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Portrush is adjacent to the stunning North Antrim coastline. Here lies the medieval Dunluce Castle ruins. Perched picturesquely at the edge of a rocky outcropping high above the sea, the castle is dramatically surrounded by terrifyingly steep drops, which the early Christians and Vikings would have considered a very important security feature. The castle and surrounding areas have been frequently used for the filming of “Game of Thrones”. Another attraction reached from Portrush is the Giant’s Causeway -40,000 hexagonal basalt columns that descend in a kind of pathway to the sea. Formed over 50 million years ago, visitors have marveled at its majesty and mystery for centuries, and UNESCO has recognised this site with World Heritage status. But we had seen these many times before, so chose Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne
June 5th
The ship was off Portrush by 7am. We went ashore in a flat calm for a tour to Downhill House and Temple. Only a dozen of us in a very smart minibus with retired catholic policeman , Malachy Norton, as our guide. .David was really impressed by him and Chris was quite nostalgic for Kirkby Fleetham on seeing the walled garden and the icehouse and the haha.
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Downhill Demesne, the most wild and dramatic headland in Northern Ireland. With fabulous views that stretch over the whole of the North Coast of Ireland and open windswept cliff top walks, it is not surprising that the Demesne is part of the Binevenagh Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is a well-known icon. The landscape Demesne, gardens and buildings at Downhill reflect the vivid personality of their creator, the flamboyant and eccentric Earl Bishop Fredrick Hervey. In the early 1770s he deliberately chose the bleak headland at Downhill to build a grand country house and surround it with a landscape estate (a demesne) as it was vast, rugged and dominated by the elements. When his choice of the exposed headland at Downhill for a landscape estate was criticized, Hervey's reply illustrated the scale of the task he had undertaken in molding it to his liking. He said: "A tree is no longer a rarity since above 200,000 have this winter been planted in the glens around my house. Come and enjoy the rapidity with which I have converted 60 acres of moor, by the medium of 200 spades into a green carpet covered with white clover."
At the heart of the Demesne is the house, which was one of the most renowned in Ireland containing treasures from throughout Europe. It suffered a disastrous fire in 1851, which destroyed most of the contents. It was rebuilt and lived in until shortly after World War II, when the roof was taken off as part of the dismantling of the house. Unfortunately, the imaginatively-designed home is now in ruins. However, its setting and architecture give more than a hint of its former glory.
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Hervey also spent a vast fortune on the grounds. He erected a Mausoleum in 1778 dedicated to the memory of his brother, the 2nd Earl, the top of which fell during a storm (the Great Wind) in 1839. He also built the Lion's Gate, which stands beside the remains of a doubled walled garden with Dovecote and Ice House still intact, and the Bishop's Gate a well-known feature with its Gothic Gate Lodge and garden. Many of these buildings are now listed reflecting their architectural and historical significance. Perched on the edge of cliffs is the most spectacular of the buildings, the Mussenden Temple. Built as a library and modelled on the Temple of Vesta in Italy, it is dedicated to the memory of Hervey's cousin Frideswide Mussenden. Given Mussenden Temple's precipitous location, the inscription around the dome by Lucretius, translated by Dryden presents something of a challenge to nature and the elements, reading: "Tis pleasant, safely to behold from shore, The rolling ship, and hear the tempest roar." Over the years the erosion of the cliff face at Downhill has brought Mussenden Temple ever closer to the edge. Less than a century ago a horse and cart could be driven around the Temple's perimeter. In 1997 The National Trust carried out cliff stabilisation work to prevent the loss of the building.
We also stopped for a short wander in Port Stewart. Then we walked around Portrush for an hour.
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After lunch back on board, Chris finished packing, played Trivia before seeing the disappointing. Cruise video and having a drink with Nancy Dunlop , a pole to polar.
A poor last dinner in the restaurant before listening to George singing, a really good opera voice. Suitcases outside the room by 10.30
We then sailed for Dublin past Rathlin Island and the Gianes Causeway
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