Belfast and the Best of Northern Ireland

Hi, I'm Rick Steves and I'm back with more of Europe's

best

. This time we are really at the limit. Stay with us as we explore the

best

of Northern Ireland. As far as I'm concerned, no trip to Ireland is complete without a visit. Northern Ireland sure has had its problems and we will visit some powerful political sites, but there is much more. Northern Ireland comes with the same friendly people and lush scenery you'd expect to find anywhere on the Emerald Isle and there are no crowds of tourists. tour bustling Belfast Check out its most politicized sectarian neighborhoods go wild at Ulster Coney Island and sample Irish whiskey we'll tee off on a six-sided geological tee on a world-class golf course and stomp to traditional Belfast music Northern Ireland is part of a group of islands called the British Isles and part of a political entity called the United Kingdom.

The Emerald Isle is made up of the independent Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The

northern

region is also called Ulster after the capital Belfast, which we traveled to. Fun-loving Portrush to the bustling city of Derry and enjoy the attractions along the Antrim coast here in Northern Ireland, sightseeing makes more sense with a bit of history - all of Ireland was once ruled by Great Britain, but the Irish didn't quite assimilate in agreement. To plan, while Britain was Protestant, the majority of the Irish were Catholic and with these religious differences arose a deep-rooted cultural divide to help reinforce their control.

London planted settlers. Protestant settlers, mostly from Scotland, these people became the Scots-Irish, the dominant ethnic group in the north. Ireland today, but centuries of British rule led to conflicts in the 1920s, after a bloody war, most of Ireland became an independent Catholic country and ruled from Dublin, but the north, with its Protestant majority, chose for staying with Britain and the island remains divided to this day. We will see symbols of that division throughout Northern Ireland. Orange Protestant parades are common; several thousand a year during the marching season between the east and early September, filled the streets with sectarian parades. 90% of these parades pass through Protestant cities and are therefore peaceful.

Some are antagonistic marches. through Catholic cities and neighborhoods far more political than your average parade, these are like pep rallies for the cause of continued union with Britain, a chance for parents to share their political passions with their children, the Orange Order, long established, works to defend the union with Great Britain. So their political philosophy is unionist oranges, the team color and the Union Jack is explained. This is countered on the Catholic side by nationalists and republicans who want the entire island to be one nation, their color is green and they fly the Irish flag in the Republic.

In Ireland there is no doubt that Catholics rule, but here in the Protestant-dominated North, Catholics, with more than a third of the population, are too large a minority to ignore and maintain control. Protestants employed policies that were harsh on Catholics, increasing tensions that led to the problems that have filled the headlines around here since the late 1960s when Protestants and Catholics clashed, the British Army entered the fray, and have been here ever since, thankfully real progress towards pieces they made refills and while you still don't want to sing Protestant Songs in a Catholic pub like this or vice versa Northern Ireland has become a great place to visit Belfast, just a couple hours north of Dublin, it straddles the River Lagon, it was just a village in the 17th century, but with the influx of Scottish and English settlers. and the Industrial Revolution that took strong root here Belfast had its heyday while the rest of Ireland remained rural and agricultural.

Belfast was nicknamed the old smoke. Shipbuilding was enormous. This slipway was the birthplace of the Titanic and many ships that did not sink in the neighboring dry dock are where the ill-fated ship, the largest moving man-made object of its time, was installed near two enormous cranes that once They were the largest in the world, nicknamed Samson and Goliath, they rise like skyscrapers over the harbour, another reminder of this city's former shipbuilding power. In 1888 Queen Victoria granted city status to this prosperous city of 300,000 inhabitants and soon after Its citizens built the center of Belfast, City Hall, with its statue of Queen Victoria frowning on Belfast's main street and the British flag flying behind her.

It is a moving place. Queen's University also belongs to Victoria's illustrious reign. Your backyard is an attractive public park, especially relaxing on a sunny summer afternoon. The Palm House, an early example of an iron and glass conservatory dating back to the mid-19th century, gives you a lush, humid jungle experience in Belfast. Also in the garden is the Ulster Museum. At the city's main museum you'll find a fascinating Belfast-made display under an arch that proclaims commerce to be the golden belt of the world. The exhibits explain how Belfast prospered in its glory days. The linen industry employed thousands of Belfast workers making products from linen such as canvas and rope which contributed enormously to maritime trade huge ships made in Belfast were common from Seattle to Shanghai it feels like a new morning in Belfast it's hard to imagine that this bustling Brighton shopping center was once a tense, moderate security zone today there is no sign of security Checkpoints not long ago were a boring daily routine, but it is still a fragile peace, especially evident in working-class neighborhoods Catholics and Protestants.

The mean murals and pubs with security doors are reminders that the island is divided and that a dwindling but still substantial number of extremists prefer. In that way, these flag-waving trouble spots have become tourist attractions. There are too many curious visitors. The best way to get around Belfast is by taxi and your ride can come politely for a reasonable hourly rate. Many taxi drivers offer visitors impromptu tours. My guide. Norman is sharing some personal insights. Norman, can you explain to me in general about sectarian neighborhoods? The sectarian super neighborhoods are within the working class areas and the working class areas only where they remain divided because Hildred is meant for each other, of course. what they have done to each other through terrorism is a known republican stronghold and the west part of Belfast, so this is the Catholic neighbourhood.

Well, it's more annoying for being a relevant discount for Republicans, so why is it so famous because of them? Maybe the trouble that happened here between the IRA and the British soldiers and the police force etc. feels safe today. Well, things have changed in the last five years, but there are these symbols that sectarianism, which is even stronger, is very strong and will do so. They are still strong due to the history of the conflict, murals are a form of art and come with a strong political message. Ireland will rise like a phoenix. Ireland must be free and united etc, police stations stand like fortresses and everywhere in this Catholic neighbourhood.

The republican cause is honored. An important stop along Falls Road is Mill Town Cemetery, where Gaelic crosses allow Catholic republicans to make a statement and death and where I am a fighter, are buried with the honor of fallen soldiers, so Tell me about this, he's Catholic. cemetery with also some republican attachment to it, a lot of republican people buried, as well as Catholics of course, and this is a typical cross with an Irish design of course, which is extremely important and shows Harry's typical background . The most visited tomb here is gradually becoming clear. the green railings commemorate IRA heroes, among many others, remember Bobby Sands and nine other hunger strikers who starved themselves to death in a nearby prison in 1981 wanted to be treated as political prisoners rather than criminal terrorists have not always been Catholics against Protestants en There have been more extremist people within their relationships where the moderates, both Catholics and Protestants, have not supported the actions of either loyalism or republicanism.

The loyalists are the extremists of the Protestants. The Republicans are the extremists of the Catholics, so the moderate parties are known as Unionists, which are moderate Protestants. and nationalists who are moderate Catholics, so there are a lot of moderates who don't really fight each other. Most people in Northern Ireland are moderates. A grim wall separates Catholic republicans in the Falls Road area from loyalist Protestants in Shankill. The highway area is called the Peace Line because without it there would be no peace, but a promising change is being made after 30 years of being closed. This door is now open connecting the two neighborhoods for a display of unionist passion.

You can explore this. Murals in working-class Protestant neighborhoods on Shankill Road promote the unionist or loyalist cause. There is a lot of symbolism every time I visit the premises. I emphasize that it is not Protestants who fight Catholics, but loyal extremists who happen to be Protestants fighting extremists. Republicans who happen to be Catholic. These extremists are the people who are proud to live in sectarian neighborhoods and it is these extremists who fan the persistent flames of Ireland's problems. The great hope now is that a new generation will grow up without the extremism of the past. The children who play together here are both Catholic and Protestant. a summer camp program that gives children from both communities reasons to live together instead of apart.

About an hour's drive from Belfast takes us to Northern Ireland's favorite resort, Portrush, this is the playground of Ulster and is an ideal base for exploring the highlights of the Antrim coast. It has long been the Coney Island of

northern

Ireland. Its architecture preserves the atmosphere of an elegant spa. Portrush fills its peninsula with family-friendly entertainment, fun restaurants and cheap and cheerful B&Bs. Summer fun-lovers stroll along TOI Harbor and tumble down to the sand. beaches stretching wide white crescents on either side, berries, old arcades as a great opportunity to see Northern Ireland at play while some do that, others relax at the bowling alley or maybe you'd rather go play golf.

Serious golfers can enjoy a tee time at Royal Portrush. Irish golf courses, like those in Scotland, are highly sought after by people who know the game. Road Rash Golf Club is one of the best links golf courses in Britain, so like all links golf courses it is dry, hard, windy and very pleasant, so what is the lowest cost? Well, the best links golf course runs against the sea and we have the expression that the links are the terrain that connects the alarm with the sea. Links golf courses are a sound bass. The golf course is dry and working and unlike parks that generate a lot of water and order to the trees and bushes, it's all just rough grass and hard lies, and that says the reason to travel down is a big reason to lower.

Hello, dig my chops next door on the pitch and putt course, you get to clubs and balls for just a couple of quid, young novices and you all share the same glorious surroundings and grass with who knows, maybe a champion in the making or maybe not, Ireland and Britain are No longer bastions of terrible food, Remora wine bar offers an attractive menu that you wouldn't have found anywhere in Ireland a decade or two ago, from artisanal steaks to vegetarian dishes at a price Reasonable and a glass of wine is a welcome break after all that. beer here in Northern Ireland, as in the rest of Britain, the Bed and Breakfast accommodation offers excellent value for money, the rooms are as comfortable as a hotel but make you feel at home, the cozy lounge It makes you feel like part of the family and the included breakfast is extensive and comes with the opportunity to meet other guests.

An hour's drive from Portrush, the city of Londonderry, also known as Derry, is Ulster's second city, Its characteristic streets are attractive and the city's harsh history is evident in its formidable, Belfast-like wall. Derry comes with all the safety trappings Stephen Mcfeely I, a guide from Derry joined us years ago, showed my tour group around his hometown. Stephen was so good, now he leads my tours around Ireland, he even tells me about thepolitical alien. Okay, everything that is at the bottom, what is green, is the Republic. of Ireland and the River Foyle which is in front of us is the natural boundary between Northern Ireland which is on this side and the Republic of Ireland which is on that side, but in 1921, when the British were dividing our country, they wanted to hand over this city. to the new Irish Free State, but the Protestant community here did not want to keep the city for sentimental reasons, so the River Foyle is the natural boundary or border until it reaches the urban area and runs through and encompasses the urban area and then returns to be the river the border is the river again at the end of the city basically the city is united with the Republic of Ireland but politically it is in Northern Ireland and that is why it has been a focus of political unrest since then the problem began in 1969 you now call it Londonderry or Derry the Protestant community is very proud of Londonderry no Catholic in the city would accept that term never call it Londonderry for Catholics here it is always Dairy Dairy is the best walled city in all of Ireland and Visitors can walk freely around the walls.

The walls were built in 1613 by Protestant settlers from the City of London to keep them safe from the native Irish Catholics who would have been everywhere surrounding the city. This would have been hostile territory for the new Protestant settlers. Well, about four hundred years ago, the English settlers behind these walls were everywhere here, near the bonfires, cats all over the city open the height of the highlands, the hills, the valleys up to the amazing wall of Glen , really yes, we are very proud of them. Rick and will serve you. We say we are the only completely walled city in Ireland or Britain, in fact Stephens takes me to a pub in sectarian quarters.

Pubs are particularly sectarian. A place frequented by loyalists or republicans. In this pub, the particular decoration of the Irish flag makes the politics of these people perfectly clear. This is a Catholic crowd. Protestants can feel comfortable here unless they say something provocative or wear unionist colors or symbols. Leave your Union Jack at home. One great thing about Catholic pubs. Traditional Irish music allows you to spend a single day. From Portrush we'll enjoy a whiskey distillery, a geological wonder, a jumping rope bridge and a ruined castle, all along a stunning coastline. The Antrim coast is one of the most popular and picturesque routes around.

Pristine farms are just a short drive away. This idyllic agricultural country makes it clear that the order is strongly Scots-Irish. Visitors explore desolate trails, atmospheric castle ruins and spectacular beaches. The Antrim Coast is a popular holiday getaway from Belfast. A road trip here comes with great surprises, like showing your horse on the day. The local writing club cut some slack in your itinerary so you can miss out on the action and from towns like Bushmills, our strictly Protestant Scots-Irish decor in this town is home to some famous whiskey. Bushmills claims to be the oldest distillery in the world.

I've been at this since the 13th century. Guests are welcome and tours end here in the tasting room. Irish whiskey makers boasted that their whiskey is triple distilled and therefore smoother than Scotch whiskey. Those who took the distillery tour learned this emphatically during the volunteer tasting per tour. Try eight different whiskeys, as I come to Scotch and Irish whiskey, the Scotch must have told you before, there are only twice as many stoves, where the Irish are as worried as a stone, congratulations, fully qualified Irish whiskey tester, there we are Thanks, the main attraction along the coast is the Giant's Causeway, a four-mile-long stretch of coast famous for its strange rock columns.

The coast is covered with hexagonal pillars rising to various heights. It is as if the earth is offering God its choice of thirty-seven thousand and six cigarettes. This was a great stop for tourists in the 19th century. The first guides gave this peculiar formation nicknames, such as the pipe organ and the wishing chair. Geologists claim that the Giant's Causeway was formed from volcanic eruptions 60 million years ago. As the lava surface cooled, it contracted and cracked into hexagonal shapes. The layer of hardened but alligator-like rocks settled, broke into its many steps because scientists say there is a geological formation, but no one here really believes that we can believe that this fist was built by giants 2,000 years ago, the great spin McCool in the local champion fair against the Scottish pretender Van and Donner lived here in the commercial center of Kintyre, so the Scotsman decides to build a causeway across the ocean here 12 miles instead of coming by boat, he finds himself in his causeway and plunder and plunder. a little here our champion finn mccool was a little nervous about the fact that the celts fought against the champion the champion didn't necessarily serve in the army so his wife decides to build the crib that is about seven feet long and dresses him like a baby small and puts him in the crib this is all that is most agitated the man that whiskey meets enters the castle grabs his wife and tells her I'm going to kill your husband and she told him if you don't shut up you're going to wake up my little baby and if you wake up my baby then his father will be very angry and the Scottish boy looks around and sees that the baby is actually seven feet long and he is terrified and he thinks, oh my god, if the baby is seven foot long, so the father is going to be absolutely huge, so instead of waiting for her to meet the Irish father, she runs all the way back to Scotland and has the soldiers stop the road and throw him in to the ocean behind them and the proof of that history is what we stand on today Giants are geology, you decide either way, the Giant's Causeway is worth a stop.

A few miles further up the coast there is a bridge you can cross for a great little hike. A powerful dose of ulster. nature and some butterflies in your stomach follow the trail to the Karaka Reed rope bridge for 200 years fishermen have stretched a thin bridge across a chasm between the mainland and a small I'm still a little dizzy this is the Karaka Reed rope bridge Any kid dreams that the bridge was actually built by fishermen, yeah, well you see, this time of year, the crows are a big fat sign when I go along the coast here to come back to spawn in the rivers, so it does two centuries the fishermen realized that this was the best place to catch them, so their nets are here, right next to the island, so to get to the island, the rope bridge was an amazing perch, yeah , the birds love it, it's a great bird sanctuary here.

I know birders from all over. the world comes here to see what's going on look at the birds over the goalposts the gannets the razorbills the largest popper in Europe is behind us here on Rockville Island the romantic ruins of Dunluce Castle rise dramatically on the edge of a rocky promontory a testament to this region's turbulent past, the local guides are our experts and bring the ruins to life, so this was the home of a normal family. this great hall here yes, this great hall was built around the 1620s and this is where Macdonald the Earl's party of the savages met and they dined and entertained their gasps the more this is more than a windy fortress yes, in It was actually a very lavishly decorated palace by the sea they had tapestries on their walls possibly paneled they had royal Persian rugs on their floors they had elegant European imports furniture and and I'm talking about musical evenings after dinner, very enjoyable.

I imagine a harp here during the Middle Ages. Dunluce withstood several sieges, but then, on a stormy night in 1639, dinner was interrupted when this end of the castle crashed into the sea. the kitchen and several servants with her, the lady of the house who didn't like living on this windy Bluff anyway said that was it, packed her bags and moved inland, abandoning Dunluce Castle to the forces of nature, Northern Ireland from its burgeoning capital stained by sectarian strife. to its Coney Island and its natural parks, its geological wonders and its continuing challenges, it is a rewarding part of any Emerald Isle experience.

I hope you enjoyed our look at the best of Northern Ireland, thanks for joining us. I'm Rick Steves, until next time. in travel