Travel News July/August 2016
VISITOR ATTRACTIONS NEWS 7 A rich and fascinating history
YOU don't have to travel far to find some fascinating monuments and castles as Northern Ireland has some of the finest to be found.
Rathlin Island is a beautiful place for keen nature enthusiasts and walkers
Rare, wild and beautiful A
RARE place, wild, beautiful and of extraordinary ecological value and social interest.
That’s Rathlin Island which lies six miles off Ballycastle in Northeast Ireland and 16 miles from the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. It is eight miles long and less than one mile wide.
Rathlin is a place of international importance for seabirds and one of the larges mixed seabird colonies in Britain or Ireland. Amidst the rugged landscape of this beautiful island, let your mind wander and discover a tranquillity and beauty that is so unexpected.
The ferry to Rathlin Island travels just six miles across the Sea of Moyle. This island is six miles long, one mile wide, "L" shaped and home to a slowly increasing population of around 140 people.
A short walk from the harbour is the Boathouse Visitor Centre, where visitors can discover some of the exciting history, learn about present day island life and see some artefacts from shipwrecks around the island. Enjoy many of the walks the Island has to offer including along the shore to Mill Bay where you may see some of the resident seals basking or at play.
Cycle hire is another way to enjoy the island or take a bus trip.
The main puffin season ends in July so don't miss the opportunity to see them along with lots of other sea birds. The re-furbished seabird centre is open to the public from Easter with the added bonus of being able to explore a real working lighthouse which is now part of the Great Lighthouses of Ireland tour.
Many tales of myth and mystery surround
Rathlin; perhaps the most famous tells of Robert the Bruce.
In 1306, the Scottish King was driven from Scotland by Edward I of England and took refuge on Rathlin where he watched a spider persevering again and again to bridge a gap with its web.
Eventually it succeeded. Taking heart from the spider's efforts, he returned to Scotland and eventually regained his crown. The island has a range of accommodation to suit different needs, a pub, restaurant, community shop and gift shop, offering Rathlin produced crafts. ‘Breakwater Studio’ features the work of local artist Yvonne Braithwaite.
For bookings and further information contact Rathlin Island Ferries Ltd on 028 2076 9299 or email
info@rathlinballycastleferry.com.
Top NI Tourism spots fit for a Queen
The earliest are from Norman times, but fortified homes continued to be built well into the 17th century - much of Derry City dates from this era, including its encircling walls. Centuries of war, siege and expansion, have left a well-preserved legacy which is still there to be explored! Back in the mists of time, some of our remotest areas were bustling! The first known dwelling on this island was found at Mountsandel near Coleraine (7000BC). Fermanagh and Tyrone are especially rich in Stone Age archaeology. Atop a windswept upland or in a lakeside field, await intriguing stones and earthwork. Can you solve the mystery of the 7 Beaghmore Bronze Age circles? Or the curious idols on Boa and White islands in Lough Erne? The Fermanagh lake was popular with Neolithic and early Christian Celts; its shoreline and islands full of burial and dwelling sites. Within Belfast City Hall grounds you can view the memorial paying tribute to the 22 Belfast men who lost their lives on the ship, and thanks to Pirrie's influence the Lord Mayor's Suite is also known as 'The Titanic Rooms' as craftsmen who worked on them also worked on the famous liner.
Visit the spectacle of Navan Fort near Armagh, stronghold of the Ulster kings, famous in the sagas of Cuchulainn and the Red Branch Warriors. There are even more antiquities from the early Christian era. Superb examples of monastic sites, gravestones, abbeys, round towers and Celtic crosses crop up in every county. The perfect round tower on Devenish Island (Lough Erne) is worth the boat trip, as is the church on White Island.
Greyabbey is one of our best monastic sites, set in parkland with a medieval herb garden.
The earliest castles are a Norman
legacy, but fortified homes continued well into the 17th century. Through centuries of war, siege and expansion, Carrickfergus Castle was Ireland's most formidable stronghold.
Other towering examples: Greencastle, Jordan's and Dundrum in County Down and Harry Avery's Castle, home of the powerful O'Neills in Tyrone. Reserve an entire day for massive Enniskillen Castle. For the ultimate cliffhanger, Dunluce Castle clings precariously above the north Atlantic.
Our western counties have numerous 17th century defended stone Planter homes including: haunted Springhill, Bellaghy Bawn, imposing Benburb Castle, Castle Caulfield, Tully House, Monea Castle, Castle Balfour, and Sir John Davies Castle. Much of Derry City dates from this era, including its encircling walls and the impressive St. Columb's Cathedral.
Northern Ireland in the 18th - 19th centuries had contrasting ways of life. From sumptuous manors epitomised by Ardress House, Castle Ward and Hillsborough Castle, to humble cottages. 17 US presidents have Ulster roots and many of their ancestral homes are preserved.
The Ulster Folk Museum has also collected and restored traditional farm and village buildings. Armagh City is testament to Georgian elegance, and as Ireland's ecclesiastical capital, boasts two beautiful cathedrals.
During the Victorian Period, Northern Ireland was at its peak as an industrial power. Belfast in particular flaunted its wealth through splendid buildings, among them City Hall, Queen's University, Malone House, Belfast Castle, the Botanic Gardens greenhouses (among the first built), Albert Clock, even the ornate Crown Liquor Saloon. Guided architectural tours reveal the stories behind the stonework.
Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are pictured at the famous Giant's Causeway during their recent visit to Northern Ireland where they experienced some of Northern Ireland’s best loved tourism locations. Visitors can follow in The Queen’s footsteps by enjoying a day out at the Giant’s Causeway and experience some of the nearby attractions such as the famous Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, take in the beauty of Whiterocks Beach in Portrush or visit the famous Old Bushmills Distillery
Chance for visitors enjoy our local crafts
THOUSANDS of tourists to Northern Ireland this summer will have the opportunity to enjoy and experience one of its greatest resources – an exciting and burgeoning crafts sector. With its multitude of artisan festivals, exhibitions and craft workshops - specialising in everything from jewellery making to blacksmithing - located in some of Northern Ireland’s most beautiful locations, August Craft Month has increasingly captured the attention of visitors.
Now in its tenth year, the annual celebration of craft organised by Craft NI has become an important part of the Northern Ireland tourist calendar. Highlights of this year’s August Craft Month include:
• R-Space Gallery, Lisburn – Film Makers Five makers will be invited to create new work in response to archive craft heritage footage, which has been digitally preserved by the Digital Film Archive through funding from the BFI. • Making it 2015-17 – Exhibition at Down Arts Centre, Featuring new work being developed by the members of Craft NI’s latest making it business development group.
• Creative Coast – Mini Festival of Craft on the North Coast Organised by Creative Coast Artists collective, this is a series of great craft workshops for both adults and children.
• HMS Caroline – Craft Workshops A series of workshops for kids and adults on a nautical theme taking place
on board the HMS Caroline. • Craft NI – Patricia van den Akker Workshops
• Crafting a Brand for You, 10am- 12pm
• How to Get More Sales Online, 1pm-4pm
• Creative Peninsula – featuring craft fairs, open studios, tours exhibitions etc. on the scenic Ards Peninsula • Craft Fest – annual celebration of craft, applied art and design at Castleward.
• Digital Textiles Summer School learn how to use the latest digital fabrication technology at the Amma Centre in Armagh.
For full details of all August Craft Month events, visit
craftni.org.
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