If you are in the Emerald Isle a.k.a. Ireland, Northern Ireland is must-visit. Not only does it have spectacular scenery, it is steeped in history - not just political, but also mythological. Read on and I'll share some snippets I learned from the bus trip free-of-charge.
I took a day trip from Dublin to Belfast and the northern coast of County Antrim (Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle) with Finn McCool Bus Tours and had an entertaining guide who not just gave all the inside information about the various sights, but also sang some folk songs. Now, that was a nice change from plugging on earphones to listen to my same old playlist.
If you're planning this tour, I would definitely recommend them!
The tour started promptly in Dublin city centre at 6.35 a.m. and we were off to the first stop, the Giant's Causeway.
I took a day trip from Dublin to Belfast and the northern coast of County Antrim (Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle) with Finn McCool Bus Tours and had an entertaining guide who not just gave all the inside information about the various sights, but also sang some folk songs. Now, that was a nice change from plugging on earphones to listen to my same old playlist.
If you're planning this tour, I would definitely recommend them!
The tour started promptly in Dublin city centre at 6.35 a.m. and we were off to the first stop, the Giant's Causeway.
Giant's Causeway
This is an oft-heard attraction to people who have lived in or near Ireland, but not so for those who live further away. The Giant's Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage site, because it is a fascinating land form made of hexagonal basaltic columns. It was formed 5-6 million years ago after a massive volcano eruption. Kissed by the waves of the North Channel, these columns are smooth and tough and very climb-able. The National Trust of Northern Ireland in fact is planning to put protective barriers because rumour has it that the locals have tried to haul back a rock or two to decorate their front gardens.
Isn't it gorgeous? It's almost difficult to believe that this is what a volcanic eruption could possibly leave in its wake. Which is why, there is another theory to the explain the formation of the Giant's Causeway.
As Ireland is an ancient land home to various Celtic mythologies, one story suggests that once there lived an Irish giant called Finn McCool. He had an arch nemesis, a mighty giant called Benandonner who lived across the North Channel in Scotland. They loathed each other, used to hurl abuses and the occasional boulder in an attempt to destroy the other party. One day, Finn decided to build a bridge that would take him to Scotland and destroy Benandonner for once and for all. So, he began building this bridge of hexagonal rocks. When he finally made it across to Scotland, he was horrified to discover that Benandonner was huger, fiercer and mightier than he was. Terrified, Finn fled back to Ireland and narrated everything to his wife Oonagh. The clever Oonagh told Finn to pretend to sleep as she dressed him with a baby hat and bub. When Benandonner thundered his way into Ireland and their house in a bid to chase and trap Finn, Oonagh told him that her husband was out hunting and if he could please be quiet because their baby was asleep. Benandonner is astounded to see that Finn's "baby" (who was Finn himself) was so huge and tough and shuddered to think how much fiercer and bigger the father, his enemy, would be. Frightened to death, the Scottish giant scampered back to his own land, ruining the greater part of the Causeway along the way.
Now, it's up to decide whether we want to believe in Science or Giants.
I personally believe it has to be science, because there is a similar formation in another part of the world - Jusangjeolli Cliff in the ancient volcanic island of Jeju, South Korea. Unless Finn inhabitated that part of the world, too.
As Ireland is an ancient land home to various Celtic mythologies, one story suggests that once there lived an Irish giant called Finn McCool. He had an arch nemesis, a mighty giant called Benandonner who lived across the North Channel in Scotland. They loathed each other, used to hurl abuses and the occasional boulder in an attempt to destroy the other party. One day, Finn decided to build a bridge that would take him to Scotland and destroy Benandonner for once and for all. So, he began building this bridge of hexagonal rocks. When he finally made it across to Scotland, he was horrified to discover that Benandonner was huger, fiercer and mightier than he was. Terrified, Finn fled back to Ireland and narrated everything to his wife Oonagh. The clever Oonagh told Finn to pretend to sleep as she dressed him with a baby hat and bub. When Benandonner thundered his way into Ireland and their house in a bid to chase and trap Finn, Oonagh told him that her husband was out hunting and if he could please be quiet because their baby was asleep. Benandonner is astounded to see that Finn's "baby" (who was Finn himself) was so huge and tough and shuddered to think how much fiercer and bigger the father, his enemy, would be. Frightened to death, the Scottish giant scampered back to his own land, ruining the greater part of the Causeway along the way.
Now, it's up to decide whether we want to believe in Science or Giants.
I personally believe it has to be science, because there is a similar formation in another part of the world - Jusangjeolli Cliff in the ancient volcanic island of Jeju, South Korea. Unless Finn inhabitated that part of the world, too.
Photo credits: https://www.twowanderingsoles.com/blog/jeju-island-in-3-days)
From the Giant's Causeway Visitor Centre, there are two trails one can take to reach the Causeway - the Blue Trail and the relatively more difficult Red Trail. The Red Trail involves you to scale across the cliff and finally climb back down to the coast where you find these basaltic columns. The walking track of the Red Trail is well-made and sufficiently sign-posted, though going along the Red Trail takes at least ten minutes longer than the Blue Trail. However, you get fabulous views of the sea:
As you can guess, I took the Red Trail to get to the Giant's Causeway. However, in the middle of the trek, I was caught off-guard by the wildest sea winds which forced me to stop walking and focus on not getting blown away. Alright, it's not that bad - just another strong wind people who have been in Ireland are bound to have experienced at some point or another. Once that mellowed down, I went down the winding trail of stone steps to reach the Causeway. On a clear day, it would be perfect to take the Red Trail, but you should be prepared for the blustery winds anyhow.
The good news is, there are public bathrooms and a cafe you can visit at the Visitor Centre (you will have to pay for a ticket though). Being part of a bus tour means that the ticket price to attractions in the itinerary are already included, so you would not need to worry about standing in the queue.
Also, as a bonus mention, we stopped at Dunluce Castle right before reaching the site of the Giant's Causeway.
The good news is, there are public bathrooms and a cafe you can visit at the Visitor Centre (you will have to pay for a ticket though). Being part of a bus tour means that the ticket price to attractions in the itinerary are already included, so you would not need to worry about standing in the queue.
Also, as a bonus mention, we stopped at Dunluce Castle right before reaching the site of the Giant's Causeway.
Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle was occupied by a powerful family in medieval times. However, on one unfortunate night in the 17th Century, the kitchen of the castle broke off from the rest of the building and crashed into the sea, bringing its kitchen hands and servants along with it.
To add on to the eeriness, if you have read the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, Dunluce Castle is said to have been the inspiration behind Cair Paravel, which was the dwelling of the wicked White Witch of Narnia. Just like the fictional Cair Paravel, Dunluce Castle sits right at the edge of a cliff. Currently, though, it doesn't look a bit like the image one would have in their mind of a wicked witch's lair, as it is in a pretty badly ruined state. There are other scary stories associated with Dunluce Castle, but that's a story for another day.
Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge
By this time, the blustery winds had abated and blue skies showed. The Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge was made by fishermen in the 18th Century to connect the mainland to a tiny outcrop called Carrick-a-rede Island. This coast was teeming with salmon back in the day and the bridge was a way for the fishermen to reach Carrick-a-rede Island to catch their bounty, instead of relying on a boat. As a result of their fishing, the salmon population in the northern Irish coast has declined tremendously, and it is said that the fish also have changed their migratory routes.
The waters in this area are very deep (and unbelievably pristine) and the stretch of water in between the mainland and the island is said to have been the vent of an ancient volcano.
The bridge used to be precarious with some rope tying slats of wood; fishermen took the risk to cross the 20-metre long bridge 30 metres above the ocean below daily. The fishermen, their wives and children faced the same weather as we do today - sometimes it was nice and sunny and at other times it was windy, bleak, rainy and of course, freezing. While admiring the grandeur of the ocean, I paused to think how tough life must have been for the locals of the bygone era in the same place we were standing that day.
Obviously, today, the bridge is nice and sturdy. People have to queue on either side of the bridge (the mainland and on the island) before they get to cross it. I wanted to relish the moment and not touch my phone, because it is not very often you get to cross a bridge built over the Atlantic Ocean, hence I didn't take any pictures while crossing. If you do get a chance to cross Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, I dare you to look down at the ocean while walking across the wooden planks of the bridge - it's unbelievably stunning. However, I still did take pictures of people crossing the bridge and of the surrounding scenery:
The waters in this area are very deep (and unbelievably pristine) and the stretch of water in between the mainland and the island is said to have been the vent of an ancient volcano.
The bridge used to be precarious with some rope tying slats of wood; fishermen took the risk to cross the 20-metre long bridge 30 metres above the ocean below daily. The fishermen, their wives and children faced the same weather as we do today - sometimes it was nice and sunny and at other times it was windy, bleak, rainy and of course, freezing. While admiring the grandeur of the ocean, I paused to think how tough life must have been for the locals of the bygone era in the same place we were standing that day.
Obviously, today, the bridge is nice and sturdy. People have to queue on either side of the bridge (the mainland and on the island) before they get to cross it. I wanted to relish the moment and not touch my phone, because it is not very often you get to cross a bridge built over the Atlantic Ocean, hence I didn't take any pictures while crossing. If you do get a chance to cross Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, I dare you to look down at the ocean while walking across the wooden planks of the bridge - it's unbelievably stunning. However, I still did take pictures of people crossing the bridge and of the surrounding scenery:
This was taken from Carrick-a-rede Island.
Once you are on the island, you do get to explore it. However, they might have cordoned off certain zones of it due to the hazard of slipping. Apparently, one of the fishermen's cottage still remains on the island. I would have loved to get a picture of it, but there was no entry to that point on that day.
The remaining photos are of the stunning ocean:
Once you are on the island, you do get to explore it. However, they might have cordoned off certain zones of it due to the hazard of slipping. Apparently, one of the fishermen's cottage still remains on the island. I would have loved to get a picture of it, but there was no entry to that point on that day.
The remaining photos are of the stunning ocean:
On a clear day, one should be able to see the coast of Scotland in the distance. I think I did, but I am not sure if that was Scotland for sure, as there are many other islands dotting the area.
Once you are done with the bridge crossing, you can unwind at a little refreshments shack where all the buses park.
Once you are done with the bridge crossing, you can unwind at a little refreshments shack where all the buses park.
Dark Hedges
I've been really eager to talk about this. I'll get straight to the point.
The Dark Hedges was a garden built by James Stuart in 1775 for his wife Grace. It is a row of trees flanking either side of the path leading up to their house, called Gracehill House (also named after James' wife), where they had a whopping 22 children. These trees were a special variety of beech, called the serpentine beech, as seen by their long, curving branches. The lifespan of this tree species is around 150 years.
However, it's been almost 250 years and the trees are still alive and growing. There is a legend to explain it. It is said that a spirit, possibly of James' daughter, tends to the trees. There have been sightings of a woman dressed in grey, hence she has been given the moniker Grey Lady.
The Dark Hedges was a garden built by James Stuart in 1775 for his wife Grace. It is a row of trees flanking either side of the path leading up to their house, called Gracehill House (also named after James' wife), where they had a whopping 22 children. These trees were a special variety of beech, called the serpentine beech, as seen by their long, curving branches. The lifespan of this tree species is around 150 years.
However, it's been almost 250 years and the trees are still alive and growing. There is a legend to explain it. It is said that a spirit, possibly of James' daughter, tends to the trees. There have been sightings of a woman dressed in grey, hence she has been given the moniker Grey Lady.
They look sinister, don't they?
I didn't have the chance to walk all the way up to the path to see Gracehill House because we were given only 20 minutes here. However, this is a picture of it.
I didn't have the chance to walk all the way up to the path to see Gracehill House because we were given only 20 minutes here. However, this is a picture of it.
Photo credits: http://tellyaddicttalks.com/doors-thrones-7-gracehill-house/
Belfast
One regret I have from the trip is that I couldn't be in Belfast long enough due to the limited time we were given while in the city. There were two things I really wanted to visit - the Peace Walls of Belfast and George's Market. But anyway, Belfast is deeply gorgeous and deeply tragic city.
Firstly, Belfast was where the doomed Titanic was constructed. The shipyard company that built this ship - Harland & Wolff (H&W) is still in operation today and one can see their huge yellow cranes from Belfast city.
Secondly, a disastrous period lasting over two decades, called "The Troubles" plagued Belfast. If you haven't heard of the conflict of Northern Ireland, you can look it up. Basically, it was a period of immense tension between the Catholics and Protestants who lived in Northern Ireland. The Protestants are the descendants of early English settlers who arrived in the northern part of Ireland centuries ago. Post the Easter Rising of 1916, when Ireland became an independent country, Northern Ireland was torn - its Catholics wanted to re-unite with the Republic of Ireland while its Protestants wanted it to be part of the United Kingdom. There was civil strife, violence, bloodshed and bombing.
In my tour guide's words - "There is not a single street in Belfast that has not been bombed at some point." It is a strangely renewing feeling to walk along the streets of the now-peaceful city, knowing the tumultuous history it went through. These are some pictures:
Firstly, Belfast was where the doomed Titanic was constructed. The shipyard company that built this ship - Harland & Wolff (H&W) is still in operation today and one can see their huge yellow cranes from Belfast city.
Secondly, a disastrous period lasting over two decades, called "The Troubles" plagued Belfast. If you haven't heard of the conflict of Northern Ireland, you can look it up. Basically, it was a period of immense tension between the Catholics and Protestants who lived in Northern Ireland. The Protestants are the descendants of early English settlers who arrived in the northern part of Ireland centuries ago. Post the Easter Rising of 1916, when Ireland became an independent country, Northern Ireland was torn - its Catholics wanted to re-unite with the Republic of Ireland while its Protestants wanted it to be part of the United Kingdom. There was civil strife, violence, bloodshed and bombing.
In my tour guide's words - "There is not a single street in Belfast that has not been bombed at some point." It is a strangely renewing feeling to walk along the streets of the now-peaceful city, knowing the tumultuous history it went through. These are some pictures:
The bottom-left picture is taken from the viewing gallery of Victoria Shopping Centre - it allows you to have a 360-degree view of Belfast.
While in Belfast, one may notice many shops, streets and landmarks bearing the word 'Victoria'. The reason being that Belfast was the only city in Europe part of the British Empire to experience the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century. It was during the reign of Queen Victoria.
The following is an iconic structure in the city centre - it resembles Big Ben and has a slight tilt as its base was made with wood (which has deteriorated over the decades). The interesting thing about this is that along halfway up the structure, there is a statue of King Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. Apparently, there is a bullet mark on his forehead, as a result of shooting episode during the Troubles.
While in Belfast, one may notice many shops, streets and landmarks bearing the word 'Victoria'. The reason being that Belfast was the only city in Europe part of the British Empire to experience the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century. It was during the reign of Queen Victoria.
The following is an iconic structure in the city centre - it resembles Big Ben and has a slight tilt as its base was made with wood (which has deteriorated over the decades). The interesting thing about this is that along halfway up the structure, there is a statue of King Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. Apparently, there is a bullet mark on his forehead, as a result of shooting episode during the Troubles.
Another relic you'll see from the bygone Victorian days are these Victorian-style gazebos dotted around the city centre:
I will take my leave with one thing the tour guide said that stays with me till today. One of Belfast's most historic buildings is the Europa Hotel. This hotel also has the notorious reputation for being the most bombed building in the world; it was bombed 33 times during the Troubles. However, today the hotel has glass windows, to symbolise the firm faith of the people of Northern Ireland in the lasting peace of the region.
Photo credits: https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/europahotel.en-gb.html
October 2018