N'Irish

Over the first May bank long weekend, I headed on a road trip to Northern Ireland. It was a relaxing and enjoyable weekend involving two girls chatting away, admiring the views and tackling the winding roads of the Antrim Glens. It was an educational weekend as well as I broadened my understanding of the similarities, the divisions and the conflicts which have existed and continue to exist between Ireland and Northern Ireland.


Here are a couple of examples...
Example 1: While people from Ireland are 'Irish', there is no clear distinction for those from Northern Ireland as they can be either 'Irish' or 'British'.
Example 2: There is a town that is known by its sign as 'Derry/Londonderry' as the Irish typically call it 'Derry' while the Brits prefer 'Londonderry'.

Photos from our 'N'Irish' exploration...

Top: Victoria & the impressive N'Irish coastline; just a few of the some 40,000 interlocking basalt columns that attracts tourists to the Giant's Causeway; Dunluce Castle built in the 1200s remains on the cliff edge. Legend has it that the residents moved out after the kitchen (including the cooks & dinner) fell into the sea; and the Carrick-a-Rede roap bridge, a suspension bridge originally built to allow the salmon fishermen to position themselves in the best spot to catch migrating salmon.

Above: The Mussenden Temple perched on the cliffs near Castlerock and me in our 'convertible'... OK, so it was just a sun roof, but I can dream; one of the original crosses of Kells; and 'The Organ' on Giant's Causeway.