Cushendun
Encyclopedia
Cushendun is a small coastal village
in County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
. It sits off the A2 coast road
between Cushendall
and Ballycastle
. It has a sheltered harbour
and lies at the mouth of the River Dun
and Glendun
, one of the nine Glens of Antrim
. The Mull of Kintyre
in Scotland
is only about 15 miles away across the North Channel
and can be seen easily on clear days. In the 2001 Census
it had a population of 138 people.
The nearby hamlet of Knocknacarry
, which is closely related to Cushendun, is located approximately 0.6 miles to the west.
in the style of a Cornish
village by the architect
Clough Williams-Ellis
. He is buried in the Church of Ireland graveyard near his nationalist cousin Ada or Ide McNeill, Roger Casement's friend and admirer who died in 1959. Cushendun is part of Down and Connor, Ireland's second largest Catholic diocese.
Since 1954 most of the village and the parkland around Glenmona to the north has been owned by the National Trust
. Cushendun's picturesque coastal setting in the heart of the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
, together with its unique architectural inheritance, resulted in designation as a Conservation area
in 1980.
(GAA) club in Cushendun known as the Brian Boru’s. The club participated in the first Feis-na-nGleann in 1904 and after defeating Glenarm
, lost to Carey 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 junior hurling
club but on a few occasions has moved up to the senior ranks. The club played Gaelic 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 clubs achievements has been the winning of the All County Senior Championship in 1931. Since that date the Intermediate Championship has been won on three occasions-1973, 1992 and 2007. The Junior Championship was also secured in 1963 along with several Feis
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 clubs 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 GAA Jack Boothman
in 1995. A second floodlit pitch was added to the complex at Lig-na-Arigid Park in 1999.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It sits off the A2 coast road
A2 road (Northern Ireland)
The A2 is a major road in Northern Ireland, a large section of which is often called the Antrim Coast Road because it follows the scenic coastline of County Antrim....
between Cushendall
Cushendall
Cushendall and formerly known as Newtown Glens is a village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.It is on the A2 coast road between Glenariff and Cushendun, in the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
and Ballycastle
Ballycastle, County Antrim
Ballycastle is a small town in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its population was 5,089 people in the 2001 Census. It is the seat and main settlement of Moyle District Council....
. It has a sheltered harbour
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
and lies at the mouth of the River Dun
River Dun, Northern Ireland
The River Dun, also known as the Glendun River is a river in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It runs through Glendun, one of the nine Glens of Antrim. The river is named after its brown colour, which comes from the peat bogs at its source on the slopes of Slievenanee on the Antrim Plateau...
and Glendun
Glendun
Glendun translates into English as glen of the brown river and is one of the nine Glens of Antrim in County Antrim in Northern Ireland....
, one of the nine Glens of Antrim
Glens of Antrim
The Glens of Antrim , known locally as simply The Glens, is a region of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It comprises nine glens , that radiate from the Antrim Plateau to the coast. The Glens are an area of outstanding natural beauty and are a major tourist attraction in north Antrim...
. The Mull of Kintyre
Mull of Kintyre
The Mull of Kintyre is the southwesternmost tip of the Kintyre Peninsula in southwest Scotland. From here, the Antrim coast is visible and an historic lighthouse, the second commissioned in Scotland, guides shipping in the intervening North Channel...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
is only about 15 miles away across the North Channel
North Channel (British Isles)
The North Channel is the strait which separates eastern Northern Ireland from southwestern Scotland...
and can be seen easily on clear days. In the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
it had a population of 138 people.
The nearby hamlet of Knocknacarry
Knocknacarry
Knocknacarry is a hamlet about 1 kilometre west of Cushendun in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 138 people. It is within the Moyle District Council area....
, which is closely related to Cushendun, is located approximately 0.6 miles to the west.
History
Cushendun village, was designed for Ronald McNeill, the Conservative MP and author later Lord CushendunRonald McNeill, 1st Baron Cushendun
Ronald John McNeill, 1st Baron Cushendun PC was a British Conservative politician.-Background and education:...
in the style of a Cornish
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
village by the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Clough Williams-Ellis
Clough Williams-Ellis
Sir Bertram Clough Williams-Ellis, CBE, MC was an English-born Welsh architect known chiefly as creator of the Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales.-Origins, education and early career:...
. He is buried in the Church of Ireland graveyard near his nationalist cousin Ada or Ide McNeill, Roger Casement's friend and admirer who died in 1959. Cushendun is part of Down and Connor, Ireland's second largest Catholic diocese.
Since 1954 most of the village and the parkland around Glenmona to the north has been owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. Cushendun's picturesque coastal setting in the heart of the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Antrim Coast and Glens
The Antrim Coast and Glens is an area of County Antrim in Northern Ireland, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1988.The designation takes in the coastline from Ballycastle in the north to Larne in the south of County Antrim, and includes Rathlin Island...
, together with its unique architectural inheritance, resulted in designation as a Conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
in 1980.
People
- Poet Moira O'NeillMoira O'NeillMoira O'Neill was the pseudonym of Agnes Shakespeare Higginson , a popular Irish-Canadian poet who wrote ballads and other verse inspired by County Antrim, where she lived at Cushendun....
's home was across the bay from Cushendun. She was the mother of Molly Keane, the noted Irish writer. - The English poet John MasefieldJohn MasefieldJohn Edward Masefield, OM, was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967...
and his wife, Constance, younger daughter of Nicolas Crommelin of nearby Rockport, spent many holidays in the town.
Robert Emmets GAC
In 1904 Dominic Quinn, Daniel Black and Willie McLaughlin founded the first Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(GAA) club in Cushendun known as the Brian Boru’s. The club participated in the first Feis-na-nGleann in 1904 and after defeating Glenarm
Glenarm
Glenarm is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the North Channel coast north of the town of Larne and the village of Ballygalley, and south of the village of Carnlough. It had a population of 582 people in the 2001 Census. Glenarm takes it name from the glen in which it lies,...
, lost to Carey 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 junior hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
club but on a few occasions has moved up to the senior ranks. The club played Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
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 clubs achievements has been the winning of the All County Senior Championship in 1931. Since that date the Intermediate Championship has been won on three occasions-1973, 1992 and 2007. The Junior Championship was also secured in 1963 along with several Feis
Féis
A Feis or Fèis is a traditional Gaelic arts and culture festival. The plural forms are feiseanna and fèisean .-History:In Ancient Ireland communities placed great importance on local festivals, where Gaels could come together in song, dance, music, theatre and sport...
competitions and leagues. Camogie
Camogie
Camogie is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women; it is almost identical to the game of hurling played by men. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and world wide, largely among Irish communities....
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 clubs 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 GAA Jack Boothman
Jack Boothman
Jack Boothman was President of the Gaelic Athletic Association between 1994 and 1997. He was an active member of his local Blessington GAA club in County Wicklow.He was elected as president of the Association and took up the position in 1994...
in 1995. A second floodlit pitch was added to the complex at Lig-na-Arigid Park in 1999.