Gobbins Path
| The Gobbins | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location |
Islandmagee County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 54°48′04″N 5°41′24″W / 54.801°N 5.690°WCoordinates: 54°48′04″N 5°41′24″W / 54.801°N 5.690°W |
| Built | 1902-1908 |
| Built for | Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Company |
| Rebuilt | 2011-2015 |
| Restored by | Larne Borough Council |
| Architect | Berkeley Deane Wise |
| Website | http://thegobbinscliffpath.com |
The Gobbins is a cliff-face path at Islandmagee, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the Causeway Coastal Route. It runs across bridges, past caves and through a tunnel, along The Gobbins cliffs (Irish: Gobán meaning "tip/point of land" or "headland"). The cliffs are recognised for their rich birdlife, important geology and notable species.
The Gobbins was created by an Irish railway engineer called Berkeley Deane Wise. He designed and built the path as a tourist attraction for the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Company. The path first opened to the public in 1902, with visitors paying 6d to enjoy a ‘perfect marvel of engineering'. The Gobbins drew worldwide acclaim, with newspapers declaring that 'the varied beauty of this cliff path baffles all description'.
Thousands of people visited The Gobbins in the first few decades of the 20th century - advertisements of the time declared ‘the new cliff path along The Gobbins Cliffs, with its ravines, bore caves, natural aquariums ... has no parallel in Europe as a marine cliff walk'. However the railway company got into financial difficulties during the 1930s; upkeep slipped and the path was closed in the run up to World War II. The Gobbins was briefly reopened by the Ulster Transport Authority after the war, but closed in 1954. Several abortive attempts were made by government and individuals to restore the path.
From 2011-2015 Larne Borough Council led a project to reopen The Gobbins. A series of new bridges and galleries were constructed and installed during 2014-15. The work was funded by the European Union’s INTERREG IVA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and administered by the North East Partnership, Larne Borough Council and the Ulster Garden Villages Limited.
The Gobbins was accessible to visitors from August 2015 by guided tour. Opening for the 2016 summer season was delayed until the end of April following storm damage to the approach path in January 2016. Car parking, a café, exhibition and visitor facilities for The Gobbins are provided by visitor centre at nearby Ballystrudder.
The Gobbins was the brainchild of a pioneering Irish railway engineer called Berkeley Deane Wise. Originally from New Ross, Wise served his apprenticeship working on the railway line between Dublin and Wexford. At the age of just 22, he developed tunnels and bridges for one of the most challenging sections in the country, along the coast at Bray Head. This and other experiences helped give Wise the skills he needed to conceive his ultimate achievement – The Gobbins – just over 25 years later.
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Wikipedia