Since our trip was so jam-packed, I thought it best to separate this post into 2 parts. See our Dublin experience in Part 1 here. Below I’ll walk you through how the Clover Girls take Ireland part 2 in Northern Ireland. Enjoy!

History

Did you know that Ireland is separated into 2 Countries? More than separated, they are divided. This division was instigated by the Irish War of Independence (civil war). The large lower section is the Republic of Ireland and the other is Northern Ireland which is under British rule. Why didn’t I know that?! I will never claim to be in-the-know about all that is going on in the world but I felt like a complete idiot when I realized that. 🤦‍♀️ For more info on the differences see this interesting article from the Irish Road Trip.

Hello Belfast!

Belfast is a very intriguing city. There is a ton of history literally written on the walls. Throughout the town you can see remnants of the three-decade conflict between the Protestants and Catholics known as “the troubles”. Even though the battle continues, Belfast describes itself as having cool restaurants, cultural quarters and festivals. I agree! We never felt afraid or in danger. In fact, I think I prefer Belfast over Dublin…but that’s just my opinion.

Titanic Museum

Since I had to work, my sister and mom went on their own adventure told in the next section. After work, I had some time to kill due to their tour schedule and I REALLY wanted to go to the Titanic Museum. Luckily, they had a “late saver” tour which just means a smaller price to enter for the last hour they are open. Even though I only had an hour to go through the Titanic Experience, that was enough to quench my thirst for history. Remember, I’m a history nerd. 😉 It was rich and interesting and I’m so happy I took the time to go!

Travel Tip: Look for special deals on tours. They can come in the form of a bundle or late savers.

Giant’s Causeway and G.O.T. Tour – as told by my sister Brandi

Our tour started with The Dark Hedges, which I geeked out over because some scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed there. Pretty incredible and eerie!

After a short stop to a whiskey distillery (yum!), we were off to Giants Causeway. This is an absolute must-see! These special formations got their name due to an ancient volcanic fissure eruption creating these 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. The history of the rocks and how the area got named is truly fascinating.

After that, we made our way to the Carrick-A-Rede Bridge which was the definite highlight of the tour for me. We took a little over a half-mile hike of hundreds to thousands of stairs which we were NOT prepared for – we about died! 🥵 But so worth it. We got to cross a bridge that is 100 feet above jagged rocks and a very small fishing island. The scenery was like nothing I’ve ever experienced….shades of green I’d never seen before. Simply stunning.

Then it was off to our last stop. A small fishing village to see another famous spot for yet another scene from Game of Thrones (a very important one!). It was there that we had the most delicious honeycomb ice cream at a quaint little shop.

Note: This tour originated in Belfast but it is actually located on the Northern coast of Northern Ireland. You can also join this tour from Dublin.

Kelly’s Cellars

On our last night, we went to the oldest pub in Belfast and it was such a treat! Kelly’s Cellars was established in 1720 and much of the original pub is still intact. It was a little difficult to locate but once we arrived we were enthralled. The atmosphere was incredible. There was a band sitting in a booth performing traditional Irish music. You’ll find live music there 6 days a week and 5 of those are traditional Irish music nights. I was in love!

Needless to say, we all stumbled back to our room in the wee hours of the night. 🍻 Such great memories from that night!

Travel Tip: Research your destination ahead of time for local hot spots. If I hadn’t we would’ve never found this gem.

Final Thoughts

Ireland was truly a wonder-filled destination. The people are the most friendly bunch I’ve encountered in all of my travels to other countries. Be sure to make the most of your travels and don’t forget to ENJOY it! For more travel tips, check out my post: Tips for Traveling Abroad.

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