belfast
 

looking for info on a day trip to belfast from dublin. according to the irish rail schedule the trip via train is doable there and back in one day. has anyone done this? what about the safety of northern ireland lately? heard that summer is more active for demonstrations.

Never did that trip, but it wouldn't give you long in Belfast.Security isn't a problem.

The train service between Dublin and Belfast is now very good. When I did it in '98, it was 17 pounds one way. Can't remember exactly how long the trip was--something like 90 minutes, as they instituted a new express service. Of course, as always in Ireland, trains have a way getting delayed, so don't plan your plane trip on the same day you're traveling by train. Basically, I would advise staying overnight. Try the youth hostel at Shaftsbury Square, or the Botanic Guest House. Jury's also has a (relatively) new hotel in Belfast. <BR> <BR>Belfast is very safe (safer than any American city of the same size), and the height of the marching season is over. Like any city, just use common sense and be careful. <BR> <BR>If you're going very soon and are a soccer/football fan, Liverpool is playing Benfica at Windsor Park in Belfast this Saturday, following a match between (I think) Glentoran and Linfield, two Irish league teams.

Do no go to Belfast! We just came back. We arrived in the middle of the 'marching season' and the city was a ghost town. A few days before we arrived over 100 cars were highjacked and burned. (We did not know this or we would have never made the trip). Suggest that you read some of the Belfast papers before you decide. Scan the headlines, they will give you the flavor of the place at present. There is so much bigotry and religious prejudice towards Catholics that one would think the people were living in the 16th century. A few days after we left some people broke into a Catholic church and attempted to set it afire. There is a group called the Apprentice Boys who are mostly middle aged men who apparently still live in 1511 and love to march into Catholic neighborhoods commemorating a military victory which took place over 300 hundred years ago. The economy is flat, the streets are grey and depressed. The police stations are fortified pillboxes. It is not a place for a vacation!

Popular, <BR>First things first I have a friend in Dublin who regularly travels to Belfast - she is a shop addict and when she runs out of shops in dublin (nearly impossible) she heads north. It can be done in a day, as long as you go early and plan to come back late and would like to wander around the city. Check out the N.Ireland tourist web site - it is accessable via www.ireland.travel.ie. However your biggest problem may be with the trains as there is an unofficial train strike in Irish Rail at the moment. Buses or the DART (Dublin train system) are not affected. If you do decide to stay in Belfast there are good B&Bs around the University on Malone Road. Check out the Crown Bar for a drink - it is worth seeing. <BR> <BR>I would avoid that soccer match as recommended by Kate as football matches in the north are problematic at times - sectarian tension and football fans are not a good combination. <BR> <BR>Have a good time, <BR> <BR>Cathy

Popular, I can't speak to travel during Marching season, but I definately would not go to Belfast during that time. However my husband and I were in Belfast last April and had a very nice time, the people were delightful, the town pretty, infact it was a very interesting place to visit especially if you are up on your modern history of that region.

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I'm glad to see that the positive opinions on Belfast outweigh the one negative opinion of someone who didn't bother to do any research on a place before visiting it. <BR> <BR>Poplar--please don't listen to Cork. Yes, there are about 2 weeks a year where anyone with any sense would not specifically head to Belfast (which Cork would have known had he/she checked anything out). But Belfast is anything but depressing, and it's economy is actually very strong at the moment. Also, don't listen to Cork's history lesson, as he/she has the facts all mixed up. I won't try to straighten them out as it would take too long. <BR> <BR>Cathy--there are tensions sometimes at football matches in Belfast, but just between the local teams (traditionally Protestant v. traditionally Catholic teams). The Liverpool v. Benefica match doesn't have that baggage--the fans are out just to see some of the best players in the world. <BR> <BR>Okay, I can't resist completely... there remains a lot of bigotry against Catholics in N.I., but it's SO much better today than, say, 20 years ago. And this comes from a Catholic married to a Catholic born and raised in Northern Ireland. Things are moving in the right direction, and most of the younger generation (20and30-somethings) don't care about religion--not all, but most. <BR> <BR>The same day that Catholic church was burnt, an Orange Hall (home to the Orangemen--a protestant group) was also burnt. It's not all one sided. <BR> <BR>The Apprentice Boys is just one group that marches--and yes, they do seem to have a preference for marching through Catholic neighborhoods. They claim they are being denied their "civil rights" if their marches are banned, which has been happening in recent years. It's kind of like the Ku Klux Klan marching through Harlem. <BR> <BR>Alright, I'm tired. I think I'll go to Belfast to relax!

Kate, <BR>Well said, I con't believe what Cork said and did - if she/he is a regular visitor to this forum they should have seen the posts about travelling during the marhcing. Re the footbal match fair point - the only thing due to my work I come across some things and I would still advise against attending, and that is all I can say. <BR> <BR>Popular, <BR>Enjoy your holiday and have a good time, and the unofficial train strike is still on, <BR> <BR>Cathy