The legendarily resourceful fishermen of windswept Northern Ireland had a quandary: their village was separated from an extraordinarily productive fishing spot -- a rocky island -- by a tumultuous channel more than 50 feet wide. Fishing rope was their only resource to bridge the gap. Rising to the challenge, these fishermen built Ireland's only permanent rope bridge: Carrick-a-Rede. The legacy of that construction is a modern rope bridge where thrill-seekers can catch a different perspective on the coast.
Location
- Carrick-a-Rede sits along the legendarily scenic Causeway Coast, near the town of Ballintoy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Hikers may access the bridge, just 7 miles from Giant's Causeway, from the North Antrim Coastal Path. The Guardian lists the path as one of its "Top 10 UK Walks." Notably, this unique spot is the only place permanent rope bridges have been constructed in Ireland.
Historical Rope Bridges
- Fishermen first constructed a rickety rope bridge at the site in the 1700s, according to the National Trust, which manages the maintenance of the bridge and its surrounding land. The bridge allowed the fishing community to access the best places to catch migrating salmon on the move from the deep northern oceans to the north-coast rivers where they spawn. As each bridge wore out, a new one was constructed to replace it.
- Modern Times
- Due to environmental shifts, the salmon changed this longstanding route in the year 2002, and the fishing opportunities disappeared. Though no fishermen remain, the National Trust has carefully fortified the bridge to serve as safe passage for tourists, maintaining the original construction material: thick fishing rope supporting a wood-slat walkway.
Measurements
- Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, constructed in 2008 by a big-city construction company, is 65 feet long. It rises almost 100 feet over the water and rocks below. It's strong, too: in 2011, the bridge was crossed by approximately 250,000 visitors; the following year, its most famous crossing was made by the Olympic Torch.
Safety Concerns
- As of the time of publication in 2014, no one had ever fallen off the Carrick-a-Rede bridge. Despite that perfect safety record, the vulnerable openness of the rope construction and the gentle swaying motion of the span can be spine-tingling. The National Trust reports that "many visitors who walk across simply can’t handle the return and have to go by boat."
