Downpatrick

Said to be the site of St Patrick's grave, this little town is home to the St Patrick Centre which houses a fascinating exhibit on Ireland's patron saint. Ridding the entire country of snakes is among the many things attributed to St Pat.

Belfast (part 2)

Belfast is a famous ship building town. Sadly the most famous ship to have left also never returned. In the shadow of the Belfast Eye (yes they have one of those wheels too) is the memorial to the Titanic. One of the many murals in the town also stands as a memory.








..and more Belfast murals...











Queen's University


The Beacon of Hope - though our tour guide called her Nula with the Hula!

Belfast (part 1)

We arrive at Belfast in the evening and in late sun, I go for a walk around the city. For a Saturday it is eerily deserted. Later I find out that the main city life area moved out from the main city centre after many bombings...

The famous opera house where Pavarotti made his UK debut, the city hall, and the old and new gates of the law courts

The Giant's Causeway

It is said that a Scottish giant and an Irish giant built a huge bridge in order to meet each other in battle which became a duel of minds. The Scottish giant lost and returned to his country, tearing up the bridge as he went and this is all that remains. Of course it could be a lot of blarney, but those giants must have been awfully good at cutting stone..

Yeats

In a little churchyard in Drumcliffe, the poet William Butler Yeats is buried. There is an ancient Celtic cross just outside the churchyard and the doors to the church have been ornamented with swans, which might be a reference to Wild Swans at Coole,

The trees are in their autumn beauty,

The woodland paths are dry,

Under the October twilight the water Mirrors a still sky;

Upon the brimming water among the stones Are nine and fifty swans.

Belleek Pottery

The famous pottery at Belleek made a fascinating place to visit and a most temptatious place to spend money! No photography was allowed in the factory except for the justly celebrated basket and floral section where exquisitely detailed works were being created. Here are some of the baskets waiting for additions from the field of shamrock.

Our guide and one of the artisans who drew the short straw and was part of the token staff present in the factory on weekends to ensure that tour groups like us could see how things are done. Poor chap, toiling away fuelled by 7-Up and Nurofen... but still doing amazing work. Some archive pieces show how the fine china looks after firing, painting and glazing.

Limerick to Cliffs of Moher

Same view from the hotel, this time by day.









A heartbreaking monument to the children of the famine. The journey has been dotted with so many sad crosses marking mass graves of those who perished in the Hunger.

The Cliffs of Moher.










On the road again. Ireland is liberally sprinkled with hay bales and castles.