Bushmills, Northern Ireland
Fast Facts
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Points of Interest Nearby
CITIES & CULTURE
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Family Travel Tips
GETTING THE KIDS INVOLVED
 
 

Giants Causeway

 

Photo by Rebecca Allen

The quaint village of Bushmills is a great base for families touring Northern Ireland's County Antrim. It's conveniently located and offers a distinct old world experience. Explore Dunluce Castle, the most romantic of Irish castles. Stroll the streets of Bushmills and take in the local architecture. Pause along the Bush River and spot silver-bodied salmon. Tour Old Bushmills Distillery, Ireland's oldest working distillery. Spend a half day at Giant's Causeway, a great natural wonder and one of Northern Ireland's most noted landmarks. Test your nerve at the swinging rope bridge called Carrick-a-Rede. Leave the car behind - bike, walk or ride.
History & Culture
 
The history of Bushmills is in four ways notable. It nearly vanished in the Irish Revolution of 1798. It had its heyday in the 19th century. Waterpower drove its growth and made it different. Whiskey production is a common tenant throughout its past. Bushmills had five licensed distilleries in 1782 yet records suggest a population of the just sixty-five in 1821. It boasts clear expressions of formal 19th century planning. At one point in the 19th century Bushmills' had no fewer than seven mills and four types of millworks - corn, flax, spade and paper. Bushmills is home to the first hydroelectric railway in the British Isles and oldest working distillery in Ireland.
Maps
 
Online maps are a great travel planning resource and a great way to get the kids involved in a family vacation. Use online maps to pinpoint your family travel destination and get a lay of the land. Use interactive maps of Northern Ireland to locate a city, street or attraction and create an itinerary.
Books
 
Books are a great way to introduce young children to a new adventure and get teens and tweens ready for a family trip. We've compiled a list of books about the Emerald Isle and books by Irish authors for children of various ages and with varying interests. Find classics, adventure stories, historical novels and Irish myths. Discover books by modern authors and classic writers including Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker. What better why to begin a journey that a trip through literature?
News
 
Read Northern Ireland newspapers online and, in addition to brushing up on Northern Ireland current events, find out what's happening in Belfast and Derry and discover what the Irish Brits are reading about. There's a wealth of insight in the newspaper as well as listings of local happenings.
Organizations
 
Associations and non-profit organizations can be a valuable resource as well as a means to get involved. Learn about a few of the organizations working to preserve Northern Ireland's national treasures.
Recommended Reads for Family Travel to Ireland
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Travel Trivia
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