Ballycastle is a coastal town at the northern tip of the Causeway Coastal Route, where the road turns from the north coast toward the Glens of Antrim. It’s built around a working harbour, a wide beach, and the ferry crossing to Rathlin Island.
The Ould Lammas Fair
Ballycastle’s biggest event is the Ould Lammas Fair, held every year on the last Monday and Tuesday of August. It’s one of Ireland’s oldest fairs, with records going back to the 17th century — the tradition is generally traced to public games ordered by the local chieftain Sorley Boy MacDonnell in 1571, celebrating his nephew’s coming of age, and to sheep markets held in the area. The fair now fills the town centre with stalls, and is famous locally for two specific foods sold at it: yellowman (a hard, honeycomb-textured toffee) and dulse (dried edible seaweed).
The Harbour
Ballycastle’s harbour dates largely to around 1786, when local businessman Hugh Boyd rebuilt it with a proper pier, alongside coal mines, a pottery works, and a glass factory he established in the town. The harbour is still a working one today and is the departure point for the Rathlin Island ferry.
Rathlin Island
Ballycastle is the mainland gateway to Rathlin Island, a short ferry crossing offshore — Northern Ireland’s only permanently inhabited island, known for its seabird colonies and lighthouse.
Getting there
Ballycastle sits on the A2 coast road, a straightforward drive from Ballymoney via Armoy.