Dating from 1654, Ireland's oldest thatched pub is an absolute treasure, with tiny, antique-filled rooms, a crackling turf fire, the best Guinness for miles around and fabulous craic. Live traditional music plays every Saturday, with impromptu sessions on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. It's 13km southwest of Ballymena.
Crosskeys Inn
Top choice in County Antrim
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
24.59 MILES
The stunning, star-shaped Titanic Belfast is the city's number-one tourist draw. Standing majestically at the head of the slipway where the Titanic was…
28.7 MILES
This medieval castle ruin is perched on top of a dramatic cliffside overlooking the glorious Causeway Coast.
24.39 MILES
Belfast's classical Renaissance-style City Hall was built in fine, white Portland stone in 1906. Highlights of the free, 45-minute guided tour include the…
24.83 MILES
You could spend hours browsing this state-of-the-art museum, but if you're pressed for time don't miss the Armada Room, with artefacts retrieved from the…
24.34 MILES
There are not many historical monuments that you can enjoy while savouring a pint of Guinness, but the National Trust's Crown Liquor Saloon is one of them…
21.89 MILES
The view from the summit of Cave Hill (368m) takes in the whole sprawl of the city, the docks, Belfast Lough and the Mourne Mountains – on a clear day you…
24.95 MILES
The showpiece of Belfast's green oasis is Charles Lanyon's beautiful Palm House, built in 1839 and completed in 1852, with its birdcage dome, a…
23.49 MILES
Guided tours of Belfast's notorious Crumlin Road Gaol take you from the tunnel beneath Crumlin Rd, built in 1850 to convey prisoners from the courthouse…
Nearby County Antrim attractions
3.92 MILES
Nobel Prize–winning poet Seamus Heaney's home town of Bellaghy, 54km northwest of Belfast, is the location of a wonderful museum and arts centre…
7.08 MILES
Ballymena's museum is housed in a dramatic modern building that is also home to the town hall, tourist office and arts centre. Interesting exhibitions…
7.75 MILES
Built as an interpretative centre designed to increase awareness of environmental issues and alternative energy sources, the impressive Ecos Centre…
4. Antrim Castle Gardens & Clotworthy House
9.87 MILES
Pass through the Barbican Gate (1818), a portion of the old castle walls, and the underpass beyond to reach Antrim Castle Gardens. The castle burned down…
10.18 MILES
Antrim's 10th-century Round Tower, on the northeast edge of town, is 28m tall, and is one of the finest examples of these monastic towers in Ireland. The…
13.3 MILES
This 6th-century monastic site overlooking Lough Neagh is home to one of Ireland's best-preserved and most elaborately decorated Celtic stone crosses. The…
13.73 MILES
The skyline to the east of Ballymena is dominated by the distinctive craggy peak of Slemish (438m). The hill is one of many sites in the North associated…
18.53 MILES
At the head of the Glenariff Valley is Glenariff Forest Park, where the main attraction is Ess-na-Larach Waterfall, an 800m walk from the visitor centre…