North West
48 Hours in Belfast
Discover the renaissance of Belfast in 48 hours. Once in Belfast, head straight for the historic Cathedral Quarter, now the city's cultural hub, checking in at the stylish Merchant Hotel, a beautifully renovated 1860s bank, which boasts the visually spectacular Great Room dining hall and luxurious suites themed on Northern Irish writers such as CS Lewis.
Day One
After checking in, take a stroll around the cobbled stoned roads and entries (laneways) of Belfast's oldest area, starting with Cotton Court, just across the road. Here, Craft NI will set you up with all the information you need to access Belfast's unique local crafts, while you can find wonderful prints at the Belfast Print Workshop. Around the corner, explore the dedicated photographic exhibition centre and archive, Belfast Exposed in Donegall Street. A short walk away, the intriguing Northern Ireland War Memorial, Home Front Exhibition reveals the part played by Northern Ireland in the Second World War, while just opposite St Anne's (Belfast) Cathedral, which gives the Quarter its name, has many delightful features, such as the mosaic composed of 150,000 pieces of glass on the roof of the Baptistry.
There's plenty of enticing cafés and restaurants in the area to enjoy a delicious lunch, such as No 27 Talbot Street, housed in a beautiful red brick merchant building, which has picked up rave reviews for great value lunches.
Queen's Island was the site of the famous Harland and Wolff shipyard, where the legendary Titanic was built. Today there are a number of ways to explore the history of the world's most famous ship. One of the most enjoyable is to walk down to Donegall Quay and take the Lagan Boat Company Titanic tour on the MV Joyce. You can see the slipways from which Titanic was launched and the Thompson Pump House and Dry Dock where her superstructure was added and much more. You can get an even closer inspection of the dry dock and pump house on the Titanic Trail at the Northern Ireland Science Park. Also in Queens Island, the Odyssey Pavilion is a multi-faceted house of fun, with the interactive discovery centre W5, ten-pin bowling and multi-screen Storm cinema complex as well as numerous hot spots to eat, drink and party. A short walk back towards the city centre takes shopaholics to the stunning Victoria Square retail centre, one of the biggest in Europe, with nearly 100 leading shops, as well as restaurants and cafes. If you dont mind heights, you can enjoy amazing views of Belfast from its distinctive glass dome.
A pioneer of the Cathedral Quarter the excellent Nicks Warehouse housed in a Victorian bonded warehouse down a cobble stoned laneway, is a relaxing place to enjoy dinner before enjoying some live music at the intimate Black Box or lively John Hewitt pub nearby. Still feeling energetic? Ollie's, the Merchant's sumptuous nightclub or the strikingly designed Potthouse opposite are just two of many nearby options for dancing the night away!
Day Two
The author of the world famous Narnian Chronicles was born and raised in east Belfast and there are a variety of ways to trace his fascinating story. Check out the special CS Lewis Homeland tour from Ken Harper Taxi Tours, visiting the Church where he was christened, the inspiration for Aslan and the house where he grew up. You can get self-guided CS Lewis tour maps (and all the information you will need for your Belfast visit) from the Belfast Welcome Centre and you can access the CS Lewis Collection at the atmospheric Linen Hall Library, a Belfast cultural institution for centuries.
Around the corner from the Linen Hall Library awaits another local treasure of a very different kind. Oysters (or Irish stew) and Guinness never taste as good as at the Crown Liquor Saloon, famous for its wooden snugs and exquisite tilework. One of the most beautiful Victorian pubs in the world, it was saved for the nation by John Betjeman and the National Trust.
The Independent called the murals of west Belfast, "The UK's top attraction". The best way to see them is on one of the many black cab tours of the area, where you will also discover the truth of Belfast's people's reputation for warmth and wit! The Belfast Welcome Centre can help book these and indeed tours of all kinds throughout Belfast, from historic walking tours to bus and boat tours.
If you have time, head out north to one of Europe's prettiest zoos and a world leader in conservation, Belfast Zoo, built high up on Cave Hill overlooking the city. Nearby, magnificent Belfast Castle has stunning views, an antique shop and restaurant and a special visitor centre for adjacent Cave Hill Country Park.
Head back to the city centre for an intimate French brasserie experience at Roscoff Brasserie, owned by a pioneer of Belfast's culinary renaissance, Paul Rankin. Then it's time for a top concert at the Belfast Waterfront Hall or Odyssey Arena, a play or musical at the Grand Opera House, or maybe just a relaxing drink at the atmospheric award-winning Bar Bacca. Why not slip upstairs to sister club, La Lea, where the dance floor will be packed into the early hours.
Once you're ready for sleep, it's not far to the minimalist oriental décor of Ten Square, a beautifully renovated Victorian linen warehouse, now a four star hotel where celebs like to stay when in Belfast.
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Island Hopping around Donegal’s Gaeltacht Islands.
With diverse and splendid landscapes, the islands of the Northwest of Ireland present a corner of Ireland where the Irish language thrives together with a unique culture, heritage and way of life. The Gaeltacht islands of Donegal offer a kind of holiday that ignites the senses - one of peace and tranquility, soul-nourishing fresh air, a range of activities and an insight into Ireland's heritage and culture. Indeed, some activities include walking, hiking, diving, birdwatching, rock climbing, angling, cycling or just listening to a good story-teller or old-time singer.
Consisting of Tory, Inishbofin, Gola, Island Roy, Arranmore and Inishfree Island, each island has its own unique character and story with The prehistoric monuments, abandoned dwellings and ancients field patterns offering insights into the authentic heritage of the region. Four of the islands are accessed by ferry boat, one by charter boat only, one by car across a tidal causeway at low tide. There is a range of hotel, guest-house, bed & breakfast and self-catering accommodation available on the islands.
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The Inspiring Inishowen 100 Drive
As a picturesque driving route, the 100 mile long Inishowen Drive offers dramatic scenery to tourists who enjoy this pleasurable drive. Starting in Bridge End, Co. Donegal one travels to Buncrana which has a 5km long sandy beach with the ruins of Buncrana castle dating from the 16th century, and O’Doherty Castle – both exceptional historical attractions. From Buncranna, one travels north through the breathtaking Mamore Gap with wonderful coastline views towards Fort Dunree Military Museum, perched majestically on a rocky outcrop overlooking Lough Swilly. This heritage museum offers a worthwhile visit while the Old Fort Hospital presents a wildlife exhibition detailing the large variety of flora and fauna associated with this beautiful area. Clonmany and Ballyliffin are the next points of interest where fine sandy beaches, sea angling and golf await visitors. Furthermore, the Doagh Island Visitor Centre and Famine Walk is located in Ballyliffin and this unique outdoor museum tells the story of life in the area as far back as the famine times in the 1840’s while dancers, musicians and singers are here during June, July and August. Passing the ancient monuments of Carndonagh, one follows the signs for Malin Head, Ireland’s most northerly point with a wild sea ravaged coast and stunning seascapes.
Continue around Malin Head towards the Wee House of Malin which is a hermit’s rock cell cut into a cliff beside a cottage ruin. Driving towards Culdaff, the narrow road provides marvelous views and leads towards Greencastle where the Inishowen Maritim Museum and Planetariu, is located. Continue towards the final stop at the town of Letterkenny, the largest town in Donegal, sitting at the mouth of Lough Swilly – an ideal base for discovering the rugged and unspoiled scenery of Irelands North West.
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Experience an Equestrian Holiday in the North West
Offering a wide variety of terrain that will suit both the avid rider and the novice, of all ages, the North West of Ireland offers a wealth of both inland and coastal treks. Indeed, one can revel in the beauty of a constantly changing landscape and enjoy unhindered access to Atlantic beaches, moors, mountains, forest trails and lake shores with any of the 30 approved equestrian centres across the region. Western style and conventional riding is available throughout where one can mingle with the vivid colours of the wild flora while embracing the tranquil sounds of nature on one of the numerous long and short treks that meander through this glorious environment. An equestrian holiday in the North West offers an authentic opportunity to meet and enjoy the people, the fun and the sheer bliss which is the essence of an equestrian holiday in the counties of Cavan, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo.
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Discover a Delightfully Different Donegal
Capricious light. An artists palette run riot. Dramatic canvasses painted for action. Colours and perspectives ever changing. Mountains, sugared and peaked. Chattering streams and silent valleys. Bustling resorts. Scattered gold on empty beaches. Pounding surf. Deep bays. A piercing silence. The music of the Irish language. The lilt of a song. Ancient rhythms echoed in dancing feet. A bountiful Atlantic. Fresh food for thought. Donegal is different.
With over 1000km of coastline offering the highest sea cliffs in Europe Donegal also presents visitors with numerous EU Blue Flag Beaches and Irelands largest Irish speaking area. This together with Glenveagh National Park, a fine selection of 18-hole championship links and an abundance of angling waters (game, pike, coarse and sea)makes Donegal a delightful destination for all visitors.
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Absorbing Angling in the North West
A choice of waters. Majestic rivers. The mighty Shannon, the delightful Lough Erne and the Shannon Erne Waterway which links them. A choice of boats – luxury cruisers and confortable barges. 400km plus of pleasure waters to be savoured and enjoyed. Bag a trout. Hook a Salmon. Play a pike. Fill a keep net. Raise a skate. Wrestle a shark. They’re all wild. And plentiful. Just waiting for your angle! Pike and a wide variety of coarse fish. Great sea trout, salmon and wild brown trout rivers and lakes. Unrestricted shore fishing. Fully equipped sea angling boats for hire. What a litany! What choices! What fishing!
With unpolluted rivers and lakes, the earliest salmon Europe and 40+ varieties of deep sea fish the North West is a haven for angling enthusiasts. The unrestricted shore fishing and availability of waters dedicated to pure pleasure enhance the experience of engaging in angling across the region, boosted by the existence of the most leisurely cruising waters in Europe and the availability of quality cruisers of all sizes and approved sea angling boats along the Atlantic coast.
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Sensational Sligo – The land of Hearts Desire
Hills honed by nature into fantastic shapes. Cascading streams and lake-lapped valleys. Wide bays and long, golden beaches. Immortalized by the poet, W.B.Yeats. An abundance of megalithic monuments. A playground of incredible beauty. Sail into the sunset. Trek trail. Climb a mountain. Ride a wave. Appreciate wildlife. Emerge in the history. Or just switch off! Enjoy the views. The food. The shopping. The company. The theatre and the arts. Young or old, active or passive, Sligo is the Land of Hearts Desire.
As the inspiration for the poet W.B.Yeats, Sligo offers the greates concentration of megalithic monuments in Europe. Furthermore, the county has a renowned reputation for famous traditional music and also offers majestic links golf courses, superb horse riding centres and a marvelous mix of beach, mountains and lakes.
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Benbulben and Yeats Country
‘Now they ride the wintry dawn where Benbulben sets the scene’. So wrote W.B. Yeats, summoning spectral horseman on the slopes if Ben Bulben, the towering limestone ridge that gazes down on the green fields of Sligo and Leitrim. ‘Cast your mind on other days’ he declared, evoking the soul of a place peppered with five thousand archaeological sites including the massive megalithic grave complex at Carrowmore. Yeats himself is buried at Drumcliff. A trip from Sligo on board the Wild Rose Waterbus to the 17th century Parkes Castle takes in much of the countryside which inspired Yeats and his Poetry.
History and poetry, nature and art still meld to potent effect. There are vibrant theatres – the Hawk’s Well and the Blue Raincoat Theatre. The Model Arts Centre houses on eof the most significant collections of Jack B. Yeats, as well as work by the artists, Paul Henry and Louis le Brocquy. Writers of world renown find a popular platform for their work at the Scriobh Literary Festival and the yeats International Schools.
A sea swept coastline with good reef and beach breaks includes easkey, one of Europes best surfing beaches. Further inland is Lough Allen – perfect for kayaking, open boating and windsurfing. Have the fun of a flutter at the Sligo Races. Take off to the busy market town of Tubbercurry, with its thriving traditional scene – its summer school is a mecca for musicians who want to learn from the masters.
Visit The Rainbow Ballroom at Clenfarne – novelist William Trevor’s famed ‘Ballroom of Romance’. Marvel at Cavan and Leitrim Railway Museum’s fully operational narrow gauge steam railway. Journey into Ireland’s agricultural past at the Glenview Folk Museum, with its array of farmyard equipment, horse drawn machinery and threshers. Stride on mountain ranges and rugged coastlines, go horse-riding where the heroes did, watch eagles flying high, be inspired by Glencar’s cascading waterfall. All this is but a glimpse of the shimmering poetry of the Yeats Country.
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