Northern Ireland (Norn Iron) – another travel blog:

Beautiful Dunluce on the Antrim Coast

For those of you unfamiliar with Irish colloquialisms, Norn Iron is short for Northern Ireland, or the six counties of Ireland which are still part of the UK. It probably derives from the inhabitants’penchant for speaking rapidly. People will be aware that the region suffered over thirty years of civil strife, during which over three thousand people lost their lives. Consequently, there was very little investment in the six counties during that period. Needless to say, it wouldn’t have been on anyone’s tourist list during those years either. As a result, when peace finally came in the late 1990’s and the tourist board decided to try to attract visitors, the infrastructure was very poor. Thankfully, twenty five years on, this situation has been rectified and the north now has an abundance of good quality hotels and guesthouses, all run by folk who are extraordinarily friendly and accommodating. Restaurants are still fairly basic and are mainly just pubs but the food is good and the welcome here is also wonderful. The ironic thing is that despite decades of mistrust and division, northern Irish people have always had a well-earned reputation for friendliness and warmth and that still holds good today.

The preamble was to give context to our tourism review. We recently spent a week in the north and have visited it numerous times over the past few years. So, what is the infrastructure like now? In terms of tourist offerings, it’s good, without being brilliant. Unfortunately, if you choose to drive, you will find that the road network badly needs upgrading, almost everywhere. Yes, there are motorways between some of the big population centres but not enough of them and many segue into dual carriageways which allow access from cross roads and are lethally dangerous. There are also very many main roads which are still narrow, two-lane and twisty. The recent controversy about the number of fatal accidents on the A5 speaks for itself in this regard. Ironically, in my memory, roads in the Republic of Ireland during the 1960’s and 70’s were far inferior to those in the North. The wheel has come full circle now as the Republic has a superb road network whereas Northern Ireland roads really need attention. Widening, insertion of turning lanes, footpaths, cycle lanes, access from side roads, vision, bad turns, accident black spots – all need to be addressed as we found some of the roads to be extremely dangerous. If you are driving here, caution is essential. It must be said that there is a reasonably good bus and rail network and perhaps investment may have been concentrated there, but I doubt it.

I don’t want the review to be negative because we did have an enjoyable time and we met some wonderful genuine people. So, let’s examine the tourist offering. Fair Head in Co Antrim is magnificent and although difficult to access is worth the effort. The towns of Cushendall and Cushendun are lovely and filled with friendly welcoming people. The Glens of Antrim are scenic and feature beautiful forests and hills with lots of nature walks. We took what is called ‘The Causeway Coastal Route,’ which effectively takes the coast route between Belfast and Derry. Now, while there are many fine places and features on this route, some of which I have already mentioned, it is important to be aware that the route is not the equivalent of ‘The Wild Atlantic Way,’ in the Republic. Whereas the WAW hugs the western coastline of Ireland and as a result is more than 2,500 kilometres in length, its Northern Ireland cousin, the CCR, has long stretches where the coast is a significant distance away. In fact, I would say that for more than half of it, you cannot see the coast at all. I don’t know why this is or why the route doesn’t take in some of the side roads that go through many of the pretty villages and towns that line the coast. Perhaps the tourist board can clarify? Maybe there is a clue in the title, because there appears to be an over emphasis on attracting people to the Giants Causeway.

Causeway Coast

Now there is no doubt that the Causeway is spectacular and unique. The eighteenth century writer, Dr. Samuel Johnson, in a famous quotation, said that: ‘the Giants Causeway is worth seeing but not worth going to see.’ Having never seen a similar rock formation anywhere in the world, I beg to disagree with the good Doctor. It is well worth seeing and going to see. In fact, I think you can book day trips from throughout Ireland to visit and return in one day. But unless you are short of time, don’t do that – stay a while, the welcome you get will be worth it.

Just up the road from the Causeway is the world renowned Carrickarede rope bridge. The bridge links a small island to the mainland and was originally used by fishermen over 350 years ago who could only land their catches on the island. The bridge is only about seventy feet long but is suspended one hundred feet above the ocean, so it is quite a dare, particularly for those with a fear of heights. There is a small fee charged for crossing the bridge but it is well worth it as the views from the island are beautiful and spectacular. There is a wide array of seabirds on view also.

Here is where I may get into trouble with the NI tourist board. ☺ If you want to get similar (in my view, better) views, travel about four miles east and you will see a small sign for Kinbane Castle. This is a ruined castle situated on another small island just off the coast. For those who can’t handle heights, there’s no bridge here; you can walk downwards to the seafront and walk across a grassy bank. You then have to climb again to reach the castle and further to get to the peak of the island but if you do, you will be rewarded with truly spectacular views, back to the mainland, along the coast to Fair Head, north to Rathlin Island and further out, Scotland can easily be seen most days. The beauty of Kinbane is that very few people seem to know about it and you can have it all to yourself most of the time. It also has a good car park and toilet facilities and is completely free of charge.

Other places I would recommend are Rathlin Island, easily reachable by ferry from Ballycastle which features a wonderful range of seabirds in their natural habitat. The seaside towns of Portrush and Portstewart are pretty and have long sandy beaches if you are brave enough to go swimming or sunbathing. Carrickfergus Castle is worth a look. So is the city of Derry, one of only three cities which still retain the entire length of their city wall. The other two are Dubrovnik and Carcassonne and I would rate Derry as interesting as either.

So to conclude, do I believe the NI tourist board slogan which says something like: ‘Northern Ireland – a place apart’, or ‘Northern Ireland – an area of outstanding natural beauty.’ I’d favour the second slogan but would probably dismiss the first. Yes, there are areas of outstanding beauty. For me, it doesn’t compete with the Wild Atlantic Way, particularly the parts in Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Kerry and Cork but then again, very few countries do. So, my recommendation is to visit them all in whatever order you please. And even if you are bowled over by the WAW, make the effort to visit the Antrim coast – it’s well worth it and the Norn Iron tourism industry could do with a break. ☺