Giant’s Causeway, a dramatic pathway to the sea that captures both the imagination and the soul
8. NORTHERN IRELAND: DRUMCLIFFE TO BELLEEK Travel today to the foothills of steep-sided Benbulben Mountain and the village of Drumcliffe, where the final resting place of poet W. B. Yeats lies in a graveyard marked by carved Irish “high crosses” dating back to a 6th-century monastery. Continue on to the villages of Mullaghmore and Ballyshannon and the market town of Belleek, for a behind-the-scenes tour of the factory where you’ll meet craftspeople using techniques handed down from generation to generation to create delicate porcelain. Following lunch, travel to Lough Erne Golf Resort. Meals BLD
9. CASTLEDERG, DERRY & ULSTER En route to Derry, drive through tiny Castlederg for a glimpse of the remains of a thatch-roofed castle, once a stop along an ancient pilgrimage route. Threads of history continue to unfold on a tour of Derry; among its sites are St. Columb’s Cathedral,
the Bloody Sunday memorial marking the troubled events of 1972, and wall murals painted since the peace process began in 1994 with messages reflecting the cultural identities of local residents. Your Derry visit ends with a walking tour of its old city walls, marking the only completely walled city in the British Isles. From Derry, head to the Ulster American Folk Park which tells the stories behind three centuries of Irish emigrants who sought to make new lives in North America. Meals BLD
10. BELFAST & TITANIC HISTORY
Arrive in Belfast, where your day begins in the Titanic Quarter, developed on the site of former shipbuilding docks from which vessels like the R.M.S. Titanic were built and launched. Its newly opened Titanic exhibit shows life in early 1900s Belfast and the experience of sailing on the Titanic, including what it felt like to be on the ship when it encountered an iceberg. Get to know this historic city during a brief tour, then spend a little time exploring on your own. This evening, a special treat – a nine-course Titanic tasting menu dinner in the sumptuous Great Room of The Merchant Hotel, honoring the ship’s grand style. Meals BD
Discover Ireland’s inland waters on a lake cruise in Connemara 68
11. MEDIEVAL CASTLES & A GIANT’S CAUSEWAY Castle towns are this morning’s focus on a stop in Carrickfergus (the subject of a classic Irish folk song) and in Ballygally, where a charming baronial castle looks out over the sea. Drive on to the town of Bushmills; lunch is served up with a warm welcome and a “fire that is always lit,” a tradition at the Bushmills Inn whose origins date back to 1608. Your afternoon is spent on one of the world’s most scenic drives along the Antrim Coast. Explore the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over 40,000 symmetrical basalt columns lead from coastal cliffs out to the sea; this geologically formed path was once thought to be a giant’s stomping ground. Your evening is at leisure. Meals BL
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