Northern Ireland/Donegal
I have been called back to the Emerald Isle again to explore the mystical land with tales of leprechauns, fairies, goddesses and ancient archeological sites. The warm and welcoming people of Ireland charm and inspire you while they gather in circles to sing and play Celtic music. One of my favorite parts of traveling is getting the real experience of a culture.
Day 1 Dublin to Ballintoy We landed in Dublin and quickly rented a car and headed up to Newgrange an ancient burial site that is older than the Egyptian Pyramids and Stonehenge. It was constructed about 5,200 years ago. One if its most famed features is the small “roof box” tiny window above the opening which is a portal for light on the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year (December 21st) and on this day, a shaft of sunlight enters the chamber through the opening in the roof box and lights up the tomb. This ancient structure not only sourced stones weighing in the tons and materials from miles away and built a structure that is sealed tight before the invention of cement but is also perched on a hill that is perfectly lined up on the winter solstice to light up the tomb. The ancestors of this land were architects, astrologers and mystics. We cannot know for certain the reason for this but we know that at this time period the Winter Solstice marked the start of a new year. It may also have served as a powerful symbol of life after death and promising new life to the spirits of the dead.
We headed up to Northern Ireland traveling through the Glens of Antrim with some of the most spectacular coastal scenery with cliffs and rolling hills along the Irish Sea, stopping in some of the quaint towns of Cushendall and Cushendun. After a long day we arrived at The Fullerton Arms Guesthouse, our home for the next 2 nights.
Day 2 Exploring The Giants Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Bushmills Distillery, Whitepark Bay, The Ballintoy Harbor, lunch at The Red Door Cottage and Tea Room and Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge.
The Giants’s Causeway. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s an epic sight, with 40,000 or so of these hexagonal- shaped basalt pillars, which dates back to a volcanic age almost 60 million years ago. The Irish have a way of making stories and tales around these astounding features of natures. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. As most of our ancestors the people of Ireland appreciate the sense of unexplainable wonder. Part of my fascination with travel is it reminds me of the beauty and wonder that are always present in the world.
Dunluce Castle built on the cliff overlooking the sea. It is also used as the location of Castle Greyjoy in Game of Thrones
Bushmills Distillery the oldest working distillery in Ireland. We stopped in and did a tasting and learned all about the whiskey and bought a bottle of their premier whiskey only sold at the distillery with thoughts of making a hot toddy when we were back home.
Whitepark Bay is not on the typical tour but this beach is a mystical site which most people drive right by not realizing what they are missing. Whitepark Bay was one of the first settlements of man in Ireland and has significant ancient Neolithic evidence including passage tombs. It felt profoundly magical with hardly anybody around.
The Ballyintoy Harbor belongs on any bucket list of Northern Ireland. It has spectacular scenery and you are free to just walk and explore. It was one of my favorite places to roam, climb and feel like you have been transported back into a fairytale.
After our exploring we were ready for lunch and half way up the road from the harbor we found the cutest cafe Red Door Cafe with amazing homemade desserts. You can’t miss it because the name is written on the roof.
Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge was our final stop for the day. They assured us this was a much safer version then the men and women who had crossed a ladder to fish for salmon.
Day 3 Ballintoy to Ardara We made a couple stops on our way visiting the Dark Hedges and Glenveagh National Park and checked into the Nesbitt Arms Hotel in County Donegal for a 2 night stay. After checking in we headed to Maghera Beach before sunset checking out the waterfall on the way down. The tide was out and we explored the caves on the beach while squeezing in some yoga poses.
Dark Hedges
Maghera Beach
Ardara is a quaint quintessential Irish town. We had dinner both nights at Nancy’s and over to The Beehive Bar for live music sessions. We met other travelers while enjoying some beer and listening to the music and soaking up the moment when life slows down and the whole town treats you like you are part of the family.
Day 4 Exploring Slieve League Cliffs, Muckross Head, The Pod, Killeybeg and Sheila’s
Slieve League was my most anticipated part of our trip. The beauty and awe inspiring views from the highest sea cliffs in Ireland was breathtaking. Making it even more impressive we saw only a handful of people. On our hike up there is an area you can see stones, which marked out the word “Éire” as a navigation aid for aircraft during World War II to let the German pilots know that Ireland was a safe zone and to not drop any bombs. They have been recently uncovered here and though out other parts of Ireland.
Muckross Head popular with rock climbers another place we climbed over rocks and watched whales playing in the bay without seeing any other people. This feels very off the beaten path but well worth the visit.
The Pod for coffee was a necessity after hiking all morning. The view was pretty spectacular as well
We finished off the afternoon with lunch in Killeybeg and dessert back in Andara at Sheila’s.
Day 4 Ardara to Dublin This was mostly a travel day but we dropped our rental car off and spent our last night in Clontarf Castle Hotel We finished our evening with more live music at The Cobblestone which may have struck a deep cord in my Irish heart that I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the evening.
Day 5 Home