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The wind, the whiskey and the Wild Atlantic Way
We just returned from a fantastic trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland during the second half of August.
Last year, United announced a new seasonal route between Chicago and Shannon – and the promos for the Wild Atlantic Way caught our attention. We’ve both been to Ireland previously (and separately) about 30 years ago. In 1992, I did the typical Galway-Dingle-Killarney-Cork-Waterford-Dublin route with family. In 1993, mr_go spent a week in Dublin with his sister when she was in grad school at Trinity. We wanted this trip to be mostly new experiences for both of us. We were particularly interested in visiting Northern Ireland. Originally, our plan was to fly into Shannon and home from Belfast (Aer Lingus to London, then United home). A week after I purchased tickets, Aer Lingus announced it was pulling out of Belfast, so our return had to change to Dublin. Our stops: County Clare: Ennis, near Shannon to acclimate before heading further afield County Mayo: Westport County Donegal: Donegal town Northern Ireland: Giant’s Causeway (more on this later), Belfast Dublin Airport hotel prior to our morning flight home https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7f7fd3329.jpeg On approach to Shannon |
County Clare, part 1
First off, Shannon Airport is probably the fastest and easiest international arrival we’ve had in ages. Ennis is just 20 minutes away, making it a great base for arrival or departure. It is perennially one of Ireland's "tidiest" towns and just a downright pleasant place to hang out – with some interesting sites in and around the town. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2112426fe.jpeg The primary site in Ennis is the Franciscan friary first established in the 13th century - well known for some of its limestone carvings. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6b46979f6.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...26240f385.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a4ebb7769.jpeg We also visited the Dysert O'Dea archaeology center, which includes the ruins of a castle (late 1400s) and church. You have to walk through a cattle pasture (watch your step) to see the church and the ~900-year-old high cross. We were the only people there – just us, the office attendant and a few cows. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3cc2a5c1a.jpeg O'Dea Castle (you can go in it and climb a few floors up) https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f3fbe16bb.jpeg 900-year-old high cross at Dysert O'Dea https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7ca436af4.jpeg Dysert O'Dea Church https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6288ba8ce.jpeg Close-up on the carved doorway Just a few kilometers to the east of Ennis is Quin Abbey, built in the early 1400s. It has a well-preserved cloister. Again, practically no one there when we visited. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dc81da317.jpeg Quin Abbey https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d9c377816.jpeg Quin Abbey (we saw a lot of ruined abbeys and friaries that looked like this!) https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c8b2babd6.jpeg Quin Abbey, preserved cloister Old Ground Hotel, Ennis: Comfortable, spacious room and fantastic service. We arrived early at 8:30 am expecting to get a room hours later. We left our luggage and set out for a walk. Fifteen minutes later, one of the reception staff called to tell us she’d found a room for us. We tried out a couple of the hotel’s restaurants (Poet’s Corner and Town Hall Bistro) during our stay, which were very good – and the included cooked-to-order breakfast was fantastic. |
County Clare, part 2
The Cliffs of Moher are about 45 minutes to the west. We purchased admission online the evening before and got a relatively early start to beat the peak crowds. There were 4 tour buses in the lot when we arrived around 10 am and about 25 when we left. The weather was surprisingly nice - partial clouds and NO wind (not what I recall from my first visit 30 years ago)! We did part of the walk to Doolin. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6b1cb1177.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...619a5b212.jpeg\ https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...553c1b8cc.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...32daff742.jpeg Later, we drove about an hour down the coast to the cliffs at Kilkee - not quite as high, but equally dramatic and without the crowds – or the guardrails. Queue my fear of heights. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9f2fad873.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c86c07e0a.jpeg |
Looking forward to this -- been to the Cliffs twice and there was vile and semi-vile weather both times. Your visit looks glorious.
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Originally Posted by janisj
(Post 17493521)
Looking forward to this -- been to the Cliffs twice and there was vile and semi-vile weather both times. Your visit looks glorious.
County Mayo, part 1 Given that we were traveling at high season, we made the decision to bypass Galway and instead spent three nights in the smaller but colorful Westport. Westport is large enough for a nice walk around and a lively restaurant and pub scene, but not so large that it is hard to navigate in a car, especially early in the trip. It was fairly easy to get in and out of town for our day trips, and to park the car when returning. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f6011c57c.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fcb60faf7.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...64c370b67.jpeg Speaking of parking, unless one has a private parking place, street parking and city lots require a small hourly fee between 9:30 am and 6:30 pm - via pay-and-display or the Mayo e-parking app. We used the app and are holding our breath that it worked properly and no parking tickets are forthcoming. Our rental accommodation here was the favorite of our trip: a recently renovated two-level house on Altamont Street with a lot of space, nice touches and just a five-minute walk from the center of town (Alta House via booking dot com). https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d6839aa03.jpeg We enjoyed dinners at Pantry & Corkscrew and No.8 Tapas Bar. It is a good idea to make reservations a few days in advance, as many restaurants are small. Of course, we popped into a few pubs, including Matt Malloy’s, the famous bar owned by the former member of The Chieftains, but our favorite was probably Toby’s Bar, closer to our rental. |
Following with great interest, thank you.... will be in Ireland later this month!
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I am loving your report and photos! We haven't visited Ireland yet but it's on our travel list. So hopefully in a few years. Looks like you were lucky with the weather much like we were this past June in Scotland. I love your photos of the ruins; I love cathedral ruins, abbey ruins, castle ruins!!! And the Cliffs of Moher - they look stunning! And the sky in your Westport photos add so much to the pictures.
How many nights were you on the ground in Ireland and Northern Ireland? Were you able to drive the entire Wild Atlantic Way? |
Love these photos, especially of the castle, friary and abbey. How fortunate to see those incredible places, especially nearly by yourselves. What an experience!
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Thanks ANUJ, KarenWoo and ChgoGal! Karen, we had 11 nights and 12 days. We did not drive the entire Wild Atlantic Way. Since we were starting in Shannon, we only went as far south as Kilkee. Although we went to Donegal, that is a big area and we only saw some parts of the route there. But the Wild Atlantic Way website was great for planning - we definitely used it to plot out potential places to visit along our route and within the time we had.
County Mayo, part 2 Our first excursion out of Westport was to Achill Island, about an hour to the west and definitely fitting the billing of Wild Atlantic Way. It is one of Ireland’s largest islands, but rather sparsely populated. There are a few roads traversing the island, along the coasts and over passes – occasionally passing through whitewashed towns. It was here that we first encountered “the wind” (but nothing like what was to come), as well as abundant sheep along and occasionally in the road. There wasn’t much traffic, so it was a good place to get comfortable with narrow and winding Irish roads. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...84838eeaa.jpeg Achill Island We drove a south loop via Dooega, which I believe doubles as a biking route – and I’m not sure we passed another car. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f1d9517c8.jpeg Dooega That was not to be confused with the beach town of Dooagh, further out on the island, where we stopped for the “loop walk” – an easy 2.7-mile path with views of the mountains and bay. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2fd7db724.jpeg The Dooagh walking loop starts as a dirt road in town https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dc49053eb.jpeg It winds up above the town, along a small stream https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d553530d2.jpeg Dooagh https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c98193321.jpeg Plenty of wild flowers around https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f5a3bd5d4.jpeg A few residents of Dooagh There are various walking and hiking trails around the island. With more time, we probably would have hiked to the deserted village. Instead, we enjoyed our picnic lunch on the beach (with the wind). https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0e5188239.jpeg Back across the Achill Sound and a bit north is Ballycroy Visitor Center, the main information center for Wild Nephin National Park. This is a quite modern structure with some interesting exhibits. There were a few people there, but most seemed to be sticking to the tea room – maybe it was the wind. That didn’t deter us – we got out for a brisk walk around the ~ one-mile nature path. This is a “dark sky” park and apparently a great place for star gazing and photography – if one is staying nearby (which we weren’t) and the sky is clear (how often does that happen?). https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3e4a737ae.jpeg Nature Walk at Ballycroy NP visitor center https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1f2967a91.jpeg Along the nature walk, Ballycroy NP Our last stop of the day was Burrishoole Friary (more commonly called Burrishoole Abbey, but it was Dominican, thus a friary), founded in 1470. Abbeys and friaries were abandoned during the reformation in the 1500s, thus there are many sites like this throughout Ireland -- ruined structures, although the graveyards are still in use. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a0c32eb9e.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5a0ac5ef8.jpeg By the way, this was the day that the GPS (I was the navigator) really began getting a workout. Yes, driving on the other side takes a lot of concentration, but navigating can also require almost constant attention. |
County Mayo, part 3
Our second excursion from Westport was a rather long but interesting day spent to the southwest of the town. Once again, the wind was whipping – but today we also got a little rain. Knowing the rain was coming, we started with Aasleagh Falls, on the River Erriff just before it meets the fjord. You can see the falls from the road, but it’s much more fun to walk up to it for a closer view. Fortunately, it had been dry for a few days, so the path was not as muddy as it could have been – or probably was several hours later. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9133e58e7.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3b645d380.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6bfa29566.jpeg Next up was Kylemore Abbey, one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions. We purchased our tickets online the evening before for quicker entry. The former Kylemore Lodge/Castle was the home of doctor and politician Mitchell Henry and his wife, Margaret (until her untimely death), and later the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Manchester. In 1920, it became a Benedictine monastery for nuns who fled from Belgium during World War I. In addition to the main building, the very expansive estate includes the Henrys’ mausoleum, a church (we happened in on a harp recital), a pasture with some Connemara ponies, and an expansive walled garden. The rain, of course, started while we were way out in the garden and our raincoats were in the car. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1181f1ef9.jpeg Kylemore Abbey, the iconic shot https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...11a8152f3.jpeg Connemara pony in the estate's pasture https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ef0b5edec.jpeg Kylemore estate walled garden https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...836821dd3.jpeg Kylemore estate walled garden By now, we were hungry. I stayed in Clifden on my trip 30 years ago and thought that might be a nice place for lunch – and it would have been, any other week. Unbeknownst to us, we were trying to stop there during the Connemara Pony Show, which draws enthusiasts from all over the world. Just getting through the traffic light in the center of town: 20 minutes. Want to park: ha ha! No telling how busy the restaurants were. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...00af0f57b.jpeg Horse trailers on the road into Clifden should have been a warning Apple/Google Maps to the rescue: I searched for restaurants a little outside of the town and found the Ardagh Hotel. It was a quiet and lovely place to rest for a bit, and lunch was one of the best of the trip. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...834ad623d.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c2f680364.jpeg Going back through Clifden was not an option, so we concocted a coastal drive to the south. The scenery here is very rocky and almost otherworldly. Of course, taking photos meant getting out of the car to brave the wind, sprinkles and surf spray. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...329c66666.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5c9114ba5.jpeg Our last stop was on the Doolough Pass, at the memorial marking the tragic events of the 1849 famine. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fae4ba526.jpeg Doolough Pass https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7b162291d.jpeg 1849 Famine Memorial |
Loving the photos and details of your adventure. Looking forward to more.
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County Sligo
There’s plenty to see and do in County Sligo, but unfortunately this was just a stopping point on our journey north. We made a quick visit to Sligo town for lunch and enjoyed our walk around. Like Ennis, Sligo has a prominent (ruined) abbey that has dominated the center for hundreds of years (since 1253). As you can see from a few photos, one moment it was bright and sunny – and then suddenly it wasn’t. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1664234c0.jpeg Sligo https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f118eb5c7.jpeg Sligo https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a82a39262.jpeg Sligo Abbey, founded in 1253 One of the most anxiety-inducing aspects of this trip was the thought of driving into cities, on the “wrong” side of the road and trying to navigate traffic and find a place to park. For Sligo, we did our research the evening before, identifying various public parking lots and then picking one. That made it really easy. I programmed it into the GPS, and Siri led us right there. On the GPS note, every address in Ireland has a unique 7-character Eircode for mapping directions. Many of the public parking lots and spaces we used were pay-and-display (although not very expensive). Some took credit cards, and some didn’t. Sometimes the credit card worked, and sometimes it didn’t. It’s a good idea to always have a few 1- and 2-euro coins. We also stopped a bit north of Sligo for the Benbulben Forest Walk – which has great views of this distinctive rock formation. We didn’t have time for the full 6-mile loop, but we enjoyed a portion of it. It looks nice and sunny in the photos, but by now the wind was “hold on to your hat” intense. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...64da29f5c.jpeg Benbulben, the distinctive table rock formation https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f8c685fd8.jpeg Part of the Benbulben forest walk Next stop: Donegal. |
Outstanding pics, story and title!
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One of the Best TRs in a while. There is such consistent quality throughout so far.
Congrats to both of you on a successful trip. Agree with MaiTaiTom about title: outstanding. I am done. the W,W and WAW |
Thank you all - Paqngo, maitaitom and zebec! The title was a collaborative effort.
zebec, I am NOT done - some of the best moments of this trip are yet to come. The megalithic dolmen in the middle of a cow pasture. The Troubles. The Giant's Causeway. And the whiskey. Stay tuned. |
Wow! Your photos and narrative are amazing! Maybe I missed it in your narrative, but how did you get to Achil Island? Bridge, causeway, ferry? Love the photos of the sheep, and the scenery is so moody and evocative. Love the nature walk at Ballycroy NP. Your walks look like they are primarily flat. Am I right? Just my speed!
Kylemore Abbey is stunning! The scenery on your coastal drive, as you say, is otherworldly. And love the colorful buildings in Sligo. |
Following with great interest, thank you.... will be in Ireland later this week!
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KarenWoo and J62 - thank you!
Karen, you can drive onto Achill Island. There's a bridge over the sound, which is pretty narrow at that point. These walks were flat. We like to hike, but we didn't do anything too strenuous. We didn't really plan this to be much of a hiking trip because we know the weather is fickle, and we didn't want to be stuck somewhere on a remote trail or up a mountain in an unexpected rainstorm. J62, I'll try to move this along faster (but work....). County Donegal, part 1 Our base for this part of the trip was Donegal town – in a cozy two-level house, via Airbnb, with a nice backyard space (when weather cooperated). We especially liked the location – less than five minutes on foot to the “Diamond” and the easy parking right in front. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...86acc887d.jpeg Our cozy house in Donegal town https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...27c188b81.jpeg It even came with a back yard There’s a lot of history right in town. We could practically see Donegal Castle – built by Red Hugh O’Donnell as his personal fortress in the 1400s and now largely restored – from our rental. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b9e6d341b.jpeg Donegal Castle (now significantly restored) https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...abf8b53a1.jpeg Walking on some very old floors (castle origins in the 1400s) https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...161cee937.jpeg The 16th C fireplace is one of the notable features of Donegal Castle Ruins of the Franciscan friary, of similar origin, are on the outskirts, overlooking the bay. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8b5491850.jpeg Donegal's Franciscan friary - also called Donegal Abbey But I won’t lie. Our best memories might be the pubs. Live music every night at The Reel Inn. And our own little place, several doors down on Meetinghouse Street, The Forge. Of course, there was some whiskey involved. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...78bb21c6d.jpeg Our neighborhood pub https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...15d2e90b7.jpeg American police and fire badges on the walls in many Irish bars and pubs https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9f8361ee7.jpeg Live music at The Reel Inn (wish I could post the video) |
County Donegal, part 2
We had two days for some excursions from Donegal town. This website has some great information for visiting Donegal, including six suggested driving itineraries with maps and details on where to stop: https://www.govisitdonegal.com/thing.../scenic-routes We covered a lot of the territory in routes 1 and 2, and wish we’d had time for more. Several of these drives are probably better from a more northerly base. Truly the highlight of our two days of meandering in Donegal was Sliabh Liag (Slieve League), with some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. This site is at least as dramatic as the Cliffs of Moher, but without the crowds. Yes, there were people there, but the parking lot holds a few dozen cars rather than a few hundred. In peak season, parking (€5) is in the lower lot, and the walk to the viewing areas takes about a half hour via the road to the upper lot – with nice views along the way. I understand it may be possible to drive to the upper lot at non-peak times but don’t know the details. There are various hiking trails around the site that may have tempted us on a different day – but we didn’t really have the time, or the inclination to hike in a wildly whipping wind. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...97d009a42.jpeg It's a 30-minute or so walk from the Sliabh Liag parking lot to the viewing areas https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c3ceed672.jpeg Lobster rolls at the top - we were tempted but had brought our own lunch https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7f3f7037b.jpeg The cliffs at Sliabh Liag https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ad60742ad.jpeg These sheep have a great view Afterward, we took a drive north of those cliffs to the scenic areas around Malinmore and the beach at Malin Beg, and then back to Donegal town via the Glengesh Pass. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ba569dab8.jpeg Near Mailinmore https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f956d9f7c.jpeg The beach at Malin Beg - what you can't see here is just how windy it was! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4d792efe4.jpeg Glengesh pass |
I'm loving your trip report so far and the pictures are absolutely stunning. Your report is very timely, as was the one recently posted by AlessandraZoe. I'm planning a trip to Ireland for next September, but since I'll be traveling solo I'll be doing it with Rabbie's as I'm not comfortable with the idea of driving it alone, especially on the opposite side of the road from which I'm used to.
Looking forward to the rest of your report. |
Wonderful companion piece to AlessandraZoe's recent report! Thanks.
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Thanks, chepar and Fra_Diavolo!
County Donegal, part 3 Our other excursion from Donegal town went slightly north of where we were the day before. We took the narrow little road (no number that I can find on the map) that runs along the coast on the south side of Loughros Bay – first to Assaranca Waterfall, which we had to ourselves, and then on to Maghera Beach (small fee to park). At low tide (which it wasn’t quite when we were there), you can walk out to the Maghera caves. This was a nice scenic drive with very little traffic. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0241ed541.jpeg This was fairly common in our drives... https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fdca1a543.jpeg Assaranca waterfall all to ourselves https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...96b11ae5d.jpeg Through the dunes on the walk out to Maghera Beach https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e329fb023.jpeg At low tide, you can walk to the caves Our next destination was the Kilclooney dolmen – dating from about 3500 BC and thought to be one of the best examples of a portal tomb in Ireland. Our rough information said to park at the Dolmen Center in Kilclooney, cross the street, and then take the path to the left of the church. OK! It started to sprinkle as we got out of the car, so we grabbed our raincoats. Of course, it was very windy. We found the path easily enough. Soon, we had to go through a gate into what appeared to be someone’s yard, and then another gate, and then climb a ladder over a barbed wire fence into a pasture. But there was still a path – although no dolmen in site. We kept going. Through another gate or two. Finally, we saw the dolmen ahead. We were about half way there. The rain picked up, and we were starting to get quite wet. “In for a penny, in for a pound” we said. Through another gate and over another fence and past some mules. It was now quite muddy and we had to get across a drainage ditch. I wasn’t wearing the water-repellant hiking shoes I dragged all the way to Ireland. This was a bit vile. But we made it. The dolmen was a nice shelter for a bit, until the rain subsided and we could start back to the car. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...157109160.jpeg The Kilclooney Dolmen - 3500 BC https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d2d18d073.jpeg The gatekeepers With rain expected the rest of the afternoon, we detoured to the town of Glenties (another “tidy town”), where the warm roast of the day at Thatch Bar & Restaurant hit the spot for lunch. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...417b7a678.jpeg Up next: On to Northern Ireland |
Northern Ireland: Derry
There are no formalities, but two things we noticed immediately upon crossing from Ireland into Northern Ireland: Union flags flying on homes and posts all along the road. Significantly different speed limits. Why do they drive slower here, we wondered? Then we realized the challenge of driving an Irish car in Northern Ireland. The speed limits are now in miles per hour (as per UK), while the speedometer is in kilometers per hour (and our car only had KPH, not dual). We actually had to do math to drive here! Or find an app to convert. Derry was a stopping point on our trip north to the Antrim Coast. It has a completely walled old city – one of few in Europe. The walls date to the early 1600s. You are able to walk all the way around, getting on and off at points of interest. We did that in our short time – visiting St. Columb’s Cathedral (one of Britain’s first post-Reformation churches) and St. Augustine’s (a “wee church” with nice gardens on the site of St. Columba’s first abbey, 546 AD). https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0eebeb6ad.jpeg The popular Derry Girls mural, from the wall https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4402e11b0.jpeg Along the wall https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8fd2c3ad1.jpeg St. Columb's Cathedral https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ff082fb69.jpeg Derry from the wall https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6dd997a60.jpeg St. Augustine's https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b40f498b8.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...53f901304.jpeg Derry was also a flash point for The Troubles – the conflict is considered to have started here in the late 1960s. We would learn much more about the conflict (which is still very much a thing) two days later in Belfast, but today we visited various sites in the Bogside neighborhood, just outside the walls, which stand as reminders and memorials. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1f17497fa.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...62e82e468.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...efd699303.jpeg Finally, a walk on the Peace Bridge, opened in 2011. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...924ef012f.jpeg We enjoyed our short stop and wish we had more time to spend in Derry. For those on a quick visit as we were, there is a large, convenient car park adjacent to the Foyleside Shopping Center. Yes, I was nervous about driving into this city as well, but GPS did a great job of getting us in and out. Next: probably the most memorable experience of our trip. |
Wow! Your report and photos from Derry, Northern Ireland is so interesting. I haven't read anyone's report about Northern Ireland. The murals are amazing. I assume the mural labeled "Innocent" are of people killed during the Troubles. How many nights did you spend in Northern Ireland?
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Originally Posted by KarenWoo
(Post 17494391)
Wow! Your report and photos from Derry, Northern Ireland is so interesting. I haven't read anyone's report about Northern Ireland. The murals are amazing. I assume the mural labeled "Innocent" are of people killed during the Troubles. How many nights did you spend in Northern Ireland?
Northern Ireland: The Giant’s Causeway A couple of weeks before our trip, we changed our accommodation from a hotel in Bushmills to the Causeway Hotel, a National Trust property right at the Giant's Causeway. While it's a little more expensive, it has unrestricted access (and included parking). We set our alarm for 6:30 am, fixed a quick cup of Nespresso and then hoofed it down the path – and WE HAD THIS ENTIRE MAGNIFICENT SITE ALL TO OURSELVES, before the visitor center opened to the public. We also went after closing time the evening before for some great golden hour color. There were still plenty of people around then, but nothing like the hundreds or thousands who are crawling all over it during the daytime. Amazing! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d91d24c18.jpeg The walk from the hotel/visitor center to the rocks takes about 15 minutes (this is the evening visit) https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7e3c08107.jpeg Evening visit https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1a1b78fe0.jpeg Evening visit https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...777120cb8.jpeg Evening visit https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...118e2ee9c.jpeg Morning visit https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...99c042837.jpeg Morning visit https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7b542122a.jpeg Morning visit https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...30590d525.jpeg Morning visit https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...60c7dba7a.jpeg Oh, and our hotel room had a patio with sea view |
Still really enjoying your trip. I really like the idea of staying at a hotel on the Giants Causeway. Loving all of the photos.
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Thanks, Paqngo. I'm enjoying reliving it. Better than working...
Northern Ireland: The Antrim Coast This was the last part of our journey along the Wild Atlantic Way. I’d read that the Antrim coast is extraordinarily beautiful, and those reports aren’t wrong. We spent about four hours driving from the Bushmills area to Belfast, with stops at Dunluce Castle and ruins of the 13th Century Franciscan Layd Church near Cushendall. At the church, there is also a nice one-hour out-and-back coastal path. We were the only people there. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eee0df579.jpeg Dunluce Castle - there were tour buses and lots of cars out front, but it didn't seem all that busy https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b51e38177.jpeg I didn't watch much of Game of Thrones, but this was the inspiration for one setting that was a castle with two parts separated by a bridge over a deep divide https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...659305ea1.jpeg Coast from Dunluce Castle https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4f75d94d2.jpeg Antrim Coast https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...307529748.jpeg Ruins at the 13th C Layd Church near Cushendall https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bf937b04c.jpeg Ruins at the 13th C Layd Church near Cushendall https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...09d043872.jpeg Cushendall coastal walking path Oh, and this area is where the whiskey comes in. We toured the Bushmills Distillery. I actually booked this tour a couple of months in advance. The tour groups are small, and I wanted to get the last slot of the day, given that we were coming from Donegal via Derry. The tour was fun, and it ended with samples – not just of the ordinary stuff but the good stuff (10- and 12-year). The distillery is huge, and there’s a brand-new facility just coming on line. Photos not allowed in the production areas, but here are a few. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...22d05ead0.jpeg Flavor profiles https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a144e3d98.jpeg Samples - 10-year and 12-year Lastly, I should make note of the Notre Dame-Navy game that was taking place in Dublin in a few days later (the day we flew home). We had no idea that was happening until we started seeing Fighting Irish swag early in our trip. Notre Dame drew 40,000 people to Ireland for the game, and they were everywhere, including our tour of Bushmills. When we were at Dunluce Castle, there was a couple with two young adult sons in ND gear who asked us to take a photo of them. That led to a bit of a conversation. “Where are you from?” “The Chicago area.” “Oh, so are we! Where abouts?” Turns out, they live in our suburb, about two miles from us. Small world! |
It’s been wet and windy here, so I settled in to read a trip report.
I imagine the wet and windy you experienced there was next level, though. So enjoying this, and wonderful photography. |
Thanks, Adelaidean. I can't complain too much about the rain. We had one day where it was pretty wet for a few hours. There were other intermittent rain showers, but for the most part those really didn't deter us from doing what we wanted. The wind, however, was next level at times. I meant to mention above - we had virtually no wind when we were at the Giant's Causeway - another good thing about that experience.
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Love seeing all your photos again!
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Originally Posted by yestravel
(Post 17494480)
Love seeing all your photos again!
Northern Ireland: Belfast This is the hardest part of the report. As children/early teens in the 1970s, we saw news about the violence and tragedies in Northern Ireland – but we haven’t heard so much about the area since the peace accord in 1998. Here, we learned and saw that tensions are still present. Like many visitors to Belfast, we took a private tour (roughly two hours) of the murals and sites with a driver who grew up in and has lived through “The Troubles,” past and present. The tour covered both sides of the conflict. This was an eye-opening experience. We did not know there is still a peace wall, 50 feet high in some places, dividing neighborhoods – and that the gates still close at night. As our guide said, calling it “The Troubles” is glossing over the reality. I don’t have a lot of photos, and the ones I do have aren’t great – but the images and stories will stick with us. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...17e60d5ab.jpeg Many of the murals are remembrances of people and events https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ee87f531c.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...23a148f5a.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e415ab6bb.jpeg The peace wall is at the far right. The metal fixtures in the backs of the houses were to deflect Molotov cocktails thrown over the wall https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bf4329176.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...13cea95c6.jpeg The Bobby Sands mural is the most famous one We went from one tragedy to another – the Titanic Museum. The Titanic was built in Belfast, and “new” museum opened in 2012. We hadn’t made plans to visit, but literally everyone we talked to in our first week in Ireland asked us if we were going when we mentioned we’d be in Belfast. So, a few days before, we bought tickets online. We thought the museum was very well done. We’ve seen documentaries (and the movie of course) and knew of details about the sinking and some of the personal stories. The history of the shipbuilding industry in Belfast was new. And looking out the window and seeing the outline of where the ship was as it was built – and then walking around that later – was interesting. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...66229cd52.jpeg SS Nomadic, Titanic's tender https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...42c3c4b96.jpeg Titanic Museum When in the city center, you’d never know of the history just a mile or two away. There’s a colorful, trendy restaurant and bar scene downtown. We had very good meals at 2 Taps (Spanish) and Dumpling Library (Asian). https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...62b606467.jpeg The Big Fish on the riverfront https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e383e183c.jpeg River Lagan https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...37111b843.jpeg Pedestrian bridge across the River Lagan https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6f9bfc362.jpeg The Duke of York (and surrounding bars) is a popular evening destination https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...515715412.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...29b2af398.jpeg Belfast City Hall https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a74ba7943.jpeg Harbor on the River Lagan There was a lot to like about our accommodation – Edward St. Apartments (via booking dot com). We had a lot of space, a washer/dryer, and free parking in a good location (St. Anne’s Square garage). |
'There are only 7 types of rain...'
LOL! Love it! Bookmarking. I am done. the murals |
zebec, fortunately we didn't experience any of the 7 types of rain in Belfast. It was very nice there!
One last day As mentioned earlier, we originally planned to depart from Belfast but had to change our return to Dublin when Aer Lingus discontinued service to Belfast. That ended up working out – as it gave us a chance to visit the Brú na Bóinne prehistoric site. But first… We had to turn in the keys to our apartment by 10 am, which means we had five hours to kill before arriving at Brú na Bóinne. The direct drive is about 90 minutes. We plotted a route with some scenic drives and possible places to stop, depending on what we felt like at the time. Our first stop ended up being Castle Ward, a sprawling estate in County Down with gardens and a quirky 18thCentury manor house. The couple who built it had different ideas about the décor – he wanted classical and she wanted gothic. So, half of the house is one way and half the other. Some areas of the estate were apparently used for filming GOT, so that is a draw for some. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...060d57c1a.jpeg Castle Ward: sunken garden https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b7908aea2.jpeg Castle Ward: his study, the book collection here is notable https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5022a8cc3.jpeg Her dining parlor, described in the signage as like "eating under the udders of a cow" https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...59ce912e3.jpeg In one of the rooms, boxing squirrels (courtesy of some taxidermist) https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e1c06b271.jpeg I'm sure this was somehow featured in Game of Thrones We stopped for lunch in the town of Downpatrick, at Denvir’s Coaching Inn, the oldest coaching inn still operating as such (established in 1642). Downpatrick looked like an interesting town, with a museum in the old jail and history associated with St. Patrick. We would have liked to checked out some of this, but it was now raining and we had to be at Newgrange by 3 pm. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...737a974e4.jpeg Brú na Bóinne is the site of three prominent neolithic (5200 years old) passage tombs: Knowth, Dowth, and Newgrange (the best known). Access is by tour only. Tickets go on sale one month out. Tour slots are capped at about 25 people, and some sell out right away. The visit starts with exhibitions in the visitor center, then a bus takes the group out to the tombs. The first stop is Knowth, where we spent an hour or so, most with a guide and some free time. There’s a platform for walking on top of the tomb, but you can’t go inside this one. Then, we were bused to Newgrange, where we did get to go inside in smaller groups. No photos allowed inside. It was a little like going into the pyramids in Egypt, which we did earlier this year – except this is older. There was that moment when the guide turned out the lights to talk to us about how the entrance passage is aligned with the rising sun at winter solstice. In all, we were at the site for three hours – some of it bright and sunny and some of it with a brief thunderstorm (fortunately while we were inside). https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...580707f91.jpeg Knowth and some of its satellite tombs https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...18a4ca12d.jpeg Most of the rocks around Knowth have carvings, but they don't really know what these mean https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...db8429585.jpeg One of the satellite tombs of Knowth https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5127fd9e7.jpeg Newgrange https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f1073da27.jpeg Newgrange from the backside (but this is mostly about the sky) https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...04f786d05.jpeg Very few of the rocks at Newgrange have carvings And that’s pretty much a wrap for our trip. From Newgrange, it was an hour to the Dublin airport, part of that in the aforementioned thunderstorm. We bid farewell to our trusty Dacia Sandero, which took good care of us (and we of it, aside from a few light scratches from roadside shrubbery). We spent our last night at the Radisson Blu at the airport, since we had a 9 am departure. It was nice to go through US customs and immigration preclearance in Dublin and not have to mess with the arrival hall, Airtrain, and security at Newark. |
Terrific report! Visited Newgrange when the site reopened after Covid but sadly, you still couldn’t go inside.Will just have to return.
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