My Holiday to Northern Ireland - Emma Dicks
07 March 2024
My Holiday to Ireland
by Emma Louisa Dicks, Copywriter at Just Go! Holidays
On the last morning of my holiday in Northern Ireland, I opened the window of my friend’s bedroom to check the weather. It had rained overnight, the first rain I had seen in six days and the temperature because of it felt lighter, fresher. There was no frost, the sky a bright blue with low-hanging light grey clouds peacefully sitting on the horizon.
‘Irish clouds,’ as I had named them. I had yet to see one cloud overhead, whether this was due to the time of year or not, I didn't know but the sky in Northern Ireland seemed more expansive than its English counterpart. The ‘Irish clouds’ are happy to be a supporting act to the main event, the bright sun, which dominates the vast, bright blue sky.
We had been very lucky with the weather, and as my friend Gladys reminded me that morning, “It could have been terrible!”
Yes, it could have been, but it wasn’t, I reminded her with a big smile.
For a December morning, the perfect weather had only added to the perfect holiday and a trip of a lifetime to the Emerald Isle. It was 8.20am and looking at the beautiful sky, I reflected on my holiday to Ireland and the wonderful things I had seen and the amazing experiences I had shared with friends and family.
The Mountains of Mourne
On the second day of my trip, we made our way to Newcastle. A two-hour drive from my friend’s farm, which was about 4 miles away from the town of Ballymoney. We headed off early, with an adventure ahead of us to climb Ireland’s tallest mountain Slieve Donard. The highest of the Mourne Mountains, it is the tallest mountain in Northern Ireland standing at 852m—I had done little research on what to expect, being told the climb would take us 5 hours and we should be prepared for it to get cold at the top!
I had never climbed a mountain before and my ignorance of the spectacular nature of what I was about to experience was maybe, a blessing. With every step through the dense forest, past rushing waterfalls and streams and up steep stone steps, I became more and more awestruck. In fact—I was in a continual state of jaw-dropping awe the entire walk, at the beauty around me. The landscape was stunning, the weather so calm and welcoming that the journey upward began to take an almost mystical turn.
That is until we got close to the top and began the climb up to the famous Mourne Wall. Quiet serenity was replaced with the sound of huffing and puffing as we made our way, struggling up one steep stone step after the other, to the Wall.
Our efforts were rewarded with a spectacular view and a hefty dose of wind when we reached the Mourne Wall and took a welcome breather and a photo. What a magnificent mountain range, an experience I will never forget.
Belfast
Halfway through my holiday, we put walking boots aside and readied ourselves for a day of eating and drinking! Now this was turning into a holiday at last! Forget exploring the Mourne Mountains, I was here to get a taste of the black stuff!
On a clear Saturday morning, we arrived in Belfast and headed to George’s Market, one of the most happening spots in the city. Famous for its many stalls and renowned for the iconic and huge breakfast item—the Belfast Bap! A breakfast bap filled to the brim with sausage, bacon and egg in potato or soda bread. Every order was cooked with pride and perfection and there were hundreds of orders throughout the morning into lunch. We filled our stomachs with Belfast Baps and our souls with life music, enjoying every second of the atmosphere on this our first experience of Belfast's warmth and charm.
Our next stop was the most well-known pub in Belfast, called the Crown. We needed some Guinness to wash down those baps! Probably one of the most photographed places in Belfast, I have to say though, photographs do not do this establishment justice. You must stand in the Crown and cast your eyes all over walls, up and down and then side to side and upward to the ceiling again to believe it.
Giant’s Causeway
Saving the best till last, on the penultimate day of our holiday we set off to Giants Causeway. It was a Sunday, and the weather was too good to be true. There was not a hint of a breeze in the air, the sky was clear blue, the clouds behaving well and hugging the horizon as usual.
At first, I wasn’t sure what I was seeing or if what I was seeing was impressive or not. We made our way down the steps, along a path toward the cliffs and immediately came across hexagonal stones in perfect alignment— loads of them, like stepping stones! Some noticeably different sizes and different heights—huge stones placed up and along the coast and heading out deep in the water, all the way across to Scotland, I’m told.
After making our way from stone to stone, carefully we stepped from one to the other. Pausing on occasion to turn and admire the view and take in the vastness of rocks all around. As if they had been scooped up out of the earth and let fall to the shore.
We headed along a small path, making a steady ascent to The Organ. An impressive rock formation that does indeed look like an organ. We made our way along the ‘red route’ as the sun was setting, a glorious orange sunlight hit the red rocks, making them appear even redder and even more beautiful. The view of the Causeway from this spot is magnificent and the experience was oddly mystical. At that moment I felt the call of the ancient people of Ireland and imagined an ancient civilization there, where I was standing! It was incredible. A remarkable and magical place, I couldn’t recommend a visit to the Giant’s Causeway enough.