north western Ireland and NI--any suggestions for a two week stay
 

hello--I am heading over to Ireland this coming July. I am flying from LOndon to Derry and then heading west from there and finally ending up in Larne on the antrim coast to take the ferry to Scotland. Any one have any suggestions as to what I shouldn't miss. Thank you very much.

Don't miss Portstewart and Portrush area in the very north of Ireland. Lots of sights - Giants Causeway, an old castle, rope bridge, lots of great restaurants and pubs, shops, etc. Let me know if you decide to do this and need any more information.<BR><BR>Angela

Thank you for you quick response Angela. I have been looking into those spots (I would love some more information) Basically I am thinking of just outlining North Western Coast and N.Ireland. Will there be minimal tourists in these spots?--I read that the most tourists stick to the south.

my vote for Giants causeway as well. very enjoyable.

Hi, Sarah...A suggestion for a good Ni website--www.causewaycoastandglens.com--also http://www.discovernorthernireland.com--lots of good info....Happy Travels...Helen

The Atlantic Drive round the Rosguill Peninsula in Donegal, also, there's a heritage center in an old workhouse in Dunfanaghy.<BR><BR>In NI, the Glens of Antrim, Dunluce castle, and if you're daring, Carrick-a-rede.

hi--thanks for all of your tips. Is the Rosguill Peninsula in Donegalof possible to do without a car? Actually--is my route possible to do without a car? thank you

You will really enjoy Northern Ireland. The people are very friendly and much more welcoming than many other European areas. Coleraine is a nice seaside town near Giant's Causeway, Dunluce and Bushmills. Take a tour of the distillery in Bushmills, it is pretty interesting and they have these strange black and white cattle that they feed the used mash to. You will need a car to get around, but the roads are good and well marked, the only thing is they drive fairly briskly and don't turn off the main roads. You will quickly end up in the middle of absolutely no-where. You will probably want an automatic, unless you are comfortable with a standard for travelling over the Antrim Glens. July is a great time to be there as most people take the 12th fortnight off as vacation. Although you are leaving via LArne you might want to take a day and travel down the Ards Peninsula and visit Mountstewart. Both are extraordinarily beautiful. You should be careful about using 'Derry instead of Londonderry, it would tend to infuriate many people.

steven--thank you so much for your wonderful advice. Do you feel its absolutly crucial for me to drive? THank you for clearing up the Derry/Londenderry thing for me. I could only find Derry on the map and not Londonderry--I was getting a little confused--its all clear to me now!

steven--thank you so much for your wonderful advice. Do you feel its absolutly crucial for me to drive? THank you for clearing up the Derry/Londenderry thing for me. I could only find Derry on the map and not Londonderry--I was getting a little confused--its all clear to me now!

Sarah:<BR><BR>I have a few suggestions for that area. I really enjoy NI and NW Ireland. My first suggestion is that you are better off with a car. <BR><BR>The top three that every one mentions in NI (Carrick-a-Rede, Giants Causeway and Dunluce Castle) are nice but can get pretty crowded. Get to C-a-R early or you can find yourself waiting for a busload of 50 people crossing the rope bridge one at a time, each of them being photographed. Giants Causeway is interesting, though I didn't fine it spectacular and Dunluce castle is impressive, though the view as you approach looking west is as impressive as it gets. If you go inside, look west up the coast to the wishing arch which is formed in the chalk cliffs. There is a legend that goes with it that I can't remember all of.<BR><BR>I disagree with the notion of staying on the main roads. I say, get off the main roads. The Torr Road just north of Cushendun is spectacular and you really can't get lost as it comes out at Ballycastle. I stayed at a great B&amp;B just outside of Cushendun called Drumkerrin. Mind you, the Torr Rd is not for the faint of heart, but it is beautiful and not heavily traveled. There are even some splinters off of it that you can take for some beautiful drives.<BR><BR>As far as the name Derry or Londonderry is concerned, if you use either one, you will offend someone. A radio station there has coined some cute name that is supposed to be more PC for the area, but I can't think of it now. Anyone remember?<BR><BR>I don't know much about the central part of NI, but I understand the lake district of Fermanaugh is beautiful. I'm through going there this May.<BR><BR>Now into Co Donegal. I love this area having visited it for the first time last year and am going back again. It is much more rugged and remote than the SW of Ireland which is heavily visited. I've spent a little time on the east coast of the Inishowen Peninsula and it's great. I intend to spend more time around the peninsula in the future. There is a loop called the Inishowen 100 that gives you a beautiful days touring. It's sort of the Ring of Kerry for those who want to get away from the crowds. We stayed in Redcastle, just south of Moville at a place called the Seawater View. Great location, but as far as I know, still no website. You have to call them, or just stop by.<BR>

Part two:<BR><BR>Right next to inishowen is Fanad which i loved. The drive up the coast towards the lighthouse is beautiful and the setting of the lighthouse, on the rocks with the waves crashing below is unparalleled. Well worth the drive. We ended up in Dunfanaghy and stayed at the &quot;Corncrakes Rest&quot;, a nice little place with a view of the bay.<BR><BR>South of there, Glenveigh Nat'l Park is beautiful, but I didn't get much of a chance to see it, because the weather was terrible ... nect trip. We ended up in Killeybegs and stayed at the Credo House which is really very nice. Our bathroom had an operating porthole. It looks out on the Killeybegs harbor. I think we are going to try the Ocean View this year.<BR><BR>The south coast of Donegal is amazing. Once again, take the much scarier, but beautiful coast road that goes through Kilcar and Carrick. When you get to Carrick, go to the Slieve League Cliffs. They are confusing to find, because you need to take the road to the Bunglass Cliifs, not the Slieve League Cliffs. These are the highest sea cliffs in Europe at about 2000 feet. If you are there on a weekend, stop in at the Cul a Dun pub in Teelin (formerly the Rusty Mackerel). The owners are musicians and are wonderful. Other nights, there may be music, but they don't know until it starts.<BR><BR>We also went up to Ardara, which is a nice little town. There is a beautiful waterfall beside the road just outside of Ardara. We watched the sunset on a beach just outside of town.<BR><BR>Speaking of sunsets, it won't until around 10:00 PM at that time of year. You will have plenty of light to work with.<BR><BR>OK, I've gone on too long. Have fun.<BR><BR>Bill<BR>

To be fair, Bill is right in that, if you don't get easily flustered, you can find some beautiful back roads to travel, but be warned, you can easily get lost. I disappeared up a road into a forest in Co. Tyrone and had the damndest time getting out of there. I was too mad to notice the scenery. But on the otherhand, if you are just trying to get from Point A to Point B, then stick to the main roads. Locals will tell you about shortcuts, which for the most part I think run through some place in Norway.<BR>I saw the Rope Bridge at Carrick a Rede, I wouldn't cross it for love or money. I meant to say that Rathlin Island is very pretty and easy to get to near the Giant's Causeway and the village of Ballintoy is very scenic (there is a very old cemetery near a church on the way into the village). With regard to the driving, there is no question you will see much more of Northern Ireland by driving. The train service really only runs between Belfast and Londonderry. There are buses but I have never tried them. Your first day driving will be nerve-wracking, after that you will be fine. To drive efficiently you will need to accustom yourself to Ulster swear-words, which are always handy in one of those bloody traffic roundabouts.

excellent info Bill and Steven. Thank you very much. I have put it all into my Ireland file. I will have to look into renting a car--I was thinking of doing a mixture of train/foot/bike/bus and maybe a short guided tour but maybe renting will be something to think about. I am doing this trip by myself so I was thinking that renting would be better if I had someone along to help out with navigating. Do you feel that these areas are fairly safe for a young female(well who I am kidding I am 25 so not that young anymore) to travel alone? thanks again.

The Atlantic Drive is fine for walking, it's 11 km. total, looping up and back out of the village of Carrigart. It is hilly, though, you'll get a workout. Driving it can be a tad iffy if you are wary of driving on the left, the road is extremely narrow and twists through the dunes. You'll have to go north from Letterkenny about 35 minutes to get there. Only the very best maps will show the Drive at all, be sure to invest in a good one.<BR><BR>If you have a lot of time to burn, you can do Ireland by bus, but you can drive it in about 1/5 the time. Driving will cost more, but you'll be able to see many more places.<BR><BR>

thank you Ryn--Carrigart is actually one of the towns I was looking into to stay. The 11km hike is exactly what I would be looking for. thank you for this info.

Sarah - You will cerainly be safe in Northern Ireland if you take the usual precautions. Certainly Northern Ireland has a violent and dangerous history in some ways but nothing of that sort ever really effects tourists. I have many friends in Northern Ireland and they are all deeply embarrassed by what they believe the rest of the world thinks of them. They are a very peaceful industrious people and an extremely small percentage of them have some odd ideas on how to settle political debate. Otherwise there is some theft and illicit drug use and the odd impaired driving crime, but otherwise it is probably safer than the majority of North American cities. Because you will be there in July, if you are there around the 12th you will find a heavy police and military presence because of the parades, but nothing really happens. Just keep your passport with you. You should even go to one of the parades on the 12th, they are a big event there, they have lots of bands and its very colourful. I know women are often harassed in Europe, but that never happens in Northern Ireland. As far as I have seen you could walk into the biggest pub in Belfast or Enniskillen stark naked and no one would say anything to you unless you stood in front of the television and blocked the football game, and then they might yell at you. You will find the people there, polite, helpful and maybe a bit formal. But they are a great people living in a beautiful land with a wild history. Quite a mix. Find a nice pub some night with a peat fire, sit down, have a great Northern Irish whiskey and let the atmosphere engulf you.

Thanks for all the info. Will be taking a similar trip this June.

steven--thank you. Your words have painted a lovely picture in my head. I have so much to look forward to.

except the part about me being naked in a pub! : )