Giants Causeway to me personally should be another wonders of the world lol. But really, this is…read moresuch a cool spot in Ireland to checkout to check the box off of "cool places to see along the coast." Giants Causeway are these natural rock formations along the Irish coast that tourists flock to as they are truly amazing. We got lucky to come on a clear day (no rain) so naturally it was a busy day for the tourists to come checkout these formations. This is a relatively walkable area but for those who are elderly it could be a little challenging as there was a bit of an inclined walk from the main parking area down to the proper giants causeway formations. It's definitely a spot you should check out if you find yourself on this side of the world because it is truly unique and unlike anything I've ever seen before. At the top there was a large tourist store where I bought plenty of souvenirs and they do have bathrooms and small bites/snacks if needed.

If this would have been the only thing we did in all of Northern Ireland, I would have been happy…read more This place is magical, you feel like you are stepping in one of the childhood stories you read about when you were younger, like, "Jack and the magic bean stalk". I won't detail all of the scenery as you can absolutely see epic pictures of the Giant's Causeway online and it just hits you in such an ethereal way actually being there. The price of admission into the causeway is very nominal and they have a large, beautiful gift shop and cafe you can grab a bite to eat as well. I hope to return here someday and spend many more hours exploring and soaking up the scenery as we were a little rushed with our bus tour. As always people SYOY!!!!

Driving from Giants Causeway to the Carrick-a-rede bridge, you come across the ruins of Dunseverick…read moreCastle and I would absolutely recommend stopping to take a wee look. It's amazing to see the structure built with the sea to its back and although all that is left is a couple of crumbling walls and a few foundation stones, the walk down to the natural harbour is really worth it as it brings to life the smuggling tales from earlier times. One caution however is to be careful because the ground is uneven and it's a fairly steep climb back up to the road, but worth it. Another pity is that the lay-by for this attraction is fairly small and not much parking which means if it's packed, you won't be able to stop. Note: #226 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016

Visited April 2015: "On the Coastal Roadway"…read more This ruin is about 5 minutes east of the Giant's Causeway. Saint Patrick is recorded as having visited Dunseverick castle in the 5th century AD. The castle was captured and destroyed by General Robert Munro in 1642 and his Cromwellian troops in the 1650s, and today only the ruins of the gatelodge remain. A small residential tower survived until 1978 when it eventually surrendered to the sea below. It was a 'key' ancient site in Ireland.

This is definitely somewhere you should visit. I just love this place - it brings back so many…read morememories of my childhood spent on Downhill beach playing in the sand. The temple was built by Earl Bishop Hervey in the 18th century. It is now perched precariously on the cliff edge as the elements have eroded the cliff away. Apparently you used to be able to walk right round it but now it is right on the cliff edge. The National Trust have had to reinforce the cliff face to save it from falling into the sea. The views from here cannot be beaten - Portstewart/Portrush and skerries to your right and Donegal to your left. At the bottom of the cliffs is approx 10miles of golden sand. Where else would you find this beauty? It is just on my doorstep and every time I visit I am amazed by its beauty - should it be on a lovely sunny summer day or a blustery winter day! You can even get married here - really something different.

Worth a visit. Amazing views. Wrap up warm as it can be windy even in good weather. A bit of a walk…read moreover fields - often littered with sheep poo. Car parking can be expensive, so park a little furthe away for free.

No thank you. Nope. Nuh-uh!…read more This is not my thing at all. I did it under much protestation, but I did it. Am I glad I did? No. Would I do it again. No. Everyone else had a good time though. Shout out to the ticket staff and the bridge minders! Very nice folks for sure.

Carrick-a-Rede was once a salmon fishing hub. As the fish disappeared, Carrick-a-Rede become known…read morefor its rope bridge, a legacy remnant from those fishing days. We visited late last August, for about 90 minutes. The reinforced rope bridge itself is a brief experience. The bridge is short (around 65 feet long though it felt shorter), narrow (fitting one person at a time), sways with the wind, and subject to closure during periods of high wind. There are steep steel stairways on both sides of the bridge. Much of the visit experience is the walk to and from the bridge, a meandering pastoral cliffside path with cattle and sheep grazing along parts of the path. Two attendants at the bridge check for admission tickets and ensure the bridge is safe to cross. The weather was unpredictable during our visit, with periods of heavy rain and wind. The bridge was temporarily closed for a few minutes while we were there, but also re-opened fairly quickly. Wear waterproof shoes with a good grip. Rain jackets were very useful. The National Trust had bright yellow rain jackets for £26.95 for those who need them. Visitors can get a printed certificate for visiting the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge with any donation to the National Trust.

On a roundabout in the center of Bushmills, this war memorial is dedicated "To the men of this town…read moreand district who gave their lives for their country in the Great War 1914-1919." A second plaque reads, "Dedicated to the memory of Sergeant Robert Quigg, 12th Battalion R.I.R. [Royal Irish Rifles] who won the V.C. [Victoria Cross] at the Battle of the Somme on the 1st July 1916. Died 14th May 1955" and a third plaque reads, "Killed in the 1939-1945 War" with a list of names. Unveiled in 1921, it had been exhibited at the Royal Academy in London. It is by artist Charles Hartwell who was born in Blackheath, Kent and studied under William Firth, Edward Onslow Ford and William Hamo Thornycroft. He began exhibiting at the Royal Academy in 1900 and became a full academician in 1924. The sculpture is of a bronze WWI soldier with rifle atop a two-stepped granite plinth. [Review 1856 of 2024 - 844 in United Kingdom - 22878 overall]

Bushmills War Memorial was erected in 1921. It is titled R.I.R. (Royal Irish Rifles) The monument…read moreis a life sized bronze figure of a rifleman. It is tall and centered in the center of downtown. It is in honor of those who served in the town. The artist sculptured the rifleman with an expression of grim determination. The granite pedestal that the rifleman sits on has a brass tablet inscribed with ....To the men of this town and district who gave their lives for their country in the Great War, 1914-1918 During the war £3,000 was collected in the Petty Sessions district to create war comforts and kindred objects like this monument. Prior to being placed in its current location it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London. Lady Macnaghten unveiled it in this location on 5 November 1921. Later a plaque was added to the memorial to honor Robert Quigg. He received the VictoriaCross for exceptional bravery during the Great War. (Battle of the Somme)

We visited with grandkids who only wanted to run demonically around the grounds oblivious to Wu flu…read moreand its adverse impacts on life so we cheerfully obliged. Antrim castle and gardens are fabulous to see. Historically the castle was built by Sir Hugh Clotworthy and his son, Sir John Clotworthy, between 1610 and 1662. The name Clotworthy derived from Clotworthy near Wembworthy, Devon, England. As the surname suggests Sir Hugh and family weren't Irish natives, rather they gained land in Ireland in the Plantation of Ulster under the reign of James 1. Sir Hugh was a prominent politician during the Civil War. In 1660 he was created Baron Loughneugh (i.e. Lough Neagh) and Viscount Massereene in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to his son-in-law Sir John Skeffington, 4th Baronet, of Fisherwick, the husband of his daughter the Hon. Mary Clotworthy, and in default thereof to his heirs general. Plantation is another term for colonisation and some half a million acres of land was handed over to settlers (planters) by the king. The settlers were mostly from Southern Scotland. The colonists were required to be Protestant, English-speaking, and loyal to the king in short not Irish. Imagine today taking half a million acres of Alaska and gifting the land deeds to Canadians. Anyway, back to today, with the effects of plantation still ever present and the Ulster Scots language on the playground fixtures the gardens feature a 17th century Anglo Dutch water garden, one of only three in the British Isles. They are over 410 years old with beautiful features such as the Large Parterre, Her Ladyship's Pleasure Garden and Yew Tree Pond. Within the heart of the gardens is the unique Clotworthy House also created by Clotworthy descendants the Massereene family. So it's not just a house and garden on the shore of Lough Neagh it's living history and part of the political fabric of a complex, scarred divided statelet. If you want an hour or two of serenity you'll find it here unless of course you happen to get close to our grandkids.

I did not know that Antrim had a castle, motte, walls, and a fairly extensive park. The kept that…read moreone quiet! Or maybe I just wasn't listening... Either way, we just so happened to stumble across the grounds, having come out the High Street side of Castle Mall (ahhh, that explains the name!) and dandered over to an interesting looking gate lodge type building. There was nothing to suggest what this area was, so we took a walk down a path, under an over-pass (graffitied to the max), and appeared in an open green space. I noticed a sign, and went over to look. Reference was made to a motte (so, that's what the huge mound was in front of us...), walls (the gatelodge etc) and castle. Oooh! Where was this castle?! Well apparently all that remains of it is a wall tower, which is really a shame, as I had been hoping for a proper, full-sized castle. Oh well. Unfortunately, grey clouds were looming over us, and rain was threatening, so we didn't get much further. However, the gardens are meant to be lovely, with a canal, ponds and walks, and I would love to go back to explore these further, on a more pleasant day of course. There is also a major regeneration project ongoing within the grounds at the minute, and into next year, so I can't wait to see how it will look after the makeover.

The Dark Hedges, which was a filming location for the Game of Thrones, did not look as impressive…read morewhen we visited in late August 2025 as compared to the location's historical photographs. There were a lot of gaps in tree coverage. The reasons are documented in Wikipedia -- tree health, storm damage, and tourist vandalism. We were here for about 45 minutes, lingering longer so I could get some photographs; but 30 minutes might be a long visit for most people. An ultra-wide lens might be useful for one or two shots, but a normal zoom lens should be otherwise be fine. A rain sleeve would be helpful if your camera isn't water resistant. There's a small shed by the parking lot that sells Game of Thrones related merchandise, and a separate café with restrooms.

Reviews are correct its not all that. I dont mind paying for parking but so many people and so many…read moretrees gone. It was just very disappointing. We had been at Giants causeway and were heading north anyway. If I had went way out of my way I'd be mad. To get pics without people you would have to wait a long while and have nothing else on your list to do. So idiots even have been carving on the trees ....what's wrong with people . Or be good at editing and editing people out.

We were on the CIE Scots Irish tour and were driving through Londonderry. Ooh! Pretty building!…read more Ooh! We're stopping for potties at the pretty building. WOAH!!! It's really, really nice! Thank you to the nice lady who said there are more potties on the second floor ... what if I had never seen the top floor? It was sooo pretty! So much stained glass! So much cool history. ... and lots of things to take photos of! Whee! ... and a gift shop * happy tourist * I probably should make some of the bread mixes we bought. We bought all 3! That is not a souvenir that we should keep forever ... * nods *

Guildhall is a neo-Gothic building and is one of Derry-Londonderry's most iconic landmarks. The…read morecity's own John Hume, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for his efforts in the peace process, is on display at Guild Hall. I had never seen a Nobel Peace Prize in person before. The stained glass windows are gorgeous. This deserves a stop.

Kinbane Castle was really cool!…read more The best part is that its free. You just drive a few miles off of the main road and you are at the parking lot. The walk is pretty steep but worth it. Not much left of the castle but that adds to the authenticity of it all. And the views are amazing! I would definitely go back and spend more time enjoying everything and taking it all in!

This was an epic castle. While there isn't much left of the castle the site is amazing…read more The hike down is rather steep and very windy. Just remember you have to come back up! Right from the top the view of the castle is stunning. So even if you don't fee comfortable climbing down to it, you can still get a great look. You also can get a great view of Rathlin Island and, I believe, Scotland! There is not much left of the castle itself, there is one room you can go into. Some of the walls are also standing. The best part is actually past the ruins and up to the edge of the cliff. You can get a great view of the sea and back at the castle. Just be careful as it gets rather narrow and with the strong winds, it can be a bit jarring. There are clean public bathrooms in the parking lot.

It looks like a jewelry box but it's actually the Jaffe Memorial Fountain. Striking and brightly…read morecolorful it was originally erected in 1874 by Sir Otto Jaffe to honor his father, Daniel Jaffe. It was initially placed in Victoria Square but was later moved to the Botanic Gardens, where it remained until 2008 It is intricate and elegant, made of Portland stone with each of the smaller columns featuring a female figure that represents each of the four seasons. It stands at the Victoria Street entrance to the Victoria Square shopping center. The original yellow and white were apparently selected to reflect the aesthetic preferences of the Victorian era, as these were popular colors to symbolize purity and light and optimism. It is indeed a fountain but in September it was dry. I'm not sure if it is ever filled with water. [Review 1883 of 2024 - 866 in United Kingdom - 22905 overall]

I bet you've walked past this wee gem hundreds of times but never given it a second look, I'm right…read morearen't I? Well now it's time to be enlightened. This is the Jaffa Fountain, not named after everyone's favourite cake/biscuit but actually named after Belfast's first Lord Mayor Otto Jaffa. The fountain itself was actually built in 1879 and it was erected in its current location, but here's the strange part. As industrial and commercial Belfast grew it was moved out to Botanic Gardens - mature students might recognise it from those days. Once Victoria Square was commissioned the decision was made to bring the old fellow back to its rightful place. I for one am glad they did as I think it provides a welcome nod to Belfast's past in the centre of its current commercial renaissance.