and the Midleton plant near There are settler homesteads,
cracked evenly into poly­ Cork (see p128), but its a mass house, a post office, a
gonal blocks. Towards brands have retained schoolhouse, and a forge, some
the end of the Ice their distinctive with craft displays, all with
Age, erosion by sea character. “Old costumed interpretative guides.
ice exposed the Bushmills” is There’s also an Ulster streetscape,
rocks and shaped the unusual in that a reconstructed emigrant ship,
Causeway. Most of the it is made from a and a Pennsylvania farmstead,
columns are hexagonal, blend of single malt complete with log barn, corn
but some have four, five, Whiskey barrel at and a single grain. The crib, and smokehouse. The six­
eight, or even ten sides. Old Bushmills tour of the distilery, roomed farmhouse is based
They are gene rally about which features audio­ on one built by Thomas Mellon
30 cm (12 in) across. There are, in visual displays, ends with a and his father in the early years
fact, three causeways: the Grand, sampling session in the “1608 of their new life in America.
Middle, and Little. Distinctive Bar,” which is housed in the The Centre for Migration
features have been given poetic former malt kilns. Studies assists the descendants
names, such as the “Honeycomb” of emigrants in tracing their
and the “Wishing Chair.” o Ulster-American family roots. Popular American
Tourists arrive by the busload festivals, such as Halloween
from the visitors’ center, but it is Folk Park and Independence Day, are
easy to escape the crowds by Co. Tyrone. Tel 028­8224 3292. celebrated at the park.
taking one of the coastal paths. @ from Omagh. Open 10am–5pm
Tue–Sun (Oct–Feb: to 4pm). & =
i Old Bushmills 0 7 ∑ nmni.com
Distillery One of the best open­air
Bushmills, Co. Antrim. Tel 028­2073 museums of its kind, the Folk
3218. @ from Giant’s Causeway & Park grew up around the
Coleraine. Open daily (pm only Sun). restored boyhood home of
Closed Good Fri pm, Jul 12, 2 weeks Judge Thomas Mellon (founder
at Christmas. & = 8 obligatory. of the Pittsburgh banking
0 7 limited. ∑ bushmills.com dynasty). The park’s permanent
exhibition, called “Emigrants,”
Bushmills has an attractive examines why two million
square and an excellent river for people left Ulster for America Pennsylvania log farmhouse at the
salmon and trout fishing, but its during the 18th and 19th Ulster-American Folk Park

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