The Glens of Antrim,Logainm.ie
( Placenames Database of Ireland) known locally as simply The Glens, is a region of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It comprises nine

glen A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower ...

s (valleys), 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 main towns and villages in the Glens are Ballycastle, Cushendun,

Cushendall Cushendall (), formerly known as Newtownglens, is a coastal village and townland (of 153 acres) in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located in the historic barony of Glenarm Lower and the civil parish of Layd, and is part of Causeway Coas ...

, Waterfoot, Carnlough and Glenarm.

The Lordship of the Glens

From the mid-13th century onward, the Lordship of The Glen belonged to the Bissett family,

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 *Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature *Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 1066 ...

in origin but Gaelicized over generations. In the mid-16th century it came into the ownership of the

MacDonnells of Antrim The MacDonnells of Antrim (Gaelic: ''Mac Domhnaill''), also known as the MacDonnells of the Glens, are a branch in Ireland of the Scottish-based Clan Donald. Initially part of Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg (Clan Donald South), the MacDonnells of An ...

The nine glens

From north to south, the nine glens are:

Tenth glen

Glenravel is sometimes considered a tenth glen. It lies to the southwest of Glenballyeamon and Glenariff, being separated from the latter by the Glenariff forest park. The main settlements of Glenravel are Cargan, Martinstown and Skerry (Newtowncrommelin).

Archaeology

Artifacts of the Neolithic period have been found in various places of the Glens of Antrim including Bay Farm II and Madman's Window.

In popular culture

The Glens are mentioned in the song " Ireland's Call". DI Sean Duffy, in the Troubles mysteries by Adrian McKinty, is from the Glens.

References

External links

Glens of Antrim WebsiteGlens of Antrim Historical SocietyLandscapes Unlocked
- Aerial footage from the BBC ''Sky High'' series explaining the physical, social and economic geography of Northern Ireland. {{Authority control Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Northern Ireland Glens of Ireland Protected areas of County Antrim Earldom of Ulster