GLENANN

THE LITTLE BLUE GLEN

Not far from the village of Cushendall on the left is Glenaan well known for Ossian's Grave 3 miles up the glen in the place called Lubitavish on the river Dall

 Through this little bare and open glen flows the Glenann River which has its source at the foot of Trostan (the highest peak on the Antrim Plateau), and it then joins the Ballyemon River near the cross-roads, 3 miles north of the village of Cushendall.
The foot of Glenann joins the Cushendall - Ballycastle road and is 3 miles from the small coastal village of Cushendun.  Once a thickly populated glen, as evidenced by the remains of many wallsteads situated in the hill sides as well as a deserted village - Knockban. 

Ossian's Grave can be found a little way up this glen to the left and is described as a two chambered horned cairn . This megalithic tomb was built in the late stoneage, 4000 to 5,000 years ago.  Ossian poet and warrior was the son of Finn, leader of the Fianna a brotherhood and he was not only a great warrior but also a great poet.

In the last century Glenaan was almost self-sufficient with a tradition of spinning and weaving. Farming was mixed - arable and grazing. Every farms had cows, sheep, pigs, hens, ducks and geese, etc. There was a corn mill, a tuck mill, a flax mill, shoemakers and carpenters. There was also a shop at Milltown until the early years of this century. 

Dusty Rhodes (James Stoddard Moore) the famous poet was born at Glenaan and wrote many a poem expressing his love for the Glens.

Today there is no arable farming in the glen - it is all mainly sheep and cattle grazing.  
Turf or also called peat is still cut both by machine and spades at the top of the glen but is dying out as oil heating has become very popular in recent years.
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