Antrim Round Tower

Antrim Round Tower is an impressive 28 metre tall tower that is dated around the 10th Century.     
The tower is known locally as The Steeple. 
The doorway is over 2 meters from ground level.
Above the doorway features a carving of a Celtic cross (image 3).

The site is all that remains of a monastic settlement which dates as far back as 495 AD and is said to have been founded by St Aeibh. 

The Annals of the Four Masters report that the site was destroyed in 1018 and burned in 1147.

The area was landscaped during the 19th century and parts of the settlement were demolished and cleared away.

The  surrounding area was turned into a private Demise and repairs were carried out on the tower at this time.

A large boulder is known as the Witch's Stone, it has two bullauns and lies approximately 6 meters from the tower

Access  - The tower is located in parkland that can be accessed from Steeple Road.

Armoy Round Tower

This is the the Round Tower of Armoy which stands in the grounds of St. Patrick's Parish Church.
The tower is about 11 meters high and has three storeys.
The entrance door is now 1.6 meters above ground level, this would have been much higher but burials over the last few century's have seen the ground rise.    
The tower (11th/12th Century) is all that remains of an early monastery which was founded about AD 460 by Saint Olcán, a disciple of Saint Patrick.
At the time  Armoy was the main religious settlement in the Irish part of the kingdom of Dál.

The Giants Causeway

A short drive from Bushmill's County Antrim you will find Ireland's most stunning natural wonder 
The Giant's Causeway.
The Causeway has been an official Unesco World Heritage Site since 1986.

The Geology  

60 million years ago Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, this caused highly fluid molten rock to be forced up through fissures in the chalk bed which then formed an extensive lava plateau.

The Legend

Is the story of Finn McCool, Finn lived happily on the Antrim coast with his wife Oonagh until he discovered he had a rival in Scotland known as Benandonner.
Finn was frequently taunted by Benandonner from afar and on one occasion Finn scooped up a clod of earth and hurled it across the sea at him but missed.  The huge clod of earth landed in the middle of the Irish Sea making the Isle of Man and the depression formed from scooping up the earth filled up with water to become Lough Neagh.

Finn finally challenged Benandonner to a proper fight and decided to build a causeway of enormous stepping stones across the sea to Scotland, so that he could walk across without getting his feet wet. But as he approached and caught sight of the great bulk of Benandonner, Finn became afraid and fled back home, with Benandonner hot on his trail. In his haste as he ran, Finn lost one of his great boots and today it can be seen sitting on the foreshore in Port Noffer where it fell to the ground.

The story takes a humorous twist when Finn asks his wife Oonagh to help him hide. Clever Oonagh disguised Finn as a baby and pushed him into a huge cradle, so when Benandonner saw the size of the sleeping ‘child’, he assumed the father must be GIGANTIC. Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway as he went in case he was followed.  " sourced from causewaycoastandglens.com ".