Overview
Lurigethan – Lurig to everyone local – is the flat-topped mountain that fills the skyline behind Cushendall, separating Glenariff from neighbouring Glenballyeamon and dividing two of the Glens of Antrim. The name, from Lurigeadan, means ‘the ridge of the face or brow’, which is about right for the blunt, dark profile it shows the village. There’s no fee and nothing to book: it’s open hillside, walkable year-round.
The fort and the Fianna
The summit is ringed by the earthworks of a large promontory fort. It was probably built by Bronze Age people (roughly 2500–500 BC) and later used by Iron Age Celts, and according to the Glens of Antrim Historical Society its fortifications once enclosed about 40 acres – some 16 hectares – with several earthen banks and ditches still traceable across the plateau. A gap on the south-western side marks the old entrance, and aerial survey has picked out what may be round-house platforms inside. Walk the banks and you get the point of the place at once: it commands the glens and the sea on every side.
Local tradition ties the hill hard to the Fenian Cycle. Finn MacCool (Fionn mac Cumhaill) and his son Oisín are said to have been born here, and the fort is remembered as the stronghold of Goll Mac Morna, Finn’s one-eyed rival, who had killed Finn’s father. The nearby townland of Lagafeenie keeps the memory of a battle between them: the name means ‘the hollow of the Fianna’. Oisín’s story runs through the whole area too – a Neolithic court tomb in the next townland, Lubatavish, is still called Ossian’s Grave.
Walking the mountain
The usual walk is the out-and-back from Waterfoot: about 5.6km (3.5 miles) return with roughly 345m (1,130ft) of climb, and around two hours at a steady pace. A shorter approach starts from a gate on the B14 above Cushendall and climbs across open heath and rough pasture to the plateau; it’s less distance, though the ground is steep and rough near the top. Either way it suits reasonably fit walkers in decent boots, and neither is waymarked to any great degree, so pick your line and mind the edge on the summit.
The reward is the view. Look south down Glenariff to the sea, pick out the stepped ladder-farms on the slopes above Waterfoot – long narrow holdings laid out to share the good low ground and the poor high ground fairly between families – and on a clear day trace the coast to the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. The southern face shows basalt columns, a reminder that Lurig sits on the same volcanic plateau as the Giant’s Causeway.
If you want company, the Lurig Run goes up and down the mountain on the second Saturday of August during Cushendall’s Heart of the Glens festival: 3.5 miles with 1,500 feet of climb, and faster than you’d think possible.
Practical information
- Access and route: From Cushendall, follow the Glenballyeamon scenic route onto the B14 Ballyeamon Road; a small gate on the left, after about 2.5km, is the traditional foot access. From Waterfoot, the AllTrails route is the better-trodden option.
- Parking: Free parking in Cushendall on Shore Road, opposite the harbour; allow about 15 minutes on foot to the B14 gate.
- Coordinates: Trailhead gate 55.0669°N, 6.0849°W.
- Difficulty: Moderate, on a steady gradient with uneven, rough ground near the fort banks. Sturdy footwear needed.
- Facilities: None on the mountain. Cushendall has public toilets (seasonal), a café and a promenade. Dogs are welcome but keep them under control near livestock and nesting birds.
- Conditions: Late spring and early autumn tend to give the clearest air; the summit is exposed, so carry a windproof and a rain layer whatever the forecast.
- Maps: OSNI 1:25,000 sheets ‘Glens of Antrim’ and ‘Causeway Coast & Rathlin Island’.
Go on a weekday morning to have the plateau to yourself, and leave time to sit on the fort banks and watch the light move down the glens – that, more than the climb, is what the hill is for.