North Ireland (Both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, UK
September 2-9, 2013
We took advantage of having a week to do some independent travel before flying out to Europe for our next house sitting assignment. We rented a car and travelled throughout the northern area of Ireland which included both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (UK). We had a wonderful adventure filled with amazing beauty, wonderful people and memories we'll never forget!
Brandy Pad Hike - Hilltown, Northern Ireland, UK
Our first stop after picking up our car from the Dublin airport was just across the border to Northern Ireland (UK) to the small village of Hilltown. This area contains the Mourne Mountains and a beautiful 12km hike called the Brandy Pad Trail which once was used to smuggle brandy from France into Ireland. It was a beautiful hike!
Belfast - Nothern Ireland, UK
Belfast was an interesting city, so much history and much of it sad and bloody. We stayed in west Belfast in an area known as "Andersontown" which was an area hardest hit during the time of "the troubles" as the locals like to refer to it. We were located very close to the city centre and the politcal murals created by both the catholics and the protestants. We mostly spent our time walking the streets and viewing the murals.
Giants Causeway Coastal Walk and Drive
After leaving Belfast, we drove along the eastern coast for some amazing vistas and then stopped at Dunseverick where we began our two hour Giants Causeway Walk along the coastal cliffs to the Giants Causeway rock formations. We did only a small portion of the entire trail which can take up to 3 days to complete. The Giants Causeway was formed over 60 million years ago creating almost perfect octagon shaped rock columns. Its really unique and quite amazing to see!
It was a beautiful day and a fantastic walk!
It was a beautiful day and a fantastic walk!
Photo's from Northern Coastal Drive
Famine Village - Clonmany, Inishowen Peninsula, Ireland
For something different, we drove to a very isolated area called the Inishowen Peninsula in north Ireland near a small village called Clonmany to visit a museum called The Famine Village which depicts the effects and living conditions of an actual small settlement during the hardship of the potato famine.
Saying Goodbye to the Emerald Isle
After a beautiful but rainy drive along the western coast of Ireland, we headed back to Dublin for our last night on our Irish adventure. We've had an absolutely amazing time here filled with so many wonderful memories. We've been blessed to see so much beauty and have experienced so much. The people of Ireland are warm, kind and generous and have stolen our hearts...we will never forget them as they have truly made this an extraordinary experience. We settled in for one last pint of Guiness and toasted goodbye to the lovely Emeral Isle...We will surely miss her!