vickiebypass

I’m planning an itinerary for my brother’s family to visit Northern Ireland as a college graduation celebration for my niece. It’s still fairly vague in terms of dates but I had to start somewhere, so have drafted the itin below and would appreciate your comments & suggestions.

A bit of background: the group will probably consist of 3 or 4 late-50’s (in good shape) and two mid-twenties, both of whom have a neurological condition that causes balance problems. My nephew can walk a bit but is more comfortable using a light wheelchair; my niece walks w/assistance (arm in arm w/Mom) or a 3-legged cane. Therefore, hiking, coastal walks or exploring more than 100 feet off the road won’t work. As a group, they’re not fans of museums or churches (except for small or unusual museums or quick in/out visits to churches); tend not to be early risers, so the driving/touring generally won’t begin until 10:00 am-ish. They like scenery, ruins, history; the reason for Northern Ireland is that some ancestors came from there and my niece wants to go - so, that’s the plan! There’s a lot of driving (my brother will drive and loves it) but I think we need to break up the time in the car, so any thoughts on interesting villages to stop in or scenic sights would be very welcome (especially on Days 3, 4 and 6).

Day 1: Belfast: arrive mid-day, check in to hotel. Hop On, Hop Off bus for city tour; maybe visit Titanic Museum (if they’re interested). Stay at Ten Square Hotel or Europa Hotel (2 nights)
Day 2: Belfast: Black cab tour of The Troubles area (Shankhill, Falls Road). Maybe visit City Hall (have heard about free tours, amazing stained glass windows and that it’s a “mustn’t miss”.) Lunch/dinner/drink at historic Crown Bar.
Day 3: Drive the Coastal Road (A2) and Torr Road (re-joining A2 east of Ballycastle). Maybe try archery in Cushendell: Archery Northern Ireland Stay at Marine Hotel, Ballycastle (1 night)
Day 4: Maybe ferry to Rathlin Island; Maybe visit Bushmills Distillery. Drive to Ballintoy Harbour via A2; stopping at Giants Causeway (I was reluctant to add this due to access difficulty but their site says they have access for visitors with disability and it’s hard to visit NI and not see this!) Scenic coastal drive to Derry/Londonderry via A2. Stay at Maldron Hotel or Bishop’s Gate Hotel, Derry/Londonderry (3 nights)
Day 5: Derry/Londonderry: Visit Siege Museum; Lunch or dinner at Primrose on the Quay; Visit Museum of Free Derry (again, not sure about the museums but they’re not huge, everyone likes history, so it’s an idea)
Day 6: Explore Inishowen and Northern Donegal: drive to Inishowen Peninsula via R238 and R242 to see Malin Head and Fanad Head. Explore, wander, have lunch. Drive back down the west coast of the peninsula and cut across to Derry
Day 7: Drive to Belfast. En route, visit the Ulster American Folk Park at Omagg (45 mins from Derry) (looks really interesting to me; they say they’re accessible)
Fly home (to New York City) on Day 7 or Day 8.

Fodorites are a great source of information, so i thank you for any help!

bvlenci

At the Giant's Causeway, your family way not want to venture very far from the visitor's center. Even if there's a paved path, it's a lot of walking.
The Omagh Folk Museum is very interesting, but, again, a fair amount of walking. There are paved paths, Your niece and nephew might want to take advantage of wheelchairs at every site where they're available. When I traveled with my elderly mother, I convinced her to use wheelchairs at all the sites that had them, just so she could see more,

vickiebypass

Thanks for the input on Giant's Causeway - from the photos, I suspected that access would be a problem. I'll leave it up to their mother to decide if it's worth going but staying at the visitor center or just skipping it. Maybe i can find a harbor cruise or boat trip that would take them past the Giant's Causeway from the sea - that would be an interesting perspective1