Short trip in N. Ireland

[Barnoe]

The wife and i are attending a wedding in Londonderry in August.

Having never been to Ireland before i decided to expand the trip to a week, so we could venture a bit.
the wedding is in Londonderry (Beech Hill country house) and we are also staying in another hotel on Antrim the night after.

I need to book a ferry, not sure which is best option for this yet not really looked although i need to book.

Has anyone got any must see places we can check out while over there?

 

[Mzokk]

If you are staying in Antrim the night after the Wedding you could set off from Derry and head to the Binevenagh Viewpoint, Gortmore viewpoint, Castlerock Beach for a stroll or up to Mussenden Temple, Morelli’s in PortStewart for an Ice Cream. Through Portrush and on to Dunluce Castle. Then on to the Giants Causway. Park in Portballintrae and walk along Runkerry beach to avoid the national Trust charges for the Causeway. Ballintoy Harbour is another possible stop. Drive/Ride along the coast to Portnareevy Car park and viewpoint for views of Carrick -a-Rede rope bridge and Rathlin Island. You will also see Islay and Jura on a clear day. Take the coast road through Ballycastle and on to Torr Head (Narrow Road) were you can see the Mull of Kintyre 12 miles away then on to Cushendun. Choice then to drive up Glendun (Narrow) and over the Antrim hills Toward Newtown Crommelin or Go on round the coast towards Carnlough and Glenarm. Then on to Antrim. If you get the weather the views are stunning. Attached is a Quick and dirty GPX file but there is loads to see up there particularly if you are a Game of Thrones fan.

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[DrFarkoff]

The wife and i are attending a wedding in Londonderry in August.

Having never been to Ireland before i decided to expand the trip to a week, so we could venture a bit.
the wedding is in Londonderry (Beech Hill country house) and we are also staying in another hotel on Antrim the night after.

I need to book a ferry, not sure which is best option for this yet not really looked although i need to book.

Has anyone got any must see places we can check out while over there?

If you have been to Scotland ??

Its very similar only we have an easier accent to understand

Travelling by car in this instance?


Lots of lovely places to see or stay

 

[Mzokk]

If you are over for a few more days there are loads of things to see and do. Particularly motorcycle related. Joey's bar in Ballymoney and his bronze statue, Game of Thrones locations at Ballintoy Harbour, the Dark Hedges, Carnlough and Carncastle. Walking in Ballypatick forest park or Glenariff. Harder walking on the Dungonnell way trail. Lots of Pubs. I'd recommend McBrides in Cushendun for Lunch. Trip to Rathlin Island on the ferry. Depends on how much time you have. South of Belfast you have the Mournes and Strangford Lough. West of the province you have the Sperrins which are very scenic and empty! Ferry options are Birkenhead to Belfast 8hr Crossing or scoot up to Cairnryan and get the Cairnryan to Belfast ferry 2hrs 15min or Cairnryan to Larne which is about the same.

 

[Aidan1150]

You also have the option of nipping into Donegal from Derry and driving/riding the Inishowen 100 route. The Grianan of Aileach affords a fine view of Lough Swilly.

 

[Barnoe]

Thanks guys, plenty there to keep me going

Yep im going in the car on this occasion, i was going on the bike until the wife started moaning that she cannot pack her wedding clothes day/night wear into a pannier lol
i was all for it but oh well, at least in the car i can take more stuff.
My car has a Northern Irish reg and is emerald green too, so i'm taking it for a pilgrimage back to its roots

Thanks Mzokk for the route

 

[Flintlock]

Lots of info above. Another area of Northern Ireland worth exploring is the Sperrins.
Gortin Glen Forest Park
Ulster Amercian Folk Park.

A nice tour of the Sperrins from Derry
Claudy to Donemana
Donemana to Plumbridge
Plumbridge to Draperstown
Draperstown to Feeny.

If you decide on the Innishowen drive, Dunree Fort at Dunree Head is well worth a stop.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[Barnoe]

Ok ferry leaving Birkenhead Sun 04 Aug 2024 at 22:30
Arrives in Belfast on Mon 05 Aug 2024 at 06:30

This means i have all day Monday to plan something
the wedding in Londonderry isn't until the Thursday so me and the Mrs are being tourists for a few days

Arriving at 6.30am means nothing will be open, although i wanted to start by visting the Titanic museum
Not sure how long a visit would be to that so after that is anyones guess.
im tempted to drive south through Mourne which is an hour and half away.
take is some sights and maybe a walk depending on time.

1st nights stay i will be looking at a campsite, maybe "East Coast Glamping" 34 Lower Knockbarragh Rd, Rostrevor, Newry BT34 3DP
on the Tuesday i am torn... and it's at this point i realise i need another trip lol
part of me wants to continue south and visit Dublin, i feel its a trip for another day though.

So instead i will head North again and as i will be likely hungry by then a stop at Joey Dunlops bar in Ballymoney before heading to the coast for many of the places mentioned above Ballypatrick Forest onto Torr Head then anti clockwise round the coast, taking in the Sperrins and if i have time a day doing the Inishowen 100 route.
I thought a week would be plenty but alas it never is.

Ferry departs from Belfast on Sat 10 Aug 2024 at 10:30

on the plus side the weather looks favourable
Another Irish Trip is already being planned to visit other parts, and think i will book 2 weeks off work for that.

thanks for your input guys

 

[Mzokk]

Couple of route Ideas from the titanic exhibition to your glamping site. The coast route involves a ferry (about 15 mins)

 

[Barnoe]

Thanks Mzokk,

We arrived in Belfast early as expected made our way close to the Titanic museum, obviously closed we went to the Premier Inn close by for a breakfast and a coffee.
we then walked around the port taking photos of the SS Nomadic and walked to the old titanic dock and pump house and the HMS Caroline.
by the time we got back the Titanic museum was open and we spent a few hours there.
we stayed that night in Belfast and had a night out on the town, had an amazing night and met some really great people.

In the morning we went the hills route above and stopped off for a while at Warrenpoint, a lovely spot.
The sun was shining and the little beach was too much to resist for a break.

We did infact drive from there to Dublin and after parking in the Irish life underground carpark and checking into the hotel, i got an uber to the Guinness storehouse for the tour, that was amazing
we decided in our wisdom to pub crawl back to the hotel which was on Talbot street (Celtic Lodge Guesthouse & Bar) on google maps it didn't seem too far, but let me tell you calling in every pub is a tough gig lol

After a lot of drinking the wife said she was feeling drunk, so we got an uber back to the hotel. I tucked her in bed and went next door for a few more Guinness in The Celt bar.

In the morning we drove north to the Coastal roads ending at the giants causeway.
we got a call at that point from friends who said they had booked in at the Premier Inn at Londonderry.

We decided to drive over and join them, we all went to Link 47 Bar for some food and then back to the hotel for a nightcap.
the bar in the premier inn rang last orders at 9.45pm??
So earlier than expected night.

The following day was the wedding and we booked in at the venue also in the same town "Beech Hill Country House"
the wedding was fantastic and i didnt get to bed until 3.30am

The following day we was meant to go to the Game of thrones experience, but i was hungover and the wife was driving.
We ended up in Antrim walking the castle gardens. we then booked in the Holiday Inn in Antrim for the night.
We drank in Rococos and had something to eat there which was nice.

Following morning we headed home.

A few things i have learned.
First of all, both Northern Ireland and the Republic are amazing.
Travelling from once place to another is so much easier than here in England, the roads are quieter and its actually a pleasure to drive.
i will add an exception for Dublin which is a total nightmare to ride/drive. which is why we parked up and used Ubers or walked.

Also the ferry from Birkenhead was a night crossing and cost £374, has i found out this does NOT include a cabin.
cabins are an extra £65 and they were all taken.
I arrived in Belfast at 6.30am on monday morning having been awake 24hrs and had another full day ahead of me.
I won't be doing that again!

What i WILL be doing again, is visiting Ireland, anyone reading this who hasn't been DO IT!
its an amazing place with amazing people and plenty to do.


below a few pictures of the many we took

SS Nomadic - Last remaining ship built by "White Star"


The bar under our hotel had this quirky bike in the bar entrance.. nice touch


Walking to yet another bar in Belfast


Me and the wife starting the Guinness tour, legs cropped off.... photo taken by stranger lol


watch below recovered from the body of a Titanic survivor

 

[Mzokk]

Glad you had a good time. The Missus and myself were out on the town last night ourselves. We had a Lovely meal in Millar's Grill and Seafood at Lanyon Key then off to St Anne's Cathedral for a Candle light concert (The music of Hans Zimmer)by the Arco string quartet. I was wandering about in the Square outside the Cathedral when I came across this quote etched into the pavement. Sums up my feelings about my homeland. Hopefully we are getting there

 

[Flintlock]

I can see where the above is coming from, however it should really read, some of the people that are in it - as usual it's the minority that ruin it for everybody.

 

[Robbi]

Glad you had a good time. The Missus and myself were out on the town last night ourselves. We had a Lovely meal in Millar's Grill and Seafood at Lanyon Key then off to St Anne's Cathedral for a Candle light concert (The music of Hans Zimmer)by the Arco string quartet. I was wandering about in the Square outside the Cathedral when I came across this quote etched into the pavement. Sums up my feelings about my homeland. Hopefully we are getting there

View attachment 343280

We've been to a couple of the candle lit concerts by the Arco string quartet ourselves, some of them are really pretty good, we've been to the Titanic building and the Cathedral.

 

[Barnoe]

I was wandering about in the Square outside the Cathedral when I came across this quote etched into the pavement. Sums up my feelings about my homeland. Hopefully we are getting there

I'm not going to lie, I did think during my trip I would meet at least one anti British person who wanted to give me a piece of his mind after hearing my accent. (happened in Aberdeen once while drinking in pubs around docks)
I know that the first time I saw an armoured Land Rover police car I had flashbacks and my heart skipped a beat, I didn't think they still used them.
probably a familiar sight for Irish folk, but for an Englishman its a sobering reminder of news in the 70s and 80s and to keep your head down.

For me personally though, all the people I met was really friendly, even the taxi driver was superb giving us tips where to go.. he recommended a Guinness in the Whites Tavern, said it was the oldest in Belfast, he also mentioned the Duke of York.
We went to both after he dropped us off, I cant say he was far wrong.
The Duke of York is full of so much bric a brac on the walls and ceilings I couldn't stop staring around at the stuff... its quite a collection

 

[Wapping]

I looked up Praeger. He’s a reasonably interesting fellow:

You are being redirected...

 

[Mzokk]

An interesting family, his sister Rosamund was a Sculptor of some note.

 

[Wapping]

I see the fellow (he was a true Victorian, like so many of his contemporaries, interested in lots of things) died in 1953. One can only wonder at his sadness, had he lived to see the Troubles and, I guess, his hopes for and in the ongoing ‘peace’ since.

 

[Mzokk]

I see the fellow (he was a true Victorian, like so many of his contemporaries, interested in lots of things) died in 1953. One can only wonder at his sadness, had he lived to see the Troubles and, I guess, his hopes for and in the ongoing ‘peace’ since.

Unfortunately he would have witnessed the War of independence in Ireland the "Troubles in the early 1920's" which were extremely violent. I had an old Aunt (my maternal Grandfathers sister) who lived with my parents when I was growing up. She lived from July 4 1900 until July 26 2004. Three weeks after her 104th birthday mind as clear as a bell until she died. I often wonder at the changes she had seen, first flight, titanic launch, WW1 and losing a brother at Arras 3 months before the war ended, partition of Ireland, Wall street crash, WW2, Suez , Vietnam, moon landings, the troubles, peace process, Iraq war etc, etc,

She would have been 18 when WW1 ended and 23 at Partition. I remember asking her as a child (in the blunt way kids do) "why are you not married" the answer "because when I was a young girl there were no young men" which was probably accurate commentary on the numbers of young men lost in WW1 and the subsequent "troubles"

On a lighter note she was proof pessimism does not lead to a shorter life. She bought me a gold signet ring for my 15th birthday because she thought she would not be around for my 18th. See passed away when I was 43

 

[Wapping]

My maternal grandfather was born, a month or two after the death of Victoria. To his long and deep regret, that made him an Edwardian.

But we digress….

 

[howdoo]

When riding in to and around Northern Ireland, don't wear your Arai Union Jack helmet...you feel very self-conscious in certain areas, such as when they have wall murals celebrating INLA martyrs.