Cushendun Beach

This sandy, rural beach is set on a gently curving bay and is backed by the charming village of Cushendun.  Many of the picturesque buildings in the village, some of which are managed by the National Trust, have a distinctly Cornish feel to them, having been designed this way to please the wife of a local landowner, who came from Penzance. 

On clear days there are views across to the Mull of Kintyre, which is a mere 15 miles away.

The Glendun River enters the sea in the village, at the southern end of the bay, where there is a small, sheltered harbour and a car park.  A further car park can be found a short drive along the coast road, heading north out of the village.  There is a pub (once the smallest pub in Ireland), a chip shop and a National-Trust-run tearoom in the village. 

The countryside around the bay has plenty of walking trails and features beautiful Glendun. The ruins of Carra Castle lie a short distance behind the bay and there are a number of Bronze-Age standing stones here.  Game of Thrones fans might enjoy exploring Cushendun’s Red Caves, where some scenes from the hit-TV series were filmed.