I visited this castle when I was vacationing in Ireland earlier this year…read more We were driving on the main road and this castle was right next to the road, so getting here and was really convenient, as well as parking. There are public restrooms outside of the castle, which is definitely a plus! The castle was really cool and so fascinating that it is still standing. The exhibits inside were really interesting too. The employees at the entrance were really nice and friendly. I would definitely visit this castle again.

Gord and I took a train to Carrickfergus and spent a few hours wondering around Carrickfergus…read moreCastle. Carrickfergus Castle was built by John de Courcy in 1177 as his headquarters, after he conquered eastern Ulster and ruled as a petty king until 1204, when he was ousted by another Norman adventurer, Hugh de Lacy. It was an interesting spot to spend a couple of hours!

When you live in Newtownards you will pass the building a million and one times but not really…read morenotice it - which is a real shame as this is a historical building and part of the history and heritage of Newtownards. These are the remains of a Dominican Priory founded in 1244. Hugh Montgomery established a newtown within the grounds of the old priory and this flourished and was used as a central area for the new market town. The restoration of the building began in 1609 by Montgomery and this can be seen within the building on a carved stone. The ruins of the old tower and part of this old building can still be seen. If you look closely you can see Montgomery's monogram ad some bible references etched into the stone. In 1988 part of the old door was restored by the Ulster Heritage Center and the door will be opened on request, it is worth a look as this is a fine example of our ulster-Scot heritage and was, at one time, a big tourist attraction.

As other reviewers have said The Priory is slap bang in the middle of Newtownards yet you could…read morepass it without even registering as an important part of our culture and heritage. Although the budget is tight down at the old Tourist board they could do with digging into their pockets and forking out for a few signs to properly promote this place. The reason I say this is that The Priory is actually a really interesting place, I did not realise the significance of this place until I paid it a long overdue visit. The Priory is an example of a Dominican (Black) Piory and is one of the only remaining examples in Northern Ireland. The Priory is worth a visit if only for the convenience of the place, whether you are a day-tripper or a local The priory will at very least give you an insight into the regions culture.

The tower itself is closed to the public but the grounds are accessible at any time,I'm not a hippy…read moreor anything but I really want to get up early some morning in the summer and walk up to scrabo tower and have a bowl of cornflakes as the sun rises. The views on a sunny day are fantastic over Belfast,comber and the Irish sea. The walks through the quarries and through killyneither woods are long and challenging in places, great for a bit of exercise and peace and quiet , bring food and a disposable bbq there's lots of picnic tables throughout the park. Great place to bring your kids or walk your dog. Would benefit from a shop here for drinks and snacks. You can have dinner in the golf club though.

The price is 5 pound it's good you get to walk up to the top went a hour ago just to look inside it…read morewas fun haven't been in while that's why I went today

This was a beautiful building, inside and out. I loved the stained glass windows and…read morearchitecture! There were many different rooms to explore, with museum-like pictures and information to view. The toilets are free!

Belfast City Hall is the city center district and located in a business area, but with expanding…read moreresidential and entertainment. Plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, churches, and historical locations surrounding the city hall. Inside is very beautiful layout architecture with a beautiful dome plus plenty of glass windows artwork. Inside the surrounding garden within, there are: Titanic Memorial Garden, Korea War Memorial, Victoria Memorial, Boer War Memorial Royal Irish Riffles, and couple statues on the other side plus city ground for you to seat and admire the city hall.

CS Lewis Square is not much more than a small park. However, it is free to enter and roam as well…read moreas filled with a handful of statues which bring figures of his Chronicles of Narnia to life. I came in the morning and was effectively the only person around. I spent about 15-20 minutes in total walking around, attempting to take the perfect pictures, and otherwise admiring the work. If I knew folks heading to Belfast, I would recommend they try to work in a visit, especially if they were already in the area. I would not advise drastically changing your schedule to incorporate nor spending heavy for transit to get there if it were significantly out of the way. Hopefully that guidance helps in planning if you should or should not plan a visit!

We stopped by CS Lewis Square during our vacation. It is a nice dedication to CS Lewis. There are a…read morefew unique art/statue pieces dedicated to his different stories. There isn't a lot here but it's cool to get some really nice pictures. It doesn't cost anything and takes no more than 15 minutes to see each of the statues. Well worth getting off the bus walking over to it taking a look and waiting for the next bus. Especially if you are a CS Lewis fan.

I have driven past this stone to many times to count but it was not until today that I thought I…read morewould go and have a look at it. Located on the shore between Millisle and Donaghadee this is North Downs very own Stonehenge, the only difference being it was erected probably by machinery in the 20th century. But that's just small print. It is actually a memorial to the late Major Richard Gustavus Heyn, who was owner of the once famous Ulster Steamship Company and a member of the flying corps during the first World War. The inscription has now been eroded by the Irish Sea Salt water. The land around the monument is owned by a local farmer but you can walk right up to the monument if you do not mind cows and cow pat. This is also be an ideal place to view Scotland across the Irish Sea on a clear day.

So I'd heard about the big stone before from my future father-in-law who is a member of the Ards…read morehistorical society. He knows I'm interested in the establishment of the churches in Ireland and that I have a particular love of the big green man himself - Sir Saint Patrick, bringer of St. Patrick's day and all the drinking that goes with it! Yee Haa! Anyways, i'm going off track, I decided to go out and have a look at the big rock thing and was put off immediately by how hard it is to access. I had to park my car in a nursing home, pet some cows so they knew I ment them no harm, climb a fence and walk through nettles - St Patrick himself didn't have as much bother as me getting over to Millisle I can bet. So, I though that the rock was a symbol to mark an area where St. Patrick was supposed to have handed when he was coming over to do his thing but it turns out the rock has nout to do with the green man at all and in fact was made and put there by human hands to remember a major and the owner of the Ulster Steamship Company. Some other historical stuff went on with this mayor man - I fell asleep listening to it to be honest - the rock was a let down. Took me a while to get to it, the land is wild and harsh and played havoc with my stilettos. It's an anti-climax, I returned to my car disappointed. I met a lovely cow though. She licked my face.

Every town has a saviour or a hero. Newtownards has Blair…read moreMayne, Belfast has Julian from UTV, The east end of London has Peggy Mitchell and of course Comber has 'Rollo' Gillespie! This famous 18th century resident of Comber is reported to have slayed 6 out of 8 men (the other two ran away!) while he was attacked in his home during a spell abroad for the army. He was a savvy fellow who led platoons into battle and it is believed that when he was killed during an attack on the Ghurka army, the whole mission fell apart without him! The statue stands tall and proud in the center of Comber today reminding everyone who passes of this famous and brave local man.

The Rollo Gillespie Monument dominates Comber town centre, having said that Comber town centre was…read moreonce dominated by a flock of 5 pigeons. The pigeons like Rollo Gillespie stood their ground and refused to go without a fight. Eventually they were scared off by a few of the towns people. The same can not be said about the famous Rollo Gillespie, legend has it that he Whilst leading an attack in the Himalayas Gillespie continued fighting despite having no ammunition and shouting, "One Shot More for the Honour of Down!" This gave him hero's status in the town of Comber and in turn they erected the Monument in 1845 that stands in the town centre. A list of the battles Rollo was involved in are on the side of the pillar. Rollo was born in 1766 in Comber and never lost the towns fighting spirit.

Went to the Crumlin road jail as it's the top ranked attraction on trip advisor. It was…read moreinteresting that the site is owned by the Govt but run by a private company. It cost £6.50 (had a £2 discount coupon). The last tour of the day is at 4:30pm but it's also cool that the main building is open till late because of the restaurant located inside. Hearing about what went on was truly horrific but overall this was an okay experience for me. I think I was expecting more info about the troubles and the political prisoners but that wasn't really our tour guide's focus. He also started the tour by asking for volunteers but nothing was done involving a volunteer! It's an hour's tour and the visit to the tunnel plus the hangman info was the most interesting bits of the tour for me. Another tip - Don't miss checking out the beautiful but now derelict courthouse opposite the street. The govt sold it for £1 but it's going to take a fair bit of bob to put it back to rights! So overall it was interesting tour but maybe Note: #222 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016

I had been meaning to come here for absolutely years, and just never got around to it…read more I am a huge fan of anything of historical interest, however my first visit, surprisingly, was for the Ghost tour this Halloween! I booked the tickets online and came along this October hoping for a spooky experience. We were greeted at the gates by security who explained how to get around into the car park, and got parked up with no issues. We waited in the coffee shop 'The Crum' - and had a wine and beer each prior to the tour. When the tour started, we were initially taken into a holding area, and then began by being taken into the tunnel linking the jail to the courthouse, where allegedly, paranormal activity has taken place! Unfortunately (or thankfully, maybe) we experienced no such activity on our trip. We were then taken into a side room where an employee was said to have met a grisly end, and we were instructed to record audio on our phones. Next, we were taken to one of the wings where we could see the cells (and inside the cells) and last but not least, we were shown to the condemned man's cell, and behind the book case to the gallows, before being taken down into the basement. We didn't experience any ghostly going's on in our trip, but I would definitely come back again, this time during the day, so I can get a proper look at the inside of the jail, since the tour I did was in the dark or low light. Recommended!

A remarkable sculpture at Holywood Arches that depicts the author CS Lewis as he opens the door of…read morethe wardrobe where the journey to Narnia begins in the well loved series of children's books, of which the first is The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. CS Lewis grew up in nearby Ballyhackamore and some of the landscapes described in the Narnia books are identifiable with north Co Down nearby. Ross Wilson was commissioned to produce the sculpture in 1998, the centenary of Lewis's birth. The Searcher stands just outside the library, a surprising sight when you first see it, especially in a rather unassuming part of the city. As a landmark I suspect is not as well known as it might be.

The people of East Belfast are always proud to refer to the likes of George Best and Van Morrison…read moreas having come from the area, and rightly so. Oooh, story time... [The podiatrist I worked for has dealt with Van Morrison's feet, and this somewhat excited me, though he never appeared while I was working for her. I was quite gutted to say the least...I had rather hoped he would serenade me with "Brown Eyed Girl", but it just wasn't to be.] Anyway, back to the review! One of the most famous and recognisable stars to have come from this side of Belfast is CS Lewis, though he is often forgotten about amidst the other names, such as the aforementioned Best and Van Morrison. I absolutely love this sculpture, as it epitomises CS Lewis' most famous work, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by including him in it, as the narrator of another of his books from the Chronicles of Narnia - The Magician's Nephew. I remember The Searcher being erected, and I can't believe it was 12 years ago in commemoration of the centenary of Lewis' birth! Since then, CS Lewis has become a bigger talking point for the tourist industry, with tours based on his life occurring every Sunday of the month from June to the end of September, and on the first Sunday of every month from October to March. Tickets are available from the Belfast Welcome Centre. I truly hope this wonderful and inspirational man is remembered for another hundred years, and East Belfast will continue to be proud of a man who was born here, educated in Campbell College, and lived here for much of his life.

OK, now this is going to be difficult for me to review without me hurting anyone's feelings. I have…read moregiven the windmill itself five stars but I would like to give my experience there 3 stars. Let me tell you why. A windmill is a windmill and I know and have known for ages that this particular windmill is an awesome sight to behold so I decided to call in just to take a few pictures to add to my collection of Co. Downs beautiful things to see photo album. It was half twelve and I said to myself that I would park, jump out, get a few gorgeous shots, jump back in the car and be home to walk the dog by 1pm - that did not happen. As I approached the windmill a man named Brian jumped out from nowhere and asked me did I want to see his little house? Bemused and bewildered I thought 'well, why not? I've got five minutes.' One hour later I came out of the windmill my head spinning faster than the windmill ever did - facts and information don't do well in my wee head between the months of June and September so I could barely cope with the witty(?) and informative guide. Don't get me wrong, if I was in a party of 10, or a Japanese tourist in a party of five or a group of primary school children I would have loved the quizzes and the jigsaw and the 'lighting the board up with the right answers' game, I'd even have loved looking for the fake mouse or searching for the secret button - but I wasn't, I am a thirty year old, rather cynical, woman with no children and a small desire to take a photograph of a windmill. I think Brian is amazing at tour guiding and there is a million and one things to see and learn about the Ballycopeland Windmill but he should try to ascertain whether or not the visitors really care that much before he literally bombards them with all the facts. I got away when another witless woman and a small child arrived. I got into my car to the sounds of 'Do you want to see my wee house?' Just to finish off this review I want to make it entirely clear that the windmill is a great sight to behold, still fully functioning and restored to its former glory I have no doubt that this is a place of cultural significance and importance. Brian is a great guide - he should maybe just tweak his tours for parties of one and let them have a wee look around on their own and ask him questions after. The whole experience was so intimate and informative I can honestly say I actually picked up very little about the windmill itself.

The strange thing about Ballycopeland windmill is that it should be busy all year round with…read moretourists as it represents North Downs culture and heritage. It is not sign posted and could easily be ignored from the road, but definitely should not be. It is the last representation of farming barley in the region and really is a thing of beauty. Built in the 19th Century the windmill is in working order and inside there is even a video tutorial explaining the milling of barley from start to finish. Guided tours are available and it is completely wheelchair accessible. If it is windy enough you may even see the process first hand. On a summers day this would be a beautiful place to go for a picnic, it is an idyllic setting but also very interesting. This is another example of beauty going to waste in Northern Ireland, this could be a flagship of tourism bringing in much needed revenue to the area. The Windmill is currently only open in July and August. It is only a 5 minute drive from the seaside so my advice is to get an ice cream and head up to the Windmill, I guarantee you will be fascinated.