Larne - Places of Interest

Places of Interest

• The town has several parks:
  • The Town Park sits above the picturesque Promenade area with walks towards the Chaine Memorial Tower at Sandy Bay - a lighthouse and memorial to the founder of Larne Harbour sea route to Scotland. The Leisure Centre is nearby.
  • The Chaine Park contains the burial site of James Chaine and offers picturesque views over the North Channel.
  • The Curran park has a large children's play area, bowling facilities and camping. There are also tributes to emigrants to North America and Larne's connections with North America.
  • The Dixon Park contains a 2 hectare open green space area with bandstand.
  • Smiley park is a small park in the centre of the town also with tributes to emigrants to North America who left from the port of Larne.
  • Playing fields and cricket grounds at Sandy Bay.
  • Carnfunnock Country Park, 3.5 miles north of Larne is a large site with camping, caravanning, gardens, maze of Northern Ireland, sundials, children's play area, mini-golf, 9 hole pitch and putt golf course, clay pigeon shooting, orienteering course, and walks.
• Larne Leisure Centre offers a 25m indoor swimming pool, spa, sauna, weights, fitness, sports hall and theatre. It is situated at Sandy Bay near the picturesque Promenade area.
• Larne Museum & Arts Centre, situated in the Carnegie Centre in the centre of the town.
• Olderfleet Castle is the ruins of a 13th century castle at Curran Point, near the Chaine Memorial Tower.
• Cairndhu Golf Course is an 18 hole course situated atop of Ballygally Head. Larne Golf Course on sits atop of the Islandmagee peninsula
• Nearby sandy beaches at:
  • Sandy Bay (small beach)
  • Drains Bay, just to the northern edge of the town.
  • Ballygally, 5 miles north from centre of Larne. Ballygally Beach has recently won top awards for cleanliness and is rated to have top water quality for bathing.
  • Browns Bay at the tip of Islandmagee offers camping and caravanning.
  • Glenarm, 10 miles north from centre of Larne.
  • Carnlough, 12 miles north from centre of Larne.
• Waterfalls and forest walk are at nearby Glenoe, 5 miles inland.
• Magheramorne, 5 miles to the south along Larne Lough, has a marina; a Moutainbiking course and an all-Ireland diving centre are currently under construction at the old Magheramorne lime quarry and cement works. The film studio at Magheramorne was used to film much of HBO TV Series Game of Thrones, where the quarry wall was used as a back-drop for much of the series, along with scenery at the Antrim Plateau near Cairncastle.
• Diving tours are also available off the coast. The lighthouse on The Maidens rocks hosts a colony of seals. Numerous coastal bird species and other wildlife such as otters, whales and dolphins are often visible along the Larne coastal area.
• Castle and estate of the Earl of Antrim in the nearby fishing village of Glenarm, 12 miles north, has walled gardens and often hosts Ulster Scots cultural events such as the Dalriada Festival and Highland Games.
• Larne Lough is a protected bird-watching area and designated Special Protection Area, Area of Special Scientific Interest and Ramsar wetland site to protect both birds and shellfish.
• There are numerous stables horse-riding facilities in the area and pony trekking tours are available.