TRAVEL DIARIES

May 2005 - Northern Ireland and Dublin - Susan Pearson

Northern Ireland and Dublin is now considered one of Europe's safest, friendliest, most exuberant tourist destinations. For sheer variety of landscape, the country feels bigger than it is. Mountains, glens, an inland sea, peaty moors, everything is packed neatly together.

Upon our arrival in Dublin on May 15, we enjoyed a sightseeing tour of the city which featured views of Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Castle and Phoenix Park. During the afternoon we had an opportunity to enjoy a leisurely stroll this historic city. The weather in mid-May was sunny with a temperature of approximately 15 degrees. The streets were lined with the famous " Dublin doors" as we made our way to the renowned shopping district of Grafton Street and Nassau. After shopping, some of the girls made their way for pub grub at Temple Bar, while others opted for a relaxing dinner at the Mespil Hotel.

The next morning everyone enjoyed their first full Irish breakfast consisting of eggs, sausage, ham, grilled tomatoes, juices, toast, cereal and fruit. After our second cup of coffee we boarded our luxury motor coach and headed across the Boyne Valley where we crossed into Ulster. From there we drove through the famous Mountains of Mourne on our way to Downpatrick. The scenery was breathtaking and our tour guide Jill provided us with an entertaining commentary that enlightened everyone.

Later that day we made our way to Belfast, where our sightseeing tour showed us the City Hall, Queens University and the University quarter before reaching the Europa Hotel where we spent the night. Directly across from the Europa is the famous Crown Pub. This is a great spot for Irish music and traditional pub fare. My sister Mary Anne accomplished a life-long goal: singing with an Irish group on stage!

The next day took us along the beautiful Antrim coast road, seeing the castles at Balleygalley and Glenarm. Stopping at Giant's Causeway we viewed the most famous sight in Ireland. Legend has it that the Giant's Causeway was the work of Finn McCool, a giant who commanded the king of Ireland's armies. He took a fancy to a lady giant from Staffa, an island in the Hebrides, and built the Causeway to bring her to live with him in Ulster.

After passing through the scenic Glens of Antrim we continued on to Bushmills where we visited the oldest whiskey distillery in the world. Several of our girls became "master tasters" and were presented with official Bushmills certificates for their discriminating palate!

Following Bushmills we made our way to Londonderry where we spent two nights at the DaVinci Hotel enjoying exceptional food and very comfortable rooms. Following dinner on the first night we were treated to an amazing performance by the McKinney School of Dance. These young Irish dancers were just incredible and it was one of the highlights of our trip. Not only did the girls perform a number of amazing traditional dances and songs, they shared their talent with the women of our group. Our gals were eager to learn the routines and we all had a laugh, as we tried to keep up. (The cast of Riverdance have no need to worry!)

Kitty from the city of Londonderry was our tour guide the next morning. She shared with us the history of Londonderry and the city walls which are some of the best preserved in Europe. We then continued to the 17 th century St. Columb's Cathedral with its tower. Later that day many of us took the optional excursion to the Inishowen Penninsula. This was a beautiful drive that provided breath-taking views of the coastline.

On May 19th , our journey took us to the Ulster American Folk Park. This is a must-see open-air museum which is set in a picturesque park setting. Visiting this folk park gives you a real understanding of the struggles faced by past generations in Ireland. Be sure to follow the numbered guide so that you don't miss buildings.

Our next stop was the Belleek Pottery Factory. After a very interesting tour we had time to do some shopping in their beautiful gift shop. Favourite purchases were Christmas ornaments, tea pots and matching cream and sugar sets. Leaving the town of Belleek we made our way to the Sligo Park Hotel where we spent the following two nights.

Dinners during the entire tour were outstanding. The presentation was beautiful and the taste was delightful. Entrees varied from salmon, prime rib, Irish stew, and a variety of chicken dishes. Appetizers ranged from seafood salad to a cheese soufflé. Desserts were equally delicious and I had a hard time choosing between the cheesecake, profiteroles ( cream puffs ) and apple crumble.

Donegal was charming and a real pleasure to explore on May 20th. Upon leaving this picturesque town we made our way to Ardara where we had an opportunity to buy world-famous Aran sweaters and Donegal Tweeds. I have to say there were a lot of shopping bags being loaded onto our motor coach. Keep your eyes out for a lot of women in Canada this winter wearing Donegal tweed!

A number of women took advantage of the optional tour on Friday evening where we enjoyed a scenic drive around the Mulloughmore Peninsula. This is a great optional tour that I highly recommend. We visited the area where Lord Mountbatten once had his summer residence. After a spectacular drive we enjoyed a superb dinner in a quaint restaurant in the Mulloughmore fishing village.

On route to Dublin we stopped for a leisurely cruise down the Shannon River on the Moon River Cruiser. Boarding the luxury cruise boat we were entertained by an Irish one-man band. He was incredible and in no time was joined on stage by Joyce and Mary Anne. As we sailed along we indulged in fresh homemade scones with butter, fresh cream and jam, tea and coffee.

Our last night in Ireland was spent back in Dublin. A number of women chose the optional tour which consisted of the Dublin Dinner and Cabaret. This is another must-see. The calibre of musical talent in Ireland is outstanding. Once again the dinner was mouth-watering and the show that followed was world class. The cabaret was a real variety show in that it had everything: dancers who rivalled those in Riverdance, hilarious comedians and singers with the voices of angels. Everyone who visits Dublin should make a reservation for the Cabaret. It is a great way for you to capture the true Irish spirit.

Sunday morning May 22 meant an early breakfast and departure for the airport. As we rolled down the runway I saw the mountains and emerald coastline fade into the distance. I found myself thinking about our group of Canadian women who experienced the beauty of Ireland together. We came as 42 independent travellers but we left with 41 new friends!