Finn McCool, a 52 ½ feet tall Irish hunter-warrior was known as a friendly giant and is something of a symbol for County Antrim hospitality today. People could often see him and his wife Oonagh gazing across the sea waving to the Scottish Giant to come over for a visit. The sea of Moyle being something of a challenge between the Irish and Scottish coasts, Finn decided to build a bridge from the many hexagonal stones that lay strewn along the shoreline. What happened next you can read at the World Heritage Site yourself- the Giant’s Causeway.

Maybe the pathway was an easy access later in the 17th century to the Scottish & English settlers making Ulster a fertile soil for plantation – to read more about this facet of Irish history check here – Modern Ireland.

This is a story about what you can see in Northern Ireland and especially on its coastline.

Northern Ireland consists of six of the nine counties of the province of Ulster, lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 14,139 km2. It has its own government – the Northern Ireland Assembly and currency being the pound sterling – it is effectively a part of Britain with its own unique identity, like Scotland and Wales.

Donegal is a good access point into Northern Ireland if you have traveled from the west coast of Ireland for example. The city of Derry or Londonderry (depending on your politics) is very close to the border with Donegal county, a border which no longer exists physically on the ground but is merely a line on a map nowadays. The Tower Museum and the Museum of Free Derry offers a detailed and intriguing story of the city’s history.

Not being a city girl myself I bypassed Derry towards the coastline during a lovely sunny day back in June 2007. I was well impressed by the sandy beaches of Portrush and Portstewart and a stop at the Mussenden Temple was a relaxing lunch break in County Londonderry. I could see the Downhill castle standing high on a hilltop from the car. It is rather a roofless shell after a fire in 1851 however the charming glen planted with wild flowers and the enquiring looks of the sheep lead you to the clifftop where the temple stands. It is a memorial for Mrs. Mussenden built for her as a library by her cousin the Bishop of Derry. The splendid view is well worth
the time to get there.

A perfect overnight stay is in the village of Bushmills in County Antrim. Just a stone’s throw away is the Giants Causeway. You need good shoes and fine weather to enjoy the most breathtaking and inspiring coastline. I can still feel the strangeness of this place and Thackeray has expressed his feelings about the Causeway with the following: “When the world was moulded and fashioned out of formless chaos, this must have been the bit over – a remnant of chaos”.

You can enjoy a good twenty- minute walk from the Causeway to Carrick- a -Rede, the island which can only be reached by the perilous swinging rope bridge. It was erected by salmon fishermen to allow them access to a valuable fishing spot from where they would cast their nets into the sea. If it is a very windy day the bridge may be closed; something for which you may be thankful. If it is open you will need very steady pair of legs and must not be afraid of heights in order to cross and take some hard earned photos on the bridge itself.

From the Northern tip I headed to the Glens of Antrim. The uniqueness of the glens are the variations of a natural landscape including vertical cliffs, tundra plateaus and glacial valleys. Hugging the coastline are timeless fishing villages like Ballycastle, Glenarm and Cushendall where you can easily find a farmhouse B&B for the night.

The next morning a lovely walk in the Glenariff Forest Park ended with a picnic. As I have missed taking forest walks in West Cork where I live, I thoroughly enjoyed the one hour hike and taking pictures of the waterfall known as the Ess na Larach. It tumbles through a wooded gorge created by the Glenariff River.

I suppose no journey to Northern Ireland is complete without a peak into Belfast. It is a bustling city with its many new chic hotels and modern bars .The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum seven miles east of the city adds a bit of unusual flavor. It is an Open Air folk museum that illustrates the way of living in the 1900s.

Before heading home I had come to the conclusion that the country of Finn McCool is well worth visiting. A rental car with an Irish plate, no borders and few pounds sterling in my pocket, I dashed through Northern Ireland in just 3 days but it still left me haunted by the memories of its nature and its landscape.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand–
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep–while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

(E. A. Poe)

After a brief overnight stay at Actons Hotel in Kinsale my colleague Jeanette and myself were up at 5.30am on November 31 to catch our 7am flight to Belfast with Aer Aran. After grabbing a croissant at Belfast City Airport we boarded the Airporter bus outside which took us straight to Derry city centre in less than 2 hours dropping us right beside the Derry City Hotel.

After welcome refreshments of coffee and scones we were off on a walking tour of Ireland’s Historical Walled City with our guide Tommy Carlin who was festively attired for the occasion in a wizards outfit. Tommy proved an interesting and informative guide and I had my first taste of the rich history of the city of Derry. He also injected a few ghost stories in light of the occasion. As we walked through the streets I couldn’t help but notice the festive atmosphere with every corner taken over by stalls selling Halloween costumes, masks and accessories galore. After our walking tour which included the famous Derry walls as well as the protestant Cathedral which was the first church built after the reformation we wound up at the Linenhall Bar. Here we were treated to a very tasty lunch of massive dimensions served by Tarzan and a lion!

Feeling full we made our way to the award winning Tower Museum to view the Story of Derry exhibition. This gives an easy to follow, well laid out history of Derry right from it’s earliest days in the sixth century A.D. when a monastery was founded there. The Tower Museum is also home to a new Spanish Armada Exhibition but we had to give this one a miss as we had an appointment with the Mayor of Derry.

The Mayor has his office in the Guildhall and on arrival we were ushered into the council chambers where the political parties of Derry meet. After a brief address by the Mayor in which he described where the different parties sit when the chambers are in use, we were brought through to his office where 2 attendants were waiting to pour us drinks from the Mayor’s own bar. After this wonderful hospitality from a man who only the day before had hosted Dr Ian Paisley in the same rooms we were taken up to view the main hall which contains a beautiful range of stained-glass windows presented by the London Livery Companies.

Back out on the street we boarded a bus and made a short trip to the Ramada da Vinci’s Hotel. This hotel is undergoing a major upgrade and is a modern and comfortable hotel with a good atmosphere in the 3 bars giving you lots of options when it comes to entertainment for the night. After a tour of the hotel and some refreshments it was back to the Derry City Hotel to get into costume for the evening’s festivities.

Clicking my spurs and toting my gun (can you guess what I was???) I made my way down to the bar where I met up with the rest of my group (witches and surgeons one and all in case you’re wondering). By this point everyone in the hotel and it seemed the whole of Derry was in costume and were you in civilian dress you looked very strange indeed. Once we were all assembled we made our way into Thompson’s on the River where we sat down to the finest buffet dinner I think I’ve ever experienced. Everything was delectable but the desserts surpassed all that had gone before with every single one having that ‘homemade’ taste rarely found in restaurant food. A welcome break between courses came with a carnival parade followed by a 20 minute fireworks display all viewed from the unparalleled vantage point of the steps of the Derry City Hotel.

Coffees finished it was time to head upstairs to the Ball which was taking place in the Corinthian Ballroom, a spectacular air conditioned room with views of the River Foyle and the Guildhall. The band were fabulous and I was quite content to sit and gape at the fantastic array of costumes on display. Honorable mentions to ‘Bosco’ and ‘Beetlejuice’. After a few dances I made my way upstairs to bed and may I say that only 2 floors above the ballroom I was in no way aware of the noise from below.

The next morning after a wonderful buffet breakfast we were taken by coach the short distance (easily walked) to the Museum of Free Derry which illustrates the people’s story of the struggle for Civil Rights, The Battle of the Bogside, Internment, Free Derry and Bloody Sunday. This is a truly moving experience and a true education can be gained within this museum. After taking a few hurried snaps of the murals on the walls outside the museum it was back on the bus and out to the Beech Hill Country House.

The Beech Hill Country House is one of the Manor House Hotels of Ireland and anyone who has stayed at any of these properties will know the standard to expect. It may be of interest to our American friends that Bill Clinton has his favorite room in this hotel and strangely enough it’s not the Presidential Suite although I couldn’t tell you why! The grounds of this hotel are gorgeous with 32 acres of woodland and landscaped gardens to wander through at your leisure. Come back to curl up beside a roaring fire and you’ll have some idea of the relaxation to be found at this wonderful hotel.

On leaving the Beech Hill Country House it was back on the bus and off to Limavady where we were in for a real treat at the Radisson SAS Hotel. After a tour of this luxury hotel and Golf Course, complete with driving range we were treated to a light lunch followed by what was for me a real highlight of the trip. Each of us was given a treatment of our choice at the wonderful ROE Spa. I opted for a massage and afterwards unwound in their relaxation room. Pure Bliss!

Unfortunately this wonderful respite had to come to an end though I could have happily checked in and never gone home! Instead it was back on the bus and back to Derry to the Best Western White Horse Hotel & Conference Centre which we had missed due to our mammoth journey the day before. Thanks to Keith for taking the time to meet with Jeanette and myself since we’d missed out on the day before. Now I have to say I would be an advocate of the Best Western Hotels. By and large they are reasonably priced comfortable hotels with excellent service. The White Horse did not disappoint and with a swimming pool larger than the one at the Radisson SAS it has plenty to offer the traveler on a budget. It is also worth noting its close proximity to the airport.

Leaving the White Horse Karen drove us down to catch the Airporter back to Belfast for our flight home. Rushing into the small bus terminal we were horrified to be told we were too late as the next bus was too late to make our flight. Thanks to the very helpful girl at the Airporter terminal who was a lifesaver, refunding our tickets and pointing us in the direction of the main bus terminal in Derry where we could catch the regular scheduled service back to Belfast in plenty of time for our flight.

After another uneventful flight back to Cork I arrived home tired and happy and determined to return to Derry in the very near future.