Beauty spot locals feeling 'forgotten and ignored' over cliff path closure

Elaine O'Boyle's triathlon club had to change the route of their race because of the path closure

The closure of a scenic cliff path in the Glens of Antrim has left businesses and residents feeling "totally ignored and neglected".

Layd Path in Cushendall has been closed since last November due to the condition of the boardwalk.

Former Antrim county hurler Terence "Sambo" McNaughton said the Glens was one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland but had "got no investment", adding that if the path was "in Portrush or Bushmills it would never have been allowed to get in that state".

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council said it had secured funding to redevelop the path.

Terence McNaughton said the area was "totally ignored" by the council

Mr McNaughton, who owns a bar in the village, posted on social media about the condition of the cliff path following a walk last month and was inundated with responses.

"It's just been allowed to decline and rot away," he said. "Enough is enough. We need to start speaking up for ourselves.

"We believe the Glens is kind of forgotten about. Anything that's going to be done, takes years to do."

Mr McNaughton said the walk was one of the most beautiful he had been on.

"You can see the seals lying on the rocks, the dolphins in the bay, look out at Scottish islands and end up at Layd graveyard," he said.

He added that the Glens of Antrim were "totally ignored by our own council".

Terence McNaughton said the boardwalk had been "allowed to rot away"

Dominic McAlister, who owns a corner shop in the village, agrees that the Glens are "definitely forgotten about".

He does not feel enough is being done to promote tourism.

Mr McAlister said tourist buses go past his shop and none of them stop despite Cushendall being a "beautiful part of the country".

"We're here for tourists like the Giant's Causeway, Ballycastle, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Bushmills Distillery," he said.

"They get everything, we get nothing and it's time they did something in our part of the world."

Dominic McAlister said the area was not a destination like other parts of the north coast

Elaine O'Boyle is a member of Cushendall's triathlon and cycling club, which hosts an event in the village every year.

She said they had to change the route of their race because of the path closure.

Ms O'Boyle said it was just one of many amenities in the area that had been "let go into disrepair by the council".

"This is an outstanding area of natural beauty and the tourism potential for the community is phenomenal," she added.

"It's a hidden gem unfortunately not being used to its full potential."

It is not clear when work will begin on the path

A Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council spokesperson said the path was closed to the public following "the structural failure of the existing timber boardwalks, which had reached the end of their lifespan".

"Council has secured funding through PEACEPLUS, which includes the re-development of the Layd Path,

"The project will include the replacement of timber boardwalks, installation of new steps, and the upgrading of existing steps and interpretation."

The spokesperson added that they hoped to have specialist advice in place by mid-October to help with the design requirements.

It is not yet clear when the work will begin.

Paul Kenny said the cliff walk view was the "greatest"

Paul Kenny, who lives near to the cliff walk, said it featured "the greatest view you'll ever see".

"It's been off and on deteriorating for years," he said. "I'd love to see it fixed to a standard where prams and wheelchairs could access it."

Mr Kenny also feels more investment is made in Portrush, Portstewart, Coleraine and more recently Ballycastle.

"Over here is left the way it is," he added.

Oliver McMullan said it was "frustrating' to see the cliff path in poor condition

Mayor Oliver McMullan said the council was "going to invest heavily" in the cliff path.

He said two other projects were due to be completed as part of the investment but he had asked if the cliff path could be separated "in order to start work quickly".

"I do understand and have sympathy with people's frustrations but we had a malicious fire here which burnt part of the boardwalk which holds it up. Under health and safety you couldn't open it," he said.

"Before that there were boards missing which was inexcusable."

McMullan said the cliff path was "iconic" and it was frustrating to see it in a poor condition.

"I've been saying for years that the Glens isn't given a decent slice of the cake in terms of the promotion of tourism on the Antrim coast," he said.

The mayor added that other statutory bodies and government departments also had a responsibility to invest and promote the area.