Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge in Northern Ireland

Follow along as we walk over the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge in Northern Ireland! The Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge was built in 1755 by Irish fisherman, near Ballintoy in County Antrim Northern Ireland. The bridge is suspended nearly 100 feet above the Atlantic ocean, the bridge was built as a way to reach important fishing spots.

"Carraig a Raid" is a gaelic term that means the rock in the road - which according to the National Trust - means "an obstacle for the migrating salmon as they search for the river in which they were born."

Fishermen began fishing at Carrick A rede in the early 17th century but they did not build the bridge until more than a century and a half later. Before this, they used a boat to reach the island. Hundreds of fishermen worked in the area in the 19th and 20th centuries with up to 300 fish caught each day until the 1960s - but the fish started to dwindle after that and the last fish was caught in the area in 2002.

For more than 100 years, until 2014, there was a wooden crane off the island that would lower the fishing boat into the water. During a storm in 2014, the crane was washed away.

The current Carrick A Rede bridge was built in 2004 and is 20 meters long, or 66 feet, and 98 feet above the rocks below. In 2018, nearly 500,000 people visited the bridge. 

To make your reservation for Carrick A Rede, you can do so through the National Trust. I'd recommend buying your tickets in advance, because they do often sell out. You can purchase them here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visi...