Ireland - Paddy Wagon Tour #1

To the Emerald Isle we flew, and it was so nice to experience the cooler temperatures of Ireland.  We are only here for 6 days so thought it best to engage in some professionals to show us around – Paddy Wagon Tours

and along with being cool, it was so great to see the greenery again.  Just like at home!!

Day 1 – Dublin to Belfast via a very old monastery called Monasterboice which was an important centre of spirituality and learning for many centuries.  Founded by St Buite, who died 521 AD no other building, of so early a date, survives.  The oldest monuments are three high crosses (that tell some good stories on them)

and the round tower.  The tower was the Irish reaction to the Norse raids in the 10^th and 11^th centuries, serving as a watch tower.  

A couple of churches were also built on this site in the 14^th century.  To this day, it is still being used as a cemetery with the latest headstone of a wife, buried alongside her husband, in March 2025.

Back on the bus, we crossed the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and you wouldn’t even know that there was a border.  The differences to note are that the street signs are now only in English.  In the Republic of Ireland, they are bilingual (Irish and English).  And then we were treated to some impartial stories about “The Troubles” that the Irish people have encountered for about a century, and still there is political turmoil going on, which we won’t get into!

Belfast – home to where the Titanic was built and origin of her fateful maiden voyage.  In 2012 (one hundred years since it sank) the ‘Titanic Experience’ was opened and what a wonderful exhibition, even though it is a sad story.   A couple of notable things to mention, 1.  The building it is in is exactly the same height as the Titanic was when it was floating on water

and 2.  The movie, ‘Titanic’ recounts the sinking very accurately (apart from Rose and Jack’s romance).

That evening, Rosie and Grant left me at home, and wandered down to Queen’s University.  What building does this look familiar to?

And to the Botanical Gardens for a nosey.  There were many people out and about as for some reason, it wasn’t raining.  A rare occasion apparently in Belfast!

Day 2 - Belfast back to Dublin.  Off the motorway onto the country roads, with the first stop being to the Dark Hedges, or you may know them as ‘King’s Road’ in the Game of Thrones series.

Not far away was Dunluce Castle, dramatically positioned on the sheer headland between the Giant’s Causeway and Portrush but a great spot for detecting incoming unwanted visitors.

This was built between 15^th and 17^th centuries and there are many stories about the turbulent history of the MacQuillans, the MacDonnells and the Scottish settlers who lived in the ‘lost town of Dunluce’.

I don't think I would like to live during this time, look at this oven they could have roasted me in!!

The Giant’s Causeway is definitely worth a visit.  There is an Irish myth about two giants (one Irish, one Scottish) who don’t get on but basically it is a geological wonder of about 40 000 interlocking basalt columns that were formed by an ancient volcanic eruption about 50-60 million years ago.

As you can see the rocks look like honeycomb, which made for great stepping stones!

After a yummy steak and Guinness pie at a local restaurant called Fullerton Arms it was off back to Belfast but not after we stopped to get a rare, clear photo of Rathlin Island (Northern Ireland’s only inhabited island).  There are many smuggler myths and tales of this island but the most famous ones tell of Robert the Bruce, one of Scotland's heroes.

After dropping a few passengers off in Belfast it was then back to Dublin and a stay in the Temple Bar area, the centre of Dublin city centre’s nightlife.  So many bars and restaurants to choose from, and that is where this blog ends....