Holidays in Northern Ireland

As the title says, I'm off to Northern Ireland at the start of September for 10 days and was wondering if anyone here as any good suggestions of things to do and see while there. I know there are a couple of locals on here so I hope you can give me the low down on the place.
Thanks,
SIM

Giants Causeway, Sperrin Mountains

depending on what you like doing

Use search? *cough*

Is Donegal on the agenda as well?

Cool, I'll check that , but also further afield that Belfast. Plan is to fly into Dublin, get car, head north towards Belfast and then across to Donegal. Anything in between is fair game. No set schedule as such.

Yep, definitely.

I really liked Derry. Very interesting place.

go to Donegal via the Antrim coast, maybe stopping on the way at Lough Neagh. Ok I'm biased, but Donegal is a gorgeous place, particularly if you like nature and empty, wild countryside. There's some stunning beaches up there too, completely deserted and absolutely beautiful. I'll ask a friend and post the names if I get a chance, in the meantime some locals may give you some more tips.

Lucky sod, if you are anywhere near Killybegs give a look for a set of tent pegs that I lost there in the late nineties.

Ballycastle, Portstewart, Coleraine, the north coast is beautiful and a bit disorienting as a southerner to look north into the sea. Giants Causeway and Bushmills are givens. Derry is a lovely city, steeped in history, great pubs, Castros comes to mind, down near the quays.

Donegal. I think you could spend a lifetime in Donegal and still not get enough of its beauty. The Inishowen peninsula alone is stunning, gorgeous mountains, rough cliffs, views across to the Mull of Kintyre from Greencastle, Malin Head. Spectacular and mostly untouched by the trappings of tourism. Could be a way to spend a day or two after Derry. On the way there, keep an eye out for the town of Muff. They have a diving club.

Between Lifford and Letterkenny, near Raphoe, there's the Beltany stone circle, worth checking out. Letterkenny is a good pitstop, nearby Ramelton is a gorgeous fishing village, with one of my favourite pubs in the world, to drink in and to play in, The Bridge bar. If you head out the coast road to Rathmullan, you'll be rewarded with beautiful countryside and coastal views across the waters to Inishowen. Continue on this trajectory towards Fanad Head and when you get to the summit of a steep incline on the road, you'll be presented with a view into the Atlantic, with the sheer cliffs of Inishowen dropping into Lough Swilly on one side and the beach at Portsalon below you on the other. Portsalon has good waves too, lot of body boarders go there.

I've more to come, must dash.

If you are driving up from Dublin you will get to use the brand spanking new Motorway!! However, as they are currently enlargening the single carriageway between Dundalk and Newry, and there are lots of roadworks going into Belfast as part of the enlarging scheme, be prepared for possible delays and dont travel during rush hour as you will be hours!!

Stop over at South Armagh and go and see the Slieve Gullion and the Cooley Peninsula, both just a few minutes drive from Dundalk...its really lovely.

Armagh City is nice too, 2 Cathedrals and a lovely old town centre..

Im feeling ever so slighlty homesick now.

Aye, lovely city, the observatory is worth a visit too.

I was in NI last month, one thing that I would recommend is booking accomdation. We didn't and it was a bit of a night mare. In Belfast hire a black taxi and went toured around the 'troubles' areas where there are fantastic murals. There are caves above the city in the hills where people used to live. I live in Ireland now, and my Irish friends here believe Belfast is one of the most beautiful cities in Ireland.

The road around the north coast is fantastic. The information centres all have brochures with maps that have the areas of interest on the. Skip the swing bridge, it was a rip off. Like €4 to walk across a 10 metre swing bridge and then walk back.. Giants causeway is cool. Bushmills of course, I don't know if you have driven there, but expect to go slowly. Like 70-80km per hour we found, slow drivers are famous for not letting faster ones pass. I had a great time and found the people really friendly. I didn't make it into Londonderry, but have heard it is worth a visit. Have fun!

Great stuff. Thanks for all the tips. Keep it coming if you have any more.

Beautiful beaches in the Gaeltacht around Gortahork, Falcarragh and Magheroarty. You can drive onto the beach near Gortahork, just where the Tory ferry leaves from, the beach is long and open and steep dunes block a smaller stretch of beach from the Atlantic. There're also giant sand dunes at Port Arthur and you'll drive around the foot of the Derryveaghs on the way to Derrybeg, but if you drive straight from Gortahork to Gweedore, you'll see Mount Errigal.



South Donegal is lovely, Glencolumbcille is this wee seaside village bang in the middle of a lonely valley. To the west of Killybegs (distinct aroma this town has) are the Slieve League cliffs (2nd tallest sea cliffs in Europe, tallest are on Achill). A good hike will give you some spectacular views. Anything else between Killybegs and Bundoran I only know in terms of pubs, not so much countryside and sights, but there's a great pub in Ballyshannon called Finn McCools. Also, the pub on the right-hand side before the bridge leaving town, formerly known as The Green Lady, is allegedly haunted, if that kind of thing chunkys yer kitkats. Finner Camp is just outside Bundoran, which used to be like the Las Blackpool of the Northwest, but it's scrubbed up well enough, has regular surfing events thanks to the reef just offshore, nice cliffs that you may catch people jumping off (for fun) and a very healthy music scene - check out the Bridge Bar, good pint, really good food and great music. Oh, and the mountain that hovers over Bundoran looks like a sleeping giant. There're guided horseback tours and hikes around the surrounding mountains, ask at the Homefields Hostel just off the main street, they organise these things or can put you in touch with someone who does. After that, you're into Yeats country and Sligo.

listen to that Punchbear, he knows his stuff and has packed quite a lot into the previous post. That was all the things I wanted to say but couldn't remember the names of the places!

On the chance of being finicky...but do not call Derry "Londonderry" unless you know who you're talking with as this name is loaded with political meaning! Broadly, if youre catholic you will call it Derry...if youre Protestant, you will most likely call it Londonderry. Its a nice place to visit however, you can have a walk around its ancient City Walls and the Town Centre is gorgeous, if VERY steep and hilly!

Another EDIT: your profile says youre irish so you will know this anyhoo...

Just be aware that right now its the height of the Marching Season and you may encounter some problems with road blocks..check local Radio for any road closures.
EDIT: In September youre not likely to encounter a lot of Marches...

Belfast is a brilliant place, as others have mentioned, do take a Black Taxi Tour, they are worth it. The City Hall is gorgeous, and the Town Centre is generally well worth a stroll. Cave Hill in North Belfast, as well as Belfast Castle is also nice. Queens University in Stranmillis is lovely too.

http://www.belfasttours.com/about.htm

OK SIM should have got to this earlier. First off I will point you to the NI Tourist Board website. To be honest the search facility is worse than Toytown's and that is saying something eg search Benone Strand and you will get nought, search Limavady and amongst the options is Benone Strand. It is really the biggest load of shite website that I have ever come across in my lifetime and that is saying something. David Barker, I blame you for having worked for them and the fact you come from Dunboyne in County Meath.

First off I would take the coast road to Carlingford just outside Dundalk. It is in County Louth, the scenery is ok (already two things against it) but the people are great and there are some excellent pubs and nosh plus adventure type stuff if you are that way inclined. Weekends are packed with Northerners and Southerners and quite a few English people and the craic is ninety. Follow the road down to Newry and head for Warrenpoint and then along the coast to Rostrevor. Definitely stop for a beer, any pub will do. Choice then is through the Mournes or down the coast to Newcastle, not much to see unless you pull off the beaten track but just stop and ask and someone will give you a recommendation. Newcastle, nice town but too touristy for my liking, but great views of the Mournes and if you go the coast road on your way in and way out you will come across fishing villages like Kilkeel (great Catholic girls boarding school there, St Louise's) and on the outboard journey places like Killough and Ardglass. Maybe take a trip upto Castlewellan and Silent Valley as a detour and it is silent because you will probably be the only bugger there. Forget going straight to Belfast, as I said head up the coast and finish in Strangford. If history is your stuff head into Downpatrick where the Saint himself is buried and there is a great big house called Castleward with brilliant gardens and such if that takes your fancy. You have no choice but to backtrack to Strangford and go across in the car ferry because it is an experience you will never forget and end up in Portaferry. You could spend a week in the Ards Peninsula alone (that is the wee willy bit sticking out on the right hand side), not the jaw dropping scenery that you can expect in Donegal but you will be pleased to find out that Protestants are quite nice people even those with a Scotch accent and don't worry there are more of them up the NE coast. I used to go to Bangor most weekends when I was younger and had a ball.

Most about Belfast has already been mentioned and you will get as good a welcome in a Shankill Road pub as a Falls Road one as long as you are buying, take the Black taxi tour and depending which denomination you get they will tell you their own version of history. Call into Laverys in town, up near the University, basically a bar for all seasons and all breeds; you will fit in great in the biker section even without the hair. Belfast has brilliant nightlife and if you are on your own, you won't be for long.

By all means do the North coast but stick to the coast and not the main road, some great scenary and hidden gems if you take the coast road out of Cushendun for example. You could do the nine glens of Antrim, which is like a mini Gaeltacht but it would take some time I can tell you. Ballycastle to Portrush you can do the Giant's Causeway and all that jazz and do drop into Bushmills. I might even suggest a detour across country to Ian's homeland, Ballymena, just to hear the accents and somewhere in the hills in between you will find the best poteen makers in Ireland.

Ok by this stage, you have been there six months, you have three children on the way and you have only ventured in from the coast once. But things you might think of to finish up the year are: Poststewart more beautiful and less touristy than Portrush, Benone Strand (seven miles of perfect beach that you can drive on), Magillian Point, just beyond the prison (I was there often usually playing hide and seek with my sons on a Sunday and saw my first ever woman in a bikini) and a ferry to Donegal believe it or not. Derry is a must, and if Derry is a must any Tyrone town is ten times better. I love the Sperrins but in all the times I went there I never met one tourist, similarly Lough Neagh is beautiful to me but there is very little to actually see or do. The pubs are brilliant and if Tyrone win the all Ireland you might just be there when there are people there on Tuesday and Wednesday, every other day is packed normally anyway if the bar is open. You have not touched Armagh yet and Fermanagh is a beautiful county which I cannot do justice without a whole other topic.

There is oodles more and I have only provided a brief tour (in between bouts of vomiting and diarrohea) so I hope that the effort is appreciated. If I had one place to choose to go in Northern Ireland where would it be (apart from home obviously). I think if I was going anywhere it would be the Fermanagh Lakes because there is just so much to see and do and I would stay at Corick Country House because I have been told it is outstanding and that is where I will be staying on my next visit becaue it is centrally located to hit the Fermanagh lakes and Donegal of which I am also a big fan.

if i can think of anything else i will pop it on for you.

I can but doff my cap to topcat, class post.

Be Jaysus lads, you guys are brilliant. I might need a bit longer that my original 10 days at this rate.

Wow! And here I thought Northern Ireland was boring. Feeling all proud now! Just thought I´d throw in that the Titanic Quarter in Belfast is a cool place to go out at the mo - nice cobbled streets and cool pubs like the Duke of York and the Spanish bar. Anyway I hope you enjoy your holiday!

Well done Topcat. Couldn't have put it better myself. You know there's a job going for Travel Writers - wouldn't give up the day job though - pay is pretty lousy ! Anyway - I just wanted to add - don't forget to visit Co. Down. I know Topcat mentioned it but I can't stress enough how beautiful it is. Most people want to see the Giants Causeway (take the Antrim Coast Road for spectacular scenery) and Donegal - but its worth spending some time going from Newry to Warrenpoint to Rostrevor (great Forest Park and views of Carlingford Lough) - on to Newcastle etc. The entire coastline is beautiful. Try Killinchy or even better Island Magee on the shores of Belfast Lough with Daft Eddy's Pub for great seafood.

I took a sightseeing bus tour of Belfast a few weeks ago just to see if they could add to my knowledge of the city - and it was extremely entertaining (lasts about 1 hour 15 mins) and the guides are just hilarious - if you can understand their accents !

Also on a good day - and if you are on the north coast - then take the ferry to Rathlin Island for the day. You can rent Bikes when you get there - worth seeing ! They had a music festival a few weeks ago which I missed with Mary Black etc. Pick a good day to go though. The sea can be a bit choppy around there.

Have a great time !

Thank you Punchbear, praise from a wordsmith of your calibre is much appreciated.

For the photographers on TT I just thought they would like the site of Dylan Mc Burney a landscape photograper based in Antrim, whose portraits include landscapes in Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Galway and off course Antrim. He also runs workshops and the site is definitely worth a browse.

I have added this link because it is simple and packed with info and this website because I think it needs more than 77 visitors and some of the photographs are pretty cool.

SIM, one place I think you should visit is Raithlin Island and I know the five quid per night accommodation will appeal to the frugal side of your nature as will the breathtaking scenery. As someone mentioned book places to stay in advance, it just makes life easier. Enjoy the trip and bring back some Pinkerington's middle bacon the only bacon worth buying in a pack.

Edit just writing while you were Agnes and cannot stress enough about Rathlin Island and indeed the Down coast is still in my blood. Don't tell anyone but most of my time working in Ireland was actually spent finding out that we lived in a beautiful place with beautiful people...

Thanks again everyone. The booking accommodation beforehand is going to be a bit difficult as we'd rather play it by ear and take it easy rather than saying "oh, we have to be in such a place by tomorrow". If we find somewhere that really appeals then we'd like the chance to stay longer if need be.
When do the schools start back in Northern Ireland? Are there likely to be many families on holidays still or many other tourists around?

They start back the first week in September so you should pretty much have the place to yourself.

Old Bushmills Whiskey Distillery. In the village of Bushmills, just west of the Giant's Causeway.
http://www.northantrim.com/old_bushmills_distillery.htm
http://www.bushmills.com/en-row/home/Bushmills_home/

:rolleyes:
try http://www.giantscausewayvisitorcentre.com for more information on this wonderful place.

We loved Northern Ireland it was top of all the countries in Europe we visited.Our high light of our vacation was the giantscauseway http://www.n-irelandtours.com and the wonderful wall murals in Belfast http://www.belfastblacktaxitours.com.[/code]

Hi, I'm not sure if I should start a new topic or tag on to this as my question is, how much did your airfare cost? Or, does anyone know which airline flies (cheap) to Northern Ireland? ebookers is quoting 480 Euro as the cheapest fare - one stopover and different flights! BA flies direct at 1586 Euro. WTF!! Belfast is next door, innit? Aerlingus won't start the direct flight until Oct/Nov - when it gets cold?? I would like to go back to the Giant's Causeway area in warmer days. Thanks!

Why not fly to Dublin and travel up from there?

Fly Aer Lingus to Dublin, Dublin to Derry with Aer Arann. Derry's closer to the Giants Causeway if I recall correctly, the airport's not far from Coleraine along the coast.

Dublin is definitely your best bet - flights to Belfast are pretty extortionate and no direct routes that I know of. Apparently aircoach is supposed to be pretty good and reasonably priced - busses seem to leave every hour.

Indeed.
Dublin Airport is on the Motorway to Belfast so you will be up there in no time.

And if you want to go by bus, Bus Eireann/ Ulsterbus run an hourly service from Dublin Airport to Belfast 24 hours a day!
http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1209133022-Table-1.pdf
Return ticket is 20 Euros

I have used EasyJet from Munich to Stanstead and then RyanAir from Stanstead to Belfast City airport (a lot more convenient for Belfast city centre than Belfast International airport). Book well enough in advance and you could get it for less than 100Eur (the RyanAir leg of my last journey cost 30Eur return, can't remember what EasyJet charged).

@exquitius: Exquisitely excellent! Thanks for the bus link! I didn't know of a bus to Belfast before. 2.5 hours isn't long. The last time we drove it was 3 hours or so.

And thanks to everyone as well.

I've been to the North twice, via Dublin. First time, flew on Ryanair from Salzburg to London, change from London to Dublin. How did I get from Munich to Salzburg? By train, stupidly. The flight back gets in late i.e. missing the last train connection from Salzburg back to Munich. It's a LONG trip. Will never do it again.

Second time round, flew Aerlingus direct to Dublin. Works out well. Just thought would be nice to save some time (ok, only a couple of hours) if we could fly direct to Belfast, at non-exhorbitant prices and give Dublin a miss since been there before...

Oh well. Seems like we have to fly into Dublin then take the bus or drive up.