Hey everyone! Welcome to my third in a series of travel blogs about the adventures I have gone on, as poet in residence at Belfast Grand Central Station and places you can travel to as well from the station.
I’ve travelled the Derry~Londonderry train line more times than I can count, but somehow, I’d never stopped off at Antrim Town—until now. And honestly? I can’t believe what I’ve been missing.
I grabbed a cup of tea and waited on the sunny platform at Belfast Grand Central Station for the 10:20am train heading towards Derry~Londonderry. As we passed familiar stops like Whiteabbey and Mossley West, I found myself thinking about my poem-in-progress for Belfast Grand Central Station. Part of my role as poet-in-residence is to listen—to the rhythm of the journey, the stories shared between stations, and the quiet moments that often go unnoticed. This trip felt like the perfect chance to gather more of those threads.
When we arrived in Antrim, the station itself was a delight—charming, peaceful, and home to Platform Coffee, which I made a mental note to visit on the way back. I turned left out of the station and walked towards the town centre, just ten minutes away. A small underpass opened up to charity shops and the beautiful Antrim Library, where I’d be leading a workshop later that day.
But first—exploring.
A signpost pointed me in all sorts of tempting directions: Pogue’s Entry and the River Walk to the Mill Race Trail if I turned left, and Antrim Castle Gardens, the Forum, The Old Courthouse, and the Riverwalk to Lough Neagh if I turned right. I had plans to meet my writing group at the Castle Gardens at 1pm, so I popped into The Courthouse for a quick look, then grabbed a bagel from Hug A Mug: Ability Café in Castle Mall.
Fuelled up and ready, I met the group of people I was taking a workshop with behind The Old Courthouse—one of the oldest in the country, and described by Discover Northern Ireland as “one of the jewels in Antrim’s crown.” It turns out Antrim has quite a few jewels.
Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House were breathtaking: ruins, crests, greenhouses, a Victorian Pleasure Garden, and winding paths that felt like they belonged in a fairytale. What made it even more special were the stories shared by local writers—memories of childhood, family, and the ghosts (yes, ghosts!) that seem to linger in the corners of this historic place.
We wandered past the Massereene Wolfhound and admired the Deer Park Bridge before heading back towards town and into the library. There, we borrowed books on Antrim’s topography, names, and families, and talked about the legacy of this place. A huge thank you to Libraries NI for welcoming us into such a bright, beautiful space.
After some writing and good conversation, I said my goodbyes, grabbed snacks from the Centra beside the station, and crossed the bridge over the railway lines to catch the train back to Belfast. I couldn’t stop thinking about the stories I’d heard, the ones I’d written, and the ones still waiting to be told.
Train journeys give me something I rarely get elsewhere—time to notice things. A quiet moment to scribble down a thought, overhear a story, or simply watch the world shift outside the window. As I work on my poem for Belfast Grand Central Station, it’s these small, unexpected moments that keep finding their way into the lines.
Antrim was full of surprises, and if you’d like to plan a visit, the Translink Journey Planner is an easy way to map the route.
