On our last day in Ireland, we headed south from Belfast back to Dublin.  Tollymore Park was the first dedicated forest park in Northern Ireland.  The main lawns are quite manicured and not terribly natural, but down by the river is a pretty place to take a walk.  The main trail passes by 16 bridges…

On our second day in Belfast we took a political tour to enhance our education and understanding of the troubles in Northern Ireland.  The troubles was a period of violence in Northern Ireland that lasted from the late 1960’s until the ceasefire was signed by the IRA in 1994 and the Good Friday Agreement was…

Today we completed the Causeway Coastal Route, driving from Ballycastle to Belfast.  We did back track a wee bit to walk the Rope Bridge because it was closed due to high winds yesterday afternoon. Carrick-a-rede is a 20 meter rope bridge that links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede (home to a single…

Driving directly from Derry to Belfast takes just over an hour on the major highways.  We are going to drive the long way around on the Causeway Coastal Route.  With so many places to see and things to do, it will take us two days to make the trip! Wild Atlantic Way views at Magheracross…

We drove into a remote area called the Sperrin Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty today in search of the Sperrin Scultpure Trail. Three giant statues created by world-acclaimed artist, Thomas Dambo, represent the past, present and future.  Nowanois is called Giant of the Sperrins.  He is the Seanchai or storyteller, recalling good times and generations…

Our morning started with another whiskey tasting at Sliabh Liag Distillery in Ardara.  It is recorded that Saint Colmcille distilled alcohol as early as 560 AD in the Derryveagh mountains.  Just up the road is the Kilclooney dolmen (in the middle of a farmer’s field) The 3500 BC portal tomb is thought to be one…

County Donegal is nicknamed Ireland’s ‘forgotten county’.  It is a wild, rural place, full of vast bogs, rugged mountains, forlorn coasts and quiet farms!  Donegal was the last county to come under British rule, retaining its Irish heritage throughout the 1500’s; independence was lost during the Flight of the Earls in 1607.  Co. Donegal has…

Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird, the Devil’s Chimney, is listed on the world waterfall database as Ireland’s tallest waterfall at 150m / 492feet.  But the fall does not flow in dry weather.  Powers-court Waterfall, which we visited just outside of Dublin, is quite a bit shorter at 121m but flows all year so there is…