Antrim Places to Visit

County Antrim is named after the town, Antrim or Aontroim in Irish. Aontroim means “lone” or “solitary dwelling”. It is one of the six counties in Ulster that make up Northern Ireland. Belfast is actually the county town, and the capital city of Northern Ireland.

Antrim is known for its rugged beauty and rolling hills, having inspired many poets and singers down through the years. Songs include Carrickfergus, The Belfast Brigade and I’ll tell my ma.

Lots of well-known people come from Antrim. Bobby Sands, the leader of the hunger strikers and a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, was reared in Newtownabbey. Joey Dunlop - five time World Motorcycle Champion came from Ballymoney. Actors Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt come from Antrim and are now hugely successful.

Places to visit in Antrim

The Antrim landscape is known worldwide. The Giants Causeway is a world heritage site and a national nature reserve. The basalt columns that formed here still remain one of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions. There are many stories around how the columns were formed.

Science shows that they were formed as a result of a volcanic eruption; however, most locals prefer the legendary story of Fionn Mac Cumhaill. Fionn was an Irish giant who supposedly built the causeway so he could fight the Scottish giant Benandonner.

As well as the causeway, there are many other beautiful sites in Antrim, such as Portrush and The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

The Glens of Antrim, or simply “The Glens” are made up nine glens. These glens offer stunning scenery and plenty of adventure along the way.

Those who love the infamous story of the Titanic will love Antrim. The ship was actually built in Belfast, one of the most, if not the most impressive cruise ship of its time. Unfortunately the grand RMS Titanic was not meant to be and sank on her maiden journey, resulting in the deaths of approx. 1500 people. Titanic Belfast opened in 2012 and allows visitors to learn all about the luxury ship and her fate.

Fans of the Game of Thrones series will particularly love Antrim. Much of the show is filmed here. Mellisandre gave birth in the caves in Cushendun, while scenes from the Iron Islands were actually shot at Murlough Bay. The Dark Hedges are instantly recognisable due to their beautiful shapes. These scenes were shot at King’s Road. There are tours available where you can go along and see some of these iconic places.

Transport in Antrim

There are lots of ways to get around Antrim . Many main roads run throughout the county, including the M1, which connects Belfast to Dublin.

Bus services are provided by Bus Eireann. You can check the latest timetables here. Those who prefer the train can find the latest information here. You can also find more additional train and bus services on the Translink rail network.

Belfast has its own airport, situated at Aldergrove. Plan your next trip here.

The ports in Belfast and Larne connect to various locations in Scotland and England.