Living off the Land & Sea is a year-long community project led by Cushendun Building Preservation Trust.
It is exploring farming, fishing and the many resourceful and skilful ways people ‘Live off the Land’ past and present.
The starting information for this project has been put together with the help of the Glens of Antrim Historical Association.
It touches on some of the farming traditions and cottage industries that have thrived in this corner of the Glens in the past but it is just the start.
Over the coming months we will be collecting reminiscences, photographs and local knowledge not just about the ‘old days’ , but also, how farming, fishing and other ways of ‘Living off the Land’ work today and what the future might look like.
The stories and information we collect will form the basis of a booklet to be produced in 2024.
If you have stories to share, please email jude@cushendunbpt.org we’d love to hear from you!
Mills of Cushendun
Corn and mills in various shapes and varieties have been a feature of the Irish Landscape from earliest times. The main occupation of the early Chieftain`s female slaves was grinding corn with a quern (hand held pot). Oatmeal was the mainstay of the native diet long...
Glendun
One of the nine Glens of Antrim and designated an area of outstanding natural beauty. Source of River Dun on the sloops of Trostan It is one of the narrowest glens stretching from the seashore at Cushendun to the foothills of Trostan, the highest peak on the Antrim...
Turf Cutting
For centuries turf/peat was the main source of fuel. Most farmers had turf banks either on their own land or had turbary rights to cut turf on the peatland at the top of the glen. Turf was cut in April/May depending on the weather. A very familiar term used locally...
Poultry
Rhode Island Red Hens, ducks, turkeys and geese have been a feature of the Irish farmyard for hundreds of years. In 1871 there were c11 million hens on the island of Ireland, today in N. Ireland the number is believed to be in excess of 25m. To a large extent domestic...