‘Ireland in Black & White’ 21 Super shots of the Emerald Isle

1. The Dark Hedges

The Dark Hedges Armoy Co Antrim N. Ireland.

Of all the wonderful tourist attractions in Northern Ireland the mysterious ‘Dark Hedges’ is surely among the most memorable locations to visit. Famously renamed ‘The Kings Road’ in the world famous television phenomenon ‘Game of Thrones’. This beautiful area has been photographed by thousands of visitors and has filled the canvases of inspired artists. It is also a favourite location for wedding photography.

The Dark Hedges is a pathway of beech trees which form a tunnel along Bregagh Road between Stranocum and Armoy in Co Antrim in N. Ireland.

In 1776 Sir James Stuart built a the house named ‘Gracehill House’ after his wife Grace Lynd. More than 140 beech trees were planted along the road to the property.

According to achand legend The Dark Hedges are visited by a ghost who travels the road and flits across it from tree to tree. She is said to be the ghost of one of the house’s maids who died suspiciously.

2. Dunluce Castle

Dunluce Castle Co.Antrim Northern Ireland

Dunluce Castle is a ruined medieval castle in N. Ireland, located in the Co Antrim coast and is accessible by the means of a bridge connecting it to the mainland. The castle is surrounded by steep drops which was in no doubt the main factor to the early Christians and Vikings who resided in the area.

In the 13th century, Richard Óg de Burgh built the first castle at Dunluce for the McQuillan
family in 1509. The earliest features of the castle are two large towers 26 foot in diameter.
The McQuillans were the Lords of Route from the late 13th century until displaced by the MacDonnell after losing large battles against them during the mid-16th century.

Later Dunluce Castle became the home of the chief of the Clan MacDonnell of Antrim and the
Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg from Scotland.

The Girona, a galleass from the Spanish Armada, was wrecked locally by a storm. The cannons from the ship were installed at the gatehouses and the rest of the cargo was sold with the funds being used to restore the castle.

At one time, part of the kitchen collapsed into the Irish Sea and shortly after, the wife of the
owner refused to live in the castle any longer.

Dunluce Castle served as the seat of the Earl of Antrim until the impoverishment of the
MacDonnells in 1690, after the Battle of the Boyne.

The castle has deteriorated, and parts were scavenged to serve as materials for nearby
buildings.

The castle is on the Coastal route to Northern Ireland’s biggest attraction ‘The Giants Causeway’ which is globally known as ‘One of the wonders of the world’

3. Glenariffe Glen

Glenariffe Co.Antrim Northern Ireland

Glenariffe Glen is approximately 24 miles north of Larne and 39 miles from Coleraine.

Formed by volcanic activity and glaciations the Glen is a perfect example of a U – shaped valley.
It extends from the one mile, sandy beach to about 3 miles inland between the Carrivemurphy / Glenariffe mountain and the Lurig mountain.

The village of Waterfoot sits at the bottom of the Great Glen and was originally an ancient Danish settlement. It is the largest place of habitation in the glen and, is a popular holiday resort with both guest houses and B&B’s. On the northern side of the glen are caves which were inhabited until mid 1850’s.

The forest park, waterfalls and scenic surroundings have made Glenariffe a tourist attraction since the mid 1800’s and rightfully earned it the name of Queen of the Glens.

4. Giants Causeway

Where the mythical Irish giant, Finn McCool walked the Causeway to Scotland to do battle with his enemy, Benandonner. It’s said that the fight lasted three days non-stop. Stand on the hexagonal shapes of the Causeway and feel the vibrations of centuries of Irish culture and history penetrate the sole of your being.

Or just look in awe and wonder at the almost identically shaped stones. How could this be?
And think in your reverie, just how tall was Finn McCool? You’ll want to stay here.

Made up of about 40,000 basalt columns, the Causeway its columns are a result of a volcanic fissure eruption. The tops of the columns naturally form steppingstones, making it easy to walk about them. Located in Co Antrim, it sits on the coast of N Ireland.

The Causeway was declared a World Heritage Site and a National Nature Preserve in 1980, it is named the 4th greatest wonder in the United Kingdom.

5. Newmills Corn and Flax Mills

Newmills Corn and Flax Mill is a grain mill in the small town of Milltown in County Donegal Ireland. The Mill features one of the largest operating waterwheels in Ireland. Its millrace is 1 km long and powers 2 separate millwheels, one for grinding oats and barley and the other for flax.

Corn and flax mills have been located there since the early 19th century. The combination of corn and flax mills is found mainly in Ulster where both types of mill were intimately linked to the surrounding farming economy.

The corn mill handled mainly oats and barley grown locally as well as imported maize. The mill is a three-storey building and all the apparatus of the mill, stone, sieves, bucket elevators, fans and a sack hoist are powered by a 24 foot waterwheel.

The importance of Newmills was recognised in a 1978 An Foras Forbatha inventory of industrial archaeological monuments which said it was by far the best example of a mill complex in Ireland.

6. Rathlin Island

Rathlin Island is just off the coast of Co Antrim Northern Ireland and is the only inhabited offshore island of N. Ireland. The island has just a population of 129 people and is the most northerly inhabited island off the coast of Ireland.

As part of an area of Conservation, Rathlin Island is Northern Ireland’s largest seabird sanctuary. At its Seabird Centre, you can see a close-up view of Northern Ireland’s biggest seabird colony. Those colourful clowns of the ocean, the Puffins and other seabirds congregating there in their thousands to breed from arround April to August.

From the visitor centre it is a short scenic walk down to the viewing platform, where binoculars are available to use. As part of Irish Lights’ Great Lighthouses of Ireland trail’, visitors can find the islands very unique ‘upside down’ lighthouse, learning about the history of the area and the people who lived and worked in it.

Rathlin Island is where the banished Scotsman, Robert the Bruce, had his encounter with the spider, and gave him the bravery as the story goes. From that observation and with renewed confidence, he returned to Scotland and, well the rest is history.

Another charming feature of Rathlin are its three lighthouses. The south lighthouse, the east lighthouse perched precariously on sheer cliffs and the famous upside-down lighthouse on the west side of the island, near the bird sanctuary.

You can walk this beautiful island and renew your inner feelings and zest for life.

7. The culture of Ireland

Music, art, folklore, sport, cuisine, and literature are but a few of the many aspects that make up the culture of Ireland and its peoples. Most towns and villages had its own special way of celebrating its cultural roots. These festivals, comprised of annual events where the various talents of the local population would be put on display in vigorous Competition.

Wearing a badge that announced that the wearer was the best, plowman, singer, dancer, runner or countless other disciplines was a matter of pride and honor for the wearer and their extended family. Each festival would usually last a week culminating on the Sunday with an extra special event. ‘Catch the greasy pig’ or the local final of the minor hurling championship, were among the popular attractions.

For thrills and spills and excitement, top of the bill was ‘the donkey derby’. The grandeur and pomp of Royal Ascot and the Grand National pales into insignificance compared with this festival headline event. Although frowned upon by the clergy, here was a chance to wager a few shillings on your favorite four legged, scruffy, undisciplined little animal, The Donkey.

This hard working equine, largely overlooked and invisible the rest of the year, is, on the festival week, rubbed , scrubbed, oiled and embrocated until he shines like a new pin as mentioned the song ‘Delaney’s Donkey’ by Val Doonican where it tells the story of its donkey winning the half mile race.

All the donkeys in the great festival race will be subject to Intense scrutiny. Ears will be checked, teeth poked and prodded, sly portions of carrots will be secretly pushed in between welcoming teeth in the hope that somehow the juicy carrot will enhance the ‘wee fellas’ speed.

8. The culture of Ireland

”The Rules’ are well posted so everyone can be assured of a fair race. Dispite that. Truth be told, there is only one rule….”THERE ARE NO RULES”.

The starter drops the flag and ‘the’re off”. No one gets any richer or poorer. And no one cares. For one day in its humble life the winning donkey is treated like a thoroughbred stallion and celebrated, or cursed, in the local pubs. Then with the rest of the heroic derby runners he’s lead away and largely forgotten till the next festival and another chance to shine, if just for a day.

9. Doe Castle

Doe Castle in Creeslough County Donegal Ireland

Doe Castle is located on the shoreline of Co Donegal. Built in the early 15th century in the style of a Scottish tower house, it is one of the better fortalices in the north-west of Ireland.

The castle lays on a small peninsula, surrounded by water with a moat in the rock of the landward side. The Castle was built by the O’Donnell’s in the 1430’s, but in the 1440’s it had come into the hands of the Gallowglass MacSweeneys and remained in the family for nearly two hundred years.
In the Plantation of Ulster in the early seventeenth century, it fell into the hands of English settlers.

The castle changed hands repeatedly during the 17th-century struggle for control of Ireland between the English and the Irish. It is known that in 1650, Sir Charles Coote, the Governor of Londonderry, took possession of the castle. Eventually, the castle was bought by Sir George Vaughan Hart and inhabited by his family until 1843.

In 1935 the castle was declared a national monument and was then acquired by the Office of Public Works. The main Tower house of the castle underwent a major restoration in the 1990’s. The Castle grounds are open daily with guided tours arround the tower house is available during the Summer months.

10. Cutting Turf from a Peat Bog In Ireland

Cutting Turf Peat by spade in a Moss Bog in Ireland

Rural Ireland has many breath-taking and scenes and ShutterSpeed Ireland has captured its ancient traditions and crafts that have been used for hundreds of years. One of these traditions is the art of cutting turf / peat in a bog. After the peat has been cut the peat is then known as turf and this is a practice that still continues today around most of rural Ireland as they use the turf as a fuel source.

Since the mid 1600’s the people of Ireland have been cutting the peat from the vast bogs that are found across Ireland. Once the peat has been cut into turf it is then used as a source of fuel although it does have other uses as well. The practice of cutting peat in the bog is still widely used although it is mainly rural Ireland that still practices this today.

Most modern bogs or peatlands were formed around about 12,000 years ago. The peat is made from decaying organic materials it often preserves the history of the plants including pollen. This is of great use for scientists as they can use this information for their studies into the past and build a accurate picture of how the climate has changed over the years.

When the turf is cut it is soft and easily compressed, it is then set out to dry and over a few good summer weeks the water is forced out of peat and can then be used as fuel. In many countries, including Ireland and Scotland, peat has traditionally been used for cooking and domestic heating. Turf is still harvested for this purpose in countries such as Ireland. Its insulating properties make it also useful in industry.

Peatland can also be a source of drinking water and around the world does provide water to be stored in reservoirs. The peatlands of Ireland support a vast array of wonderful wildlife.
Turf cutting in Ireland still happens today although on a much smaller scale than in the past and mainly across rural Ireland. It is a tradition that has existed for hundreds of years and for as long as there is still a peatland the turf cutting will still go on.

11. The Antrim Coastline in The Glens of Antrim

If you travel the Antrim coast road from beginning to end, you won’t lose sight of the Irish sea. You would travel through some small beautiful village usually placed between limestone cliffs or rolling hillsides.

The coast road is dotted with villages and small towns some within walking distances between them. Each of them with its own individual character. All bursting with the same proud heritage and a sincere welcome for strangers and friends alike.

These unique coastal settlements along the road with magical names like Ballygally, and Larne, at the southeast end of the Antrim coast road, and Glenarm, widely accepted as the first of the nine Glens of Antrim. The Glen of the Army had its first settlement as far back as Neolithic times and was populated long before Belfast Northern Irelands capital city.

One look as you enter Glenarm will insist that you stop and explore this picturesque village.
Walk its tight streets or visit the tall spired St. Patricks church (pictured here) or amble through the gardens of Glenarm Castle where history goes back to Norman times and beyond.

Local fishing boats mingle with visiting yachts and pleasure craft in this most picturesque of havens. The area offers the chance to try your luck at sea angling. You can walk the massive limestone blocks that form the harbour and smell the tang from the sea but most of all get your camera out and take advantage of the photo opportunities.

Walk a little more and you will be confronted by great, wave gouged caves with strange, sinister markings. Little wonder then that this is another film location for Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones’ filming locations were virtually untouched such as ‘The Dark Hedges’ which was ‘The Kings Road’ and ‘Ballintoy Harbour’ which was ‘Lordsport in the Isle of Pyke’ in the popular Series. Shutterspeed Ireland has many of these locations in both Photography and Multimedia format.

Excavations in and around The Glens of Antrim has uncovered bronze age settlements dating from 2000 and1400 BC. There is also arguable a belief that deep in the past, Vikings spent time in Carnlough. Some say they may still be there!!

12. Carnlough Village

Carnlough is located at the foot of Glencloy and is one of the nine Glens of Antrim. On the shores of Carnlough Bay this sheltered and compact harbour is the focal point of Carnlough village. The Marchioness of Londonderry built the harbour in 1801 and it was used to export limestone until 1944 when the nearby Glencloy quarries closed.

Carnlough Harbour was eventually acquired by Larne Borough Council in 1980. The harbour has undergone extensive refurbishment since then. The harbour is now used by pleasure and fishing boats and offers opportunities for sea angling. Pleasure cruises are also available with ‘Carnlough Bay Boat Tours’.

Carnlough Harbour is a must see when traveling along the Causeway Coastal route for Game of Thrones® fans. Fans will recognise the staircase leading down to the sea, filmed as part of the Free City of Braavos Canal, where Arya Stark crawled up from the waters after being stabbed by the Waif. These steps are now known locally as ‘Arya’s Steps’s’

You will turn a corner and in front of you will suddenly appear, the mighty mountainous ridge of Lurigeadan. A tall and majestic mountain dwarfing everything else around it.
Truly the queen of glens, Glenariff. Gouged out of ice and volcanos millions of years ago it is undeniably breath-taking.

13. Carrickfergus Castle County Antrim

Carricfergus Castle Co Antrim Northern Ireland 2017

Built in 1174 by, A Norman knight named John de Courcy, Carrickfergus Castle was used as his headquarters until the early 1200’s. The original castle site consisted of a bailey, inner wall and great hall and other buildings which were surrounded by a polygonal curtain wall to protect it from attacks from the sea. In 1202 de Courcy lost the castle to Hugh de Lacy.

In 1210 the castle came under attack from King Johns men so on the eastern side a new larger curtain wall was built to protect the castle in low tide around 1216. Hugh de Lacy also added adaptations at the gatehouse and a vault was produced and completed in 1250.

The castle stayed in the hands of the crown throughout the 16th – 17th centuries with many improvements and additions made to strengthen it which include structures for the cannon’s and gun ports. Even with this the castle’s defences it was not sufficient enough to prevent it from being taken many times, most notably in 1690 by General Schomberg for King William III, again in 1760 by the French, Francois Thurot.

The well-preserved Norman castle is considered to be one the best examples of its kind in Ireland. It has wonderful views over Belfast Lough and is only 9 miles north of the city. It has a postern gate on the seaward side with an eastern tower. The tower believed to have housed the church, has a chamber on the 1st floor with a Romanesque window and cross bow loops at basement level.

On display are cannons from the early 15-1800’s, with historical exhibits and info on the castle’s history. Visitors can walk around the exterior and see historical items in the visitor center along with its 18th century cannons. The castle is open to the public daily all year.

14. Belfast Castle

Belfast Castle Cavehill mountain

Built in 1222 by the Normans, who invaded Ulster in the later twelfth-century. By the early 1300’s
a small settlement had been built in front of the castle.
The castle was rebuilt on several occasions between 1222 and the 1554.

Belfast Castle was eventually seized by a branch of the O’Neill 1401.
The O’ Néill of Clandeboye used Belfast Castle as one of their main residences throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

In 1603, Sir Arthur Chichester offered to rebuild the Castle if he was given Belfast and its surrounding lands by the Crown. This grant of the castle and its surrounding lands was reconfirmed by the Crown the following year.

Belfast Castle accidentally burnt down in 1705, with the death of 3 sisters and a servant.
Rather than rebuilding on the same site, a new castle was eventually built on Cave Hill for the 3rd Marquess of Donegal in 1860 designed by Architect Sir Charles costing £12,000.

Lord Ashley (who became the eighth Earl of Shaftesbury), paid for the reconstruction and later inherited the castle in October 1881. Lord Shaftesbury, Harriet Augusta, and their family are remembered in the form of street names through the city.

The Shaftesbury family were also generous donors to the City of Belfast. The 9th Earl of Shaftesbury became Lord Mayor in 1905. The Shaftesbury’s also developed the grounds of the castle into sports and recreation areas such as tennis courts, open-air theatre, clay pigeon shooting and bowling green’s costing well over £170,000

Since the mid 1940’s, the castle has been a popular spot for weddings, and other such events.
Belfast Castle is open to the public most days with an antique shop, visitor centre, restaurant, and a playground. Visitors can enjoy viewing one of its bedrooms, set up in the style of the 1920’s.

Since the castles construction in the 1860 its sandstone walls and towers have been restored.
It is built in the Scottish baronial style, from the Gothic styles of the 16th C.
Scottish baronial style castles were usually built on asymmetrical plans which would include quite high roofs, towers.

The castle has a beautiful winding staircase at the main entrance which are brown in colour and stands out against the sandstone and red brick finish.

15. Ballintoy

Ballintoy Harbour N. Ireland

During the late nineteenth century the harbour was extensively used for the shipping of sett stones a small rail track once existed for moving the piles of sett stones and limestone to the quayside. Ballintoy is still a working harbour for local fishermen.

In recent years the harbour has been upgraded and is still a working harbour for local fishermen dealing mainly with salmon and lobster fishing. It is also used as a base by deep sea divers.
A number of pleasure craft use the harbour. It is sheltered from prevailing winds by scores of basalt islands. The harbour mouth looks towards Sheep Island.

This unique harbour village was used as the filming location for the ‘Iron Island’ port, in HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’. ‘The Dark Hedges’ which are also local, was also used as ‘The Kings Highway’ in the popular Series.

Another picturesque landmark which is the most famous bridge in Northern Ireland Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is also nearby. The rope bridge at Ballintoy links the mainland to a small island.
It’s bridge spans over 20 metres and is 30 metres above the sand below.

The bridge is mainly a tourist attraction and is run by the National Trust. The bridge has over half a million visitors annually and is open all year round.

Amidst the rugged landscape of this isolated island, you can let your mind wander and discover a tranquillity and beauty that is so unexpected.

Shutterspeed Ireland has many of these locations in both Photography and Multimedia format.

16. Ashford Castle Hotel

Ashford Castle Estate Cong County Mayo Ireland

Ashford Castle Hotel is a medieval and Victorian castle located on Lough Corrib, Cong at the Co. Mayo and Galway border in Ireland. Now a member of one of the Leading Hotels of the World and was previously owned by the Guinness family.

The castle was built in 1227 by the Anglo-Norman House of Burke. After more than 3 centuries under the De Burgos family the Castle was passed into the hands of a new master, the de Burgos and those of the English official Sir Richard Bingham, Lord President of Connaught.

Sir Benjamin Lee added two large Victorian style extensions, extended the estate to 2500 acres and planted hundreds of trees. In 1867, the estate was passed to his son Lord Ardilaun, who expanded the building further. Lord Ardilaun rebuilt the castles west wing of the castle which was designed by the architect James Fuller.

The Castle passed to his nephew Ernest Guinness and was later sold in 1938 to Noel Huggard. Huggard opened the estate as a hotel, which became renowned for its country pursuits, such as angling and shooting.

In 1950, the film director John Ford produced the film ‘The Quiet Man’, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. The grounds of the castle, formed the backdrop for most of the action in the film.

In 1969, the castle was bought by John Mulcahy, who complete restoration enlarging its size with the addition of a new wing in 1971. He built a golf course and developed the grounds and gardens. In 1984, a group of Irish American investors bought Ashford.

The Castle was sold in 2006 for €50 million to Gerry Barrett. In May 2013, the hotel was bought by the Red Carnation Hotels group for €20 million. After major refurbishment the castle re-opened in May 2015

17. The Gobbins Cliff Path

From Blackhead lighthouse on the edge of Belfast lough, to the colourful dwellings in Whitehead Bay displays a stunning photogenic landscape. This picturesque location is where you can enjoy a two hour personally guided walking tour arround the rugged coastline.

The Gobbins experience takes you along a narrow path across spectacular bridges among the crashing waves of the Irish Sea, up and down rugged staircases carved into the cliff face and around caves that were once home to smugglers and pirates.

The Gobbins Path is a difficult walk and is quite narrow and uneven, accessed by a steep pathway. The Gobbins path was created by an Irish railway engineer Berkeley Wise, who built the path as a tourist attraction for the Belfast and Northern Railway Company. The Gobbins had many visitors in the first few decades of the 20th century.

Berkeley Deane Wise built the path in 1901. Starting close to the village of Ballystrudder.
The path would proceed for a mile or so along spectular section of the coast. Visitors enjoyed bridges, tunnels and caves as you walk the trek.

The walk has many characteristic spots, such as special bridge, Seven Sisters caves, Heddles’ port, Wise’s Eye and Bore caves. The Gobbins has always required constant maintenance over the years to cope with the impact of waves and storms coming in from the Irish Sea.

18. Mussenden Temple

Mussenden Temple Castlerock Co Derry

The building sits dramatically on the top of a cliff high above the Atlantic Ocean, on the north coast of Northern Ireland. It boasts spectacular views northwards over Downhill Strand towards Magilligan Point and Co. Donegal. To the east is Castlerock beach, Portstewart, Portrush and Fair Head.

At one time it was possible to drive a carriage around the temple, however, due to coastal erosion nature has brought the edge much closer to the building. The temple was built in 1784 and was part of the Downhill Demesne.

The demesne was formerly part of the estate of Frederick who was the 4th Earl of Bristol, who served as the Church of Ireland Lord Bishop of Derry in 1771. Lord Bristol built the Temple which was constructed as a library and was modelled from the Temple of Vesta in Rome.

There is an inscription around the building which translates ‘Tis pleasant, safely to behold from shore, the troubled sailor, and hear the tempests roar’. Its walls were once lined with bookcases.
A fire was kept burning constantly in the basement. This and its enclosed flue meant that, even in this very exposed location, the books never got damp.

In 1996 The National Trust carried out cliff stabilisation work to help prevent the loss of the building. The grounds encompassing Mussenden Temple, and its manor house (Downhill Castle) are open to the public all year round.

19. Larne Harbour

Larne Harbour Northern Ireland

Larne Harbour is a modern ferry port in Northern Ireland. It is located 15 miles north of Belfast and is an easily accessible way to travel to Scotland.

Larne town is an ideal place to begin exploring Northern Ireland. You can travel to Cairnryan, day or night, offering you a simple way to explore the town’s plentiful shopping and leisure facilities.

The Larne Harbour port has been around since the middle ages, but constant improvements in infrastructure over the past two centuries made it the amazing port it is today.

Larne Harbour’s Continental and Chaine Quays are said to be the first in Ireland to provide double-deck ramps in 1972 which helped cater to the needs of the newest vessels being used at the time. This allowed the port to handle many modern ships through the Larne to Stranraer route, including-

The Caledonian Princess,
The Antrim Princess,
The Galloway Princess.

The port at Larne has certainly come a long way since its founding so many years ago.
The port’s operators have taken full advantage of advancements in shipping technology over the years, securing Larne’ s future as one of the most advanced port cities in all of Northern Ireland.

Whether you’d like to explore the countryside, learn about the history of the area, or simply take a short yet luxurious ferry ride to neighbouring Scotland, you’re sure to have a wonderful time visiting Larne’s historic harbour!

20. Kilwaughter Castle

Kilwaughter Castle Co. Antrim

Located near the town of Larne in Co. Antrim Kilwaughter Castle was built in 1622 for Patrick Agnew of Galloway.

In 1805 Edward Jones Agnew inherited the estate. Edward employed John Nash, one of the well-known architects in British history, (famous for developing Buckingham Palace) to build a major extension to what was the original Tower House from the 17th Century.

Edward died in 1831 and his son William inherited the Castle and estate. He also purchased more land and it became one of the largest landholdings in Ireland around 9,000 acres.

Mary Maria Simon inherited the castle in 1856, she and her father moved to England. In 1878 she married ‘Count Ugo Balzani’ whos husband came from a long line of Italian aristocrats and medieval historians.

But because of these Italian links, the British government Seized the castle during WWII, and was then used to house soldiers in 1941. These soldiers were members of the American 644th Battalion and were based there during preparations for the D Day Landings.

The castle was uninhabited from that time and fell into disrepair with collapsed floors and roof.
It is now privately owned. In later years a charitable trust was formed to help stop further deterioration of the castle.

21. Glenarm Castle

Glenarm Village dates back to the Norman era and its castle is the family seat of the MacDonnells, who once owned Dunluce Castle. The village main street goes up to Glenarm Forest where the Castle can be spotted from the river which runs through the village to the sea.

The Barbican Gate is at the heart of the village. Glenarm Castle dates back to 1749, with early 19th century alterations. Glenarm claims to be one of the oldest town in Ulster, having been granted a charter in the mid-12th century. The Barbican Gate to Glenarm Castle was restored by the Irish Landmark Trust, a conservation charity that saves buildings that are at risk of being lost.

During the 5th to 7th centuries Glenarm was in the territory of the kingdom of Dal Riada which covered coastal Co. Antrim from Glenarm up to the Bushmills area.

These are just a handful of authentically Irish photos you can take around the country. Many of these wonders lie on the coast, but sometimes the simple beauty of the rolling Irish countryside will capture many. From natural to man-made wonders, Ireland has something for everyone.

ShutterSpeed Ireland have over 300 photos and video multimedia of ‘Spectacular locations of Ireland’ which can easily converted into black & white format.

Some of the information sourced in this blog has come from-
www.ireland.com
www.irelandbeforeyoudie.com
www.discovernorthernireland.com
www.castles.nl

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Sources Used:
The Planetd.com
Love Irish Tours
History.com
Trip Advisor.com