Giant's Causeway

Sunday morning, we had a wake up call for 430 and after getting our stuff together, we caught a taxi to the Dublin Discover Ireland Centre. We swung by the convenience store and got some breakfast and ate it at the steps of the former church. Soon, the tour buses from Irish Day Tours arrived and we got on the one heading to the Giant’s Causeway and Northern Ireland. Our bus driver and tour guide’s name was Matthew and he was a fantastic guide. As we drove north on M1 towards Northern Ireland, Matthew told us about the history of Ireland and the conflict in Northern Ireland. Although today there is no formal border crossing, just a sign along the highway indicating we had crossed into the United Kingdom, in the past, this was a heavily armed border and all visitors would need to show papers to cross. After we had crossed into the UK, we made a quick stop at a gas station in Banbridge for a bathroom and coffee break. While we were stopped, I got some pictures of some cows grazing next to the gas station. Then we continued on heading north, driving through Belfast and then getting on A2, the coastal road. This portion of the drive was incredibly scenic as we drove along the Northern Ireland coast, with the islands of Scotland just barely visible on the horizon. We drove through the town of Larne, where we saw a big crown in the center of a roundabout. This 8-m tall coronation crown was erected to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, though it may not stay there much longer. The Larne Council erected the crown without planning approval and so it will likely be taken down in 2015. Continuing north, we made a short stop in the tiny coastal village of Carnlough.

This little village had a picturesque harbour on Carnlough Bay, situated between the North Straight to the east and the mountains and Glens of Antrim to the west.

We also saw a memorial to a local hero - Paddy.

Paddy was a pigeon who carried coded messages between the Allied forces during World War II.

After about 15 minutes, we got back on the bus and continued heading north along the coast. Near the town of Cushendall, the road departed from the coast and headed into a more forested area, where Matthew told us a bit about forestry in the region. We crossed the Glendun Viaduct, a three-arched viaduct over the River Dun, and soon got back towards the coast as we approached our first main stop - Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

The rope bridge connects to a small island that was once used by fisherman to catch salmon in the rich waters. From the parking area, we made the scenic hike of about a mile to the bridge.

This is a fairly popular attraction and Matthew warned us there could be a line to cross the bridge, so we walked quickly. Matthew had given us vouchers before we got off the bus so we headed straight towards the bridge. The coastal walk is free, but visitors must pay to cross the bridge; our admission was included in the tour.

The bridge spans approximately 20 meters and is about 30 meters above the rocks and sand below. Once on the island, we enjoyed views of Rathlin Island and islands of Scotland in the distance.

There were kittiwakes and other sea birds nesting in the volcanic cliffs of the island and mainland.

To the west we could see the cliffs above Larry Bane Bay, where we had gotten off the bus, and Sheep Island.

Looking south, we could see the beautiful cliffs of Portaneevey.

I got some very nice pictures from the island and then we made our way back across the bridge. The line to cross seemed longer so I was glad we had gotten there when we did. Near the bridge, we had great views of Portaneevey cliffs, including a beautiful sea cave in the basalt cliffs.

Since there would be no more lines, our walk back was a little slower and we stopped to get more pictures and enjoy the beautiful scenery a bit more. Back at the parking area, we had a couple minutes before the bus was taking off, so we grabbed sandwiches for lunch from the cafe. We boarded the bus and headed west for a short ways to the highlight of the day's tour, The Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Matthew dropped us off and would be picking us back up near the restaurant. Strangely, it is free to visit the Giant’s Causeway, but there is a fee to enter the visitor center and gift shop. It was lightly raining when we disembarked the bus and began walking, but stopped shortly thereafter. We started off on the Blue Trail, heading down along the coast next to the shuttle route.

We passed Port Granny and soon made it to the Grand Causeway.

By the time we got here, the rain had stopped completely and we could see blue skies, although the basalt rocks were very wet and slippery.

We climbed around here, getting pictures and enjoying the phenomenal views of the mountains, coast, and of course the strange polygonal basalt columns that the causeway is famous for.

From here, we continued on the Blue Trail, stopping for a picture of the Giant’s Boot, a massive rock that looks astoundingly similar to a boot.

Shortly past the boot, we turned right to get on the Red Trail and headed up towards the cliff above along the Shepherd's Path.

Along the trail, there was quite a bit of spear thistle, with wicked-looking thorns on its leaves and stalks, but the trail was well-maintained and we were able to avoid any painful contact.

Near the top, the path turned to steep stairs as we ascended the Shepherd's Steps.

Once up at the top, we enjoyed wonderful views of the causeway and coastline below the cliffs as we made our way back, taking a short detour on Aird Snout to view the causeway from directly above.

In the distance looking west, we could see strange glowing columns below the clouds over Portballintrae and Portrush.

I have no idea what caused these, but they were very interesting looking.

We finished the Red Trail back at the Visitor Center and got on the bus. Almost immediately after we boarded, the rain started again, but it was light and we were safely on the bus. As we waited for the other visitors to return, we watched a steady stream of classic British cars driving by, mostly Jaguars and MGs. There must have been some car show in the area. When everyone returned, we drove a little bit further west and made a quick stop to view Dunluce Castle from the road.

This castle is the location of House of Greyjoy in Game of Thrones. Then we headed towards Belfast. I fell asleep and don’t remember anything more about the drive there, but awoke as we were heading into Belfast. First, we made a quick stop at Buoy Park and I ran out for a quick photo of St. Anne’s Cathedral adjacent to the park.

Then we stopped at Donegall Square at the Belfast City Hall for about 45 minutes.  I spent much of the time walking around the absolutely beautiful city hall, getting pictures from different angles.

A truly gorgeous building and perhaps the most beautiful city hall I had ever seen.

Surrounding the City Hall were beautiful gardens and walkways with numerous statues and the Garden of Remembrance and Cenotaph, dedicated to those who fought in World War I and II.

Next to the City Hall was the Scottish Provident Building, an office building with a beautiful facade. I don't see many office buildings like that back home.

We also stopped in a couple of stores along Donegall Place, just north of City Hall, and then re-boarded the bus. Before we headed back to the Republic, however, Matthew took us to a few more places in Belfast to really make the former conflict come to life. We drove to several murals commemorating figures from the IRA and the Irish struggle in the Falls Road area, including the Bobby Sands mural and the Solidarity Wall.

We also saw the Garden of Remembrance, honoring those who had died on a hunger strike, and the security fence that is still in place.

There were several spots where we had to turn around due to the fence being closed, and I was amazed that Matthew could turn the huge tour bus around on such narrow streets.

Then we started making our way back to Dublin, about a two-hour drive. Although we didn’t get back to Dublin until after 8, there was still plenty of daylight left. We were hungry, however, so we stopped at O’Donoghue’s near the Dublin Tourist Information Center. The downstairs was crowded, so we ate upstairs. The food and service was great, although I felt bad for Joe, the bartender, who had to keep running up and down the stairs to bring us our food and drinks. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel after a very long, but fun day.