Belfast

It was very nostalgic seeing Belfast again. I had spent many a Summer up there as a kid as it's where my parents were from. It was fun showing someone where my Grandparents lived and the different sights of Belfast.

We past the old Harland and Wolff shipyard. It is hard to believe that it was once one of the biggest shipyards in the world and that is of course, where the infamous Titanic was built. Today you can see the two giant cranes - Samson and Goliath.

A visit to The Crown Bar was mandatory. It is an old Victorian bar, with exquisite tile work and stained glass. It pretty much remains unchanged and was truly worth the visit.
Next, we travelled up and down the Falls Road looking at the murals on the wall which have now become a Tourist attraction.
After a great day of sightseeing, we spent the night in Belfast with my Aunties. From her apartment you could see Stormont (Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings) and it is where my Grandfather used to work.

Winter Solstice

Half way between the cottage in Carlingford and North of Dublin is Newgrange, a Megalithic burial ground built 3200 BC, making it older than the Pyramids. The passage and chamber of Newgrange are illuminated by the winter solstice sunrise. A shaft of sunlight shines through the roof box over the entrance and penetrates the passage to light up the chamber. The dramatic event lasts for 17 minutes at dawn on the Winter Solstice and since today was the Winter Solstice I thought it would be appropriate to have a post on this day.

Antrim Coast

Next stop after the Giant's Causeway was the Carrick-a-Rede Rope bridge. As we arrived and got out of our cars, the heavens opened so Margaret, Lori and I headed back to our car while the rest of the family crossed the bridge. After that we headed to the Bushmills Distillery. Unfortunately all the tours for the day were full so we only got to see the grounds. Margaret, Dan, Dermot and I decided to spend the night in Ballycastle which is a coastal town on the north east of Antrim. Ballycastle is where Marconi sent his first wireless message to Rathlin Island. The next day we had a leisurely drive through the Glens of Antrim. Our last stop before reaching the cottage was Carrickfergus Castle. It was bitterly cold and windy that day so we did not stay too long there. Anyway enjoy the images.

Fionn Mc Cumhaill

We all took a trip up to the North Antrim coast to see The Giants Causeway. The Causeway was formed over 60 million years ago by intermittent periods of volcanic activity. The basalt columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea.

Legend has it that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. There are similar basalt formations on the isle of Staffa in Scotland.

Led Zepplin's album cover for the Houses of the Holy was shot there, so I couldn't resist putting it at the start of my photo video.

Cooley Peninsula

The next stop on our trip was Ireland. The Richesons found Rampark House on the internet. It's located on the Cooley Peninsula near Carlingford which is 50 miles north of Dublin. The house is what everyone wants to see in Ireland - whitewashed walls, thatched roof and a dog thrown in for good measure - way cute. Dermot joined us for a few days at Rampark House.


The area near Carlingford is where, "The Cattle Raid of Cooley" (The Táin), took place. Turn up the volume and enjoy.