Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

One of the sites that we stopped to see was the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. You can have enough time to visit Giant’s Causeway as well as this rope bridge in one day and still have time to visit another minor site or two. There has been a bridge at this site since approximately 1755. The site is now owned by the National Trust who maintain the bridge and, depending on the weather, allow people to cross it for a fee.

The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge was originally used during salmon fishing season as the salmon swim by the island of Carrickarede during this time. The fishermen would catch their salmon while on the island and then use the rope bridge to carry the fish over to the mainland. Fishing was carried on right up to 2002. There is no fishing done now due to the low numbers of salmon. In the past, 300 salmon were caught in a day. The last year that there was any fishing, there were only 300 salmon caught in the whole season.

The bridge itself used to be two ropes strung between the mainland and Carrickarede Island, one rope where you would “walk” or do a sideways shuffle, and the other rope, which was in a higher position, to hold onto to keep your balance and not fall into the sea. Yes, it was more treacherous when it was only the two ropes. Anyone who has done any Scouting may have constructed such a bridge over minor creeks or small, shallow rivers.

There is plenty of wild life to observe. The wild life consists of: seabirds, basking sharks, dolphins, and porpoises. The seabirds include: guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars as well as oystercatchers. Puffins breed on Rathlin Island every year. There is also a salmon fishery that includes a fisherman’s cottage.

There is also The Weighbridge Tearoom in which you can get a refreshment of a beverage and cake as a reward for crossing the bridge. I cannot say how tasty the cake is as this was the same day that I twisted my ankle at Giant’s Causeway and did not want to do any further damage to my ankle.

There is an old chalk quarry called Larrybane which was a working quarry until the mid 1970s. Now it is the access point for a scenic walk to your adventure.

If you are interested in wildflowers, there are a number of different types that include at least three different types of orchids.

This site can give a look into the past and can demonstrate the working life of a salmon fisherman in Antrim. Did your ancestor rely on the sea to feed his family? This might be a good place for you to mentally connect with him.