Melissajoy

I'm planning our first family trip to Ireland for June 2006. This 2-week trip will fulfill a life-time dream for me of visiting the country that my favorite grandmother came from.

I want to visit County Armagh near Belfast because that's where my grandmother lived with her family before they emigrated to the USA. But is it safe for tourists in northern Ireland? I would like to spend 2 nights in County Armagh, perhaps in De Averell House in Armagh City. Is this advisable?

Thanks for sharing your recent experiences of Northern Ireland.

wojazz3

You will be perfectly safe in Co. Armagh. Northern Ireland is probably MUCH safer than your home town of San Diego. I've traveled to NI before and will be there again in May. The people are wonderful.

Bill

jef_e

Not to scare you away, but it was a tad weird seeing the police station in the small town of Bushmills with the big fencing and razorwire (no joke). But that being said, it's really not indicative of how things are these days, even though scenery like this remains.

We visited quite a few places in NI during the 2 days we were there, and found it to be a wonderful and warm place for tourists. We didn't visit Belfast (except to drive through it), but I must say that if we had more time, I wouldn't have had any reservations about staying/sightseeing there.

pastyp

Ulster - which includes Northern Ireland and counties from the Republic is IMO the best kept secret on the island of Ireland. Wild deserted scenery, wild Atlantic Ocean, and some of the widest unspolit beaches any where in Europe.

Back in the bad old days the border between north and south Ireland was heavily policed and fortified. The normality of the area these days can be reflected on when driving across the border the only way you would know the crossing is the change in colour and quality of the road surface.

Go and enjoy!

SiobhanP

I live in Ireland and there is absolutely no threat to you and you probably are basing your feelings on news from years ago. Its NOT Iraq. Go and enjoy.

Angela

Armagh is actually my home town, and I can assure you that you are perfectly safe here.

De Averill House is just ok. The Charlemont Arms (almost next door to it) is a little nicer. http://www.charlemontarmshotel.com/

It also has a great bistro in their building (same building, but the bistro is owned separately) called 'Downstairs at Turners'.

There is another hotel in Armagh City, although it might not be to your taste. Its not to my taste as it is huge, impersonal, and the service and food isnt great. But the accommodations would be excellent. I'll give you the web address incase you are interested: http://www.armaghcityhotel.co.uk/

There are a few very good restaurants in and around Armagh too, from cheap to expensive. Let me know if you want any advice.

Please let me know if you have any further questions about Armagh or N Ireland, I would be only too glad to help!

Angela

Alec

The only time one should excercise some caution is in the marching season, around July 12 (Orangemen's Day). Though it has been fairly quiet in recent years, tension can still run high, esp in places like Drumcree and Portadown, with banners and bunting demarcating sectarian divide.

Melissajoy

Angela, I would love to know more about County Armagh. If you wouldn't mind e-mailing me at [email protected] (mention Ireland in the subject please)If you don't want to e-mail that's understandable, I'll post more questions here...
I'm going to find out from other relatives exactly where my grandmother lived in County Armagh but I don't have that info yet.
What's it like in county Armagh? There is limited info available.
Thanks so much for responding, everyone!

Melissajoy

Alec, thanks for your info. I would like to understand it better...I have a curiosity to understand everything that I can about Ireland.

What is the marching season and Orangemen's day all about? Why are there "banners and bunting demarcating sectarian divide" in Drumcree and Portadown? I see on the map that Portadown is near Belfast...I don't see Drumcree on the map. What is the significance of those places? (I confess to an ignorance about current politics in Ireland.)

Thanks for trying to enlighten me...

flanneruk

Angela:

Does your assurance extend to the area round Crossmaglen? For all tourists - including those of us with a promounced English accent?

I'm truly curious.

Alec

Portadown and Drumcree are both in County Armagh, in the northern part. While the county itself is heavily nationalist (RC), there are spots with significant Unionist (Protestant) minority. Those places have always had high tension during the Troubles, and even today feelings often run high. It comes to a head in the traditional 'Marching Season) in mid-July, when Orangemen ( large Protestant organisation) lead marches throughout the province. Drumcree has been a flashpoint in recent years as the marchers demanded to walk the heavily Nationalist Garvachy Road, raising strong protest from residents. Orangemen Day, July 12, commemorates the Battle of the boyne in 1690 when the army of the RC King James II was defeated by the Protestant King William II.
Flanner:
It's perfectly safe for Englishman to visit South Armagh near Crossmaglen, though there is still some British Army presence and the sight of heavily fortified police stations (as most are in NI) and observation towers can be off-putting for outsiders. But you are sure to receive warm welcome from locals. Just don't engage in political debate!
On my recent visits to NI, I have been struck first by the warmth of welcome from local people and the fact that sectarian divide is still very much a reality. As you drive through, you are very much aware if you are in a Nationalist (Irish tricolour and Celtic shirts) or a Unionist (Union Jack or Ulster flag, Rangers shirt) area of a town or village. Often different local newspapers serve community needs, and though there are some integrated schools, most children are educated along denominational lines. While it is a matter of deep concern and interset to locals, as a visitor you aren't part of the equation and warm welcome will be extended from all sides.

Melissajoy

Alec, thank you for taking the time to give me some insight into local politics in northern Ireland. I would prefer to take my family to those parts of northern Ireland where tensions are relatively low...

Guidebooks tend to be very general and don't have detailed info on Armagh and nearby areas...They gloss right over politics and tensions which are a reality everywhere.

That's why this fodors travel talk is great! Thank you.

Do you by any chance have suggestions of nice B&Bs in an appropriate area near Armagh for a visiting family? (I am looking forward to visiting Armagh and nearby areas because that's where my grandmother grew up before she emigrated to Pennsylvania...)

I am hoping to find a friendly family-run B&B near Armagh where I can talk to a local Irish family. This is as close as I can come to my Irish grandmother's past!

Angela

Melissa

I did a search on guesthouses in Armagh and came up with the following. I have no personal experience of these since I live here!! I would also keep in mind the hotels I recemmended before as you can always meet lots of locals in the bar of these hotels.

http://www.dundrumhouse.com/

http://www.hillviewlodge.com/

Have you found out exactly where your family came from in Ireland?

Angela

Melissajoy

Angela, thanks for doing a search for me of guest houses in Armagh.

I left you an answer to your question about where my grandmother came from under the post "Your favorite place in Ireland".

rightted

Tensions are very low in all parts of Northern Ireland. There are exceptions, however that is true everywhere in the world. Currently, any trouble tends to be concentrated in very small areas, mainly in Belfast and Derry, where tourists are not going to venture. For example, you do not see many postings on the US board from people interesting in visiting Washington, DC, asking if its safe to visit there because there are some bad neighborhoods in the city. Tourists simply have no reason to go into those neighborhoods. It is the same with Northern Ireland.

As an earlier poster said, Northern Ireland is much safer than San Diego.

Also, Armagh is not all that near to Belfast. Belfast is definitely worth a visit, and is very safe.

Angela

Belfast is 50 minutes drive from Armagh.

Angela

MelJ

My husband and I just returned from NI two weeks ago. We took my 86-year old father to visit the homestead and grave sites of his relatives in County Antrim (Claudy). About NI: FABULOUS! I've traveled Europe and the Republic of Ireland and NI is right up there with Scotland on my list of the most beautiful countries and the friendliest people! We can't wait to go back!

About seeking family: Look for a Yahoo list with your family's last name. That's how we found ours and we were suddenly in the middle of a wonderful chat group. Through that, we were put in touch with a local historian who knew my family, met us and took us to the family home, cemetary and introduced us to other family. We had a wonderful week and made life-long friends.

I wish you the same good luck!

Ann41

I'm thinking rightted meant that tourists don't venture into certain PARTS of Derry and Belfast, not the entire cities. I'd visit both, and do the city walls tour of Derry and a black taxi tour of Belfast (check out the visitors' centre in both cities for info on the tours).

Just to reinforce what everyone else has said, Northern Ireland is extremely safe, and your biggest danger is running into cows crossing the road.

welovedonegal

hi melissajoy - i live in county donegal which borders northern ireland and i can honestly say i have never ever seen or come across anything upsetting or dangerous while in derry or belfast shopping. you will find the people there the most friendly and homely in the world - i am always saying this, even here in donegal. the majority of northern irish people are good fun, friendly, and helpful. i would agree however with the provisios posted here about the 12th of july. even i would not bother to go into areas where there may be marching - just incase. mostly they pass off without much bother nowadays but why bother? another indicator about the 12th is that lots of businesses may not be open - they come out to donegal to get away from any tensions for the few days before and after the 12th! but apart from that week - go ahead and visit - you'll have great fun. remember too that while we work in the euro, they still have pounds sterling (gbp) although many businesses in the bordering towns, derry, strabane, etc. happily accept the euro.

for info on donegal and tips about driving, safety, money saving tips, etc. visit my website at: www.welovedonegal.com and if i can help you any further just email me at: [email protected]

hope you have a wonderful time in ireland and northern ireland.

hint: use the time between now and your journey to familiarise yourself with maps of ireland. work out routes (use www.aaroadwatch.ie/routes/ to get distances, road numbers, travel time between various destinations).

Bigchiefally

NI is probably like anywhere else in that it has some less safe areas and regular crime but on the whole it is fine. Dont come during the marching season. The last couple of years have been pretty peaceful but like someone else said on the board you would probably be fine but why take the chance, plus a lot of locals take their holidays then so a few things will be shut. As for what it is all about, now that is a question! NI is something like 55-45 protestant/catholic, with almost all protestants wanting to stay in the UK and most catholics wanting a union with the rest of the Ireland. An offshoot of this paradox is the orange order. It is a protestant organisation that every year has a number of marches, where members dress up in uniforms, march and play in bands, all to commemorate the victory of a protestant over a catholic way back when America was still mainly run by the indians. Most of these marches are harmless fun and a lot of families go along and despite it being a religious organisation a lot of people get very drunk. The problem comes in that over the last 50 or so years the demographics of a number of towns and cities have changed so that the areas the marchers go through on their way to the city centre that were protestant are now catholic. Due to a combination of reasons: some instances of gross misbehaviour by the bandsmen and marchers, stirring up of the residents by politicians keen to cause trouble and gain political capital and involvement of paramilitaries some of these marches have become very contentious. The police are often caught somewhere in the middle either trying to stop a march happening or pushing one through. All a bit of a mess. Thankfully though the last couple of years have been a lot more peaceful and with less incident.

Anyway there are better times to come.

Belfast (my city) has a few things to look at but I wouldnt stay there overly long. Belfast castle, the city hall, the black cab tour (for an entertaining if entirely one sided view of the whole thing!) would be the only touristy things that pop into my mind. I see quite a few open top bus tours leaving from the city centre and they seem to be pretty busy so might be worth. There are a good number of bars and restaurants that are worth visiting and outside of Dublin and maybe Cork it is the only city of decent size in Ireland so the shopping and facitilies there are pretty good.

Outside of Belfast is where you really want to go. My favourate is up the North Antrim coast. Bushmills distillery, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, giants causeway are all very touristy but for good reason - they are well worth a visit and compared to many places in the world a busy NI tourist attraction isnt that busy at all. They can be reached easily on a day trip from Belfast.

Closer to Belfast you have a few nice little towns and parks (Hillsborough is one). The Ulster folk park is an "authentic" old village that is actually very interesting and well worth a visit.

The Fermananagh lakes are very scenic and if the weather is good fantastic.

Donegal is another beautiful northern County (it is in the republic of ireland but is right a the NW end of Ireland) that you could easily spend a couple of days in.

I've heard the tours around Derry's walls are good but to be honest I always thought the rest of the city was a dump!

Overall Ulster has a lot to offer. Indeed if I was picking 5 places to visit in Ireland 3 of them would be here: North Antrim, Lough Erne in Fermanagh and Donegal (the others being the ring of Kerry and Dublin).

All the best and enjoy your trip!