The Glens of Antrim,Logainm.ie
(

Placenames Database of Ireland The Placenames Database of Ireland ( ga, Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann), also known as , is a database and archive of place names in Ireland. It was created by Fiontar, Dublin City University in collaboration with the Placenames Branch of ...

) known locally as simply The Glens, is a region of

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

. 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 An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of ...

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 Coa ...

, 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 The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...

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