When Gavin and I first showed our itinerary to some friendly Gaelic football supporters in a Dublin bus, they were appalled we weren’t going to visit the south. “You’re not getting your money’s worth,” one of them quipped. In the end, we did manage to venture as far down as Waterford and Cork, although we didn’t see the famed Ring of Kerry. But no matter — there’s plenty to do in the north.

And I’m not just talking about Northern Ireland. County Donegal is still in the Republic of Ireland, although it’s situated quite far north-west. The Glenveagh National Park was a definite highlight — the manicured gardens and orangerie are a delight to behold, while the castle itself can be toured at set times every day. The national park includes 16 000 hectares of mountain, bogs, lakes and woods and features two of Donegal’s highest peaks, Errigal and Slieve Snacht.

The next day we were officially in Northern Ireland. Our first stop was at the Marble Arch Caves in County Fermanagh. This attraction is a winner for kids — the guided tour offers close-up inspections of stalactites and a variety of other cave formations. First explored in 1895 by the French academic Edouard Martel, the caves aren’t made of marble at all, but actually limestone. The rivers running off Cuilcagh Mountain have carved out an enormous network of caves deep within the limestone which are now possible to explore on foot.

I was amazed at the serenity of the place — it was like a huge underground cathedral with a vaulted roof. Every now and then what looked like giant squids came squirming out of overhead crevices. We were impressed to hear that it takes a thousand years for a stalactite to grow a single centimetre.

Giants or geology?

As far as natural splendour goes, you can’t beat Giant’s Causeway. Although Gavin’s Irish uncle had warned us that it was a “great disappointment”, we were undeterred. There had to be a reason why it was a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And why musicians love featuring it as a backdrop on their CD covers.

And thankfully we weren’t let down. After a walk of about 20 minutes from the car park, we were able to clamber around the honeycomb shapes rising out of the ocean. The impressive columns of basalt are the result of a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago although, according to Irish folklore, the causeway was created by two feuding giants, one Scottish and the other Irish, who threw large rocks at each other.

It’s difficult to take a picture of the iconic site sans tourists — there are hordes of them everywhere you look, clambering on the rocks and having their photo taken. It’s a good idea to stop at the visitor’s centre on the way back, either to browse around the shop or to revive yourself with a mug of coffee. On the day we visited, a gentle rain was falling (typical Irish weather) so a hot beverage would have been most welcome (alas, the restaurant had already closed).

Discovering 'The Troubles'

Northern Ireland is as much worth visiting for its scenic beauty as for its history. The tragedy of the Troubles, a period in the nation’s history which lasted from 1968 to 1998, was brought into sharp focus when we visited Derry (or Londonderry, depending on which name you prefer. Derry is the name favoured by nationalists, while unionists like the reference to the British capital).

A walking tour led by the charismatic Martin McCrossan took us around Derry’s famous walls, which proved instrumental in defending the city during the great siege in 1689. I was alarmed that 10 years after the Good Friday Agreement, a huge barricade still separates the Protestant suburb of Fountain Estate from the Catholic area of Bogside. Wandering through the streets of Bogside, you are struck by the many murals depicting the Troubles and by how deep the hostility actually ran.

The Museum of Free Derry is a veritable assault on your senses. Gavin and I couldn’t help but draw parallels between the loss of life during the Bloody Sunday uprising and the young people gunned down in Soweto on June 16, 1976 — both groups fighting for civil rights; both defenceless against the armed security forces.

The Tower Museum is also well worth a visit. It gives a more comprehensive overview of the history of the city which began as an ancient oak grove and whose earliest settler was St Colum Cille.

The city that built Titanic

Naturally a trip to Northern Ireland wouldn’t be complete without visiting the capital. Most famous for being the site where the Titanic was built, Belfast has risen above its painful past to become one of Europe’s most vibrant cities. We were interested to learn about plans for the R16-billion Titanic Quarter, which include 75 hectares of hotels, shops, apartments, restaurants as well as a tourist centre which aims to draw 500 000 tourists a year. It’s hoped the precinct will open in 2012, in time for the centenary commemoration of the doomed ocean liner’s maiden voyage.

Known for its beautiful Victorian architecture, the city is also famous for its giant protest murals. Important landmarks include the City Hall, the Albert Memorial Clock (which leans 1.2m off the vertical), the Stormont Parliament buildings and the elegant modern Harmony statue (which our guide, with his characteristic Irish sense of humour, referred to as the “thing with the ring”). The city is also a good bet for shopping and dining (if you have sufficient rands to convert to sterling, that is).

The best way to end off your Northern Ireland adventure is with a drive along the Antrim coast, which boasts long stretches of magnificent coastline, stopping off at Portsteward for a seaside promenade. We had a bite to eat at a café there, sharing our table with two women from Tyrone.

Before long, my husband had struck up a conversation with them and we were exchanging pleasantries. It was a battle trying to discern what they were saying because of their thick accents, but they were clearly struggling as much as we were. When they asked our names, they couldn’t get Gavin’s name right. “Kevin,” they said.

I giggled. “Gavin,” my husband insisted. But it was no use trying to correct them. After all, they were about to leave. We were thankful to have had a chance to meet some locals, and — as the expression goes — aren’t Irish eyes always smiling?

Joanne Kotze travelled as a guest of Tourism Ireland. For more information, phone 011-442-0822, email tourismireland@dpgsa.co.za or visit www.discoverireland.com.

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