JOHN G O'DWYERis delighted to reacquaint himself with a friend he hasn't visited for a decade
SOMEHOW we survived an extended winter of discontent without national bankruptcy, the swine-flu-driven annihilation of a city or an overseas invasion triggered by Willie O’Dea’s departure from our nation’s defence. So, with springtime unfurling magnificently and the countryside rejoicing amid a late awakening, my imaginings strayed towards an old friend I hadn’t visited for a decade.
Even at the height of communal strife, Northern Ireland was a welcoming place offering great walking, good facilities and the advantage of what is probably the finest seashore walk on these islands, along a sawtooth coastline with captivating clifftop views, secluded coves, harbours of biscuit-tin beauty and splendid eye-wateringly white buildings.
The Causeway Coast Way stretches 52 exhilarating kilometres, from Ballycastle to Portstewart, but the most memorable section links two of Ireland’s signature attractions: Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the Giant’s Causeway.
Ignoring the crowds heading for the vertigo-inspired delights of the bridge, I began my walk from Carrick-a-Rede’s Larrybane car park by taking the opposite direction along a green pathway (see panel).
Soon I was surmounting chalk-white cliffs facing resolutely north towards the serene bulk of dog-legged Rathlin Island and the shimmering outline of the Scottish islands beyond.
My first objective was unmissable Ballintoy parish church, where the route swung right along a quiet switchback road that tumbled dramatically to cliff-enclosed Ballintoy harbour.
Resisting the temptation of the attractive Roark’s Kitchen cafe, I continued west and was rewarded immediately by a jumbled landscape of erratic sea stacks, some of which now lie marooned above the high-water mark. Rounding a headland, it was trouble-free going over the silver sweep of White Park Bay, with just a little rocky scrambling on the approach to the postcard-perfect fishing cove of Portbradden, which has the smallest and surely the most colourful church in Ireland.
Past Portbradden it’s not so much a question of rounding Gid Point as penetrating it, as the path uses a convenient natural archway in the headland. Beyond, I was truly in among the now blackened cliffs as the trail rose and fell idiosyncratically before finally descending by way of a steep wooden stairway to approach tranquil Dunsevervick harbour. A short road walk from here and a rounding of Geeragh Point led to the remains of once-proud Dunsevervick Castle.
Isolated on an elevated headland, this now sadly forlorn ruin somehow reminded me of Dr Johnston’s often-quoted description of the Giant’s Causeway: “Worth seeing, yes; but not worth going to see.” I concluded Dunsevervick was worth seeing but hardly worth the additional steep climb to visit such spartan remains.
Instead I was drawn towards the high clifftops beckoning to the west with unfolding views to Donegal’s Inishowen Peninsula, which incongruously lies mostly to the north of Northern Ireland. Beyond the grand vista from Hamilton’s Seat at Benbane Head came the poignant inlet of Port na Spaniagh, where in 1588 the Spanish galleon Girona was driven by a storm on to the rocks, with the loss of almost 1,300 lives.
Finally, the Giant’s Causeway itself proves initially rather disappointing when viewed from above, and may beg the question of why it is designated a World Heritage site. But sooner or later a true star will shine, and it is only upon descending the well-signposted Shepherd’s Steps that you can fully appreciate the splendour of the 37,000 hexagonal columns. Indeed, it is difficult to believe that such symmetry could spring from the random lava flow of a volcanic explosion 60 million years ago.
Perhaps this is why many still prefer the ancient saga that the causeway was built by Fionn Mac Cumhaill as a link to the Scottish island of Staffa, where similar basalt formations exist.
On the final kilometre’s uphill ramble to a welcome coffee at Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre, I concluded that, whatever its veracity, I liked the Fionn Mac Cumhaill explanation best.
Causeway Coast Way, Co Antrim
Starting pointCarrick-a- Rede is well signposted from the A2 linking Ballycastle and Portstewart. Take advantage of free parking by leaving your car at Larrybane. From Giant's Causeway Visitor Centre you will have to rely on a friend, a taxi or the coastal bus services (frequent in summer) to get back to Larrybane.
TimeAllow four or five hours for this 16km route.
MapFrom walkni.com.
SuitabilityThe well-maintained causeway path could hardly be described as a challenging outing, but care is always required near cliffs, especially in windy conditions. Walkers should also be aware that high tides may render the route impassable at both ends of White Park Bay.
Food and accommodationLight meals are available at the visitor centre. For overnight accommodation, try the 19th- century Causeway Hotel (048-20731210, giants- causeway-hotel.co.uk ) or the modern Whitepark Bay Hostel (048-20731745). More details from Coleraine Tourist Information Centre (048-70344723).