| Cushendun | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Cushendun Location withinNorthern Ireland | |
| Population | 138 (2001 Census) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Ballymena |
| Postcode district | BT44 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
| |
Cushendun (fromIrishCois Abhann Doinne, meaning 'foot of the River Dun'ⓘ)[3] is a small coastalvillage inCounty Antrim,Northern Ireland. It sits off theA2 coast road betweenCushendall andBallycastle. It has a shelteredharbour and lies at the mouth of theRiver Dun andGlendun, one of the nineGlens of Antrim. TheMull of Kintyre inScotland is only about 15 miles away across theNorth Channel and can be seen easily on clear days. In the2001 Census it had a population of 138 people.[4] It is part ofCauseway Coast and Glens district.
The hamlet ofKnocknacarry is nearby.
Four miles north of Cushendun is the carnanmore passage cairn. This well-preserved cairn is located on a hilltop, is 75 feet in length and is visible is for miles. The chamber has a corbelled roof and is capped with a massive stone slab. Two stones are decorated with lozenges and spirals.[5]
Cushendun is whereShane O'Neill, chief of the TyroneO'Neill dynasty, was killed by theMacDonnells in 1567.[3]
Cushendun village was designed for Ronald McNeill, the Conservative MP and author, laterLord Cushendun, in the style of aCornish village by thearchitectClough Williams-Ellis. He is buried in theChurch of Ireland graveyard near his nationalist cousin Ada or Ide McNeill,Roger Casement's friend and admirer who died in 1959.
TheNational Trust has owned and cared for most of the village and the parkland around Glenmona House since 1954.[6] Cushendun was designated as a conservation area in 1980, due to its architectural history and location within theAntrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[7]
In 1904 Dominic Quinn, Daniel Black and Willie McLaughlin founded the firstGaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club in Cushendun known as the Brian Boru's. The club participated in the first Feis-na-nGleann in 1904 and, after defeatingGlenarm, lost toCarey in the final of the “Shield of Heroes”. In 2004 the club celebrated its centenary in a large marquee located in the grounds of Glenmona House.Nicky Brennan (then president of the GAA) and other GAA dignitaries from throughout Ireland joined in the celebrations.
During most of their existence Cushendun has been a juniorhurling club but on a few occasions has moved up to the senior ranks. The club playedGaelic football in 1934 and 1972 but history and tradition in a small parish meant that the game was never popular and it failed to flourish for any significant period of time. The pinnacle of the club's achievements has been the winning of theAll County Senior Championship in 1931. Since that date theIntermediate Championship has been won on three occasions-1973, 1992 and 2007. TheJunior Championship was also secured in 1963 and again in 2018, along with severalFeis competitions and leagues.Camogie has been played with a fair degree of success during several periods throughout the past century but has always been difficult to maintain.
One of the major highlights of the club's history was the construction of the new pitch in 1967/68 followed by the building of the new pavilion which was officially opened by then president of the GAAJack Boothman in 1995. A second floodlit pitch was added to the complex at Lig-na-Arigid Park in 1999.[9]
The nearby caves of Cushendun have been used as backdrop in the TV seriesGame of Thrones.[10]
