Having lived in Northern Ireland all my life, and being a massive fan and reader of great…read moreliterature, I decided it was completely sacrilegious to still not have visited this important place. It is of course the homestead where Patrick Bronte, father of the three famous sisters was born into a farming family. There are several buildings that you can visit, including the Church he visited, the school and various cottages including the cottage he was born in. It's a truly fascinating area to visit, and really worth a look if you're at all interested in the lives of the Brontes, or even just if you are interested in farming life and history in Northern Ireland. The picnic site is really lovely too, a great place to sit and take a break with your family or fellow travellers and enjoy the gorgeous countryside, while sitting in the site of a former 'shebeen' - an illegal drinking den...very Irish indeed!

This aptly named 'Writer's Square' area of the magnificent St Anne's church courtyard was…read moretransformed for one night only in to a Mecca of arts and culture where various stalls, tents and stands were set up and all displayed their various wares, arts, skills and events all in relation to Culture Night. There were a number of interesting, fun stalls where you could get henna tattoos or get your face painted or pick up information about the various charities and events relating to Culture Night around Cathedral Quarter. There was live music playing throughout the night as well as a miniature stage show from 'Leon and the place Between' which will be debuted at the Belfast Festival at Queens. Any one who missed this night should be well prepared for next year as it seems to be growing and flourishing in to a fantastic event on the Belfast calendar. It was here I discovered the publication 'Belfast Flags of Hope' which is a fascinating and great publication by The Thomas Devlin Fund. This group was set up to commemorate the young school boy (Devlin) who was viciously murdered on his way home from the shop, one summer night, five years ago. The fund provides financial support for teens involved in creative and musical ventures. The 'Flags of Hope' idea was thought up by local artist Raymond Watson who wanted to represent the aspirations of school children in the fight for the hope of a day where sectarianism no longer exists. This scheme touched my heart as I was at school with Dev and I think it's great to see even a glimmer of good coming out of his death.

Jeebus... where to start on this one!? Newgrange is a 5000 year old tombe and religious site...erm…read morewe think! As with all such sites (the pyrimids in Egypt and Stonehenge in the UK are comprable examples) we can only guess at what the builders had in mind. To say we are lucky to have a site as impressive and important as this on our doorstep (about an hour and a bit from Dublin) is a huge understatement, it looks as impressive is it should be after a reconstruction some 30 years ago by a bunch of very very clever archaeologists. the results can be viewed by booking in advance and putting your name down for the 3 year waiting lists to be there at the summer and winter solstices. Opening times February - April: Daily 09.30 - 17.30. May: Daily 09.00 - 18.30. June - Mid September: Daily 09.00 - 19.00. Mid - End September: Daily 09.00 - 18.30. October: Daily 09.30 - 17.30. November - January: Daily 09.00 - 17.00.

If you come to Dublin this UNESCO world heritage site is a "must see". Everything I want to say…read morewill just be repeating the many good reasons to come here so read beyond my post and I'll keep mine short. - 5,000 year old tombs (New Grange, Knowth & Dowth) that are older than the pyramids and you can actually go inside New Grange. - 60% of Western Europe's neolithic art is found in the area. - inside the New Grange tomb is like going back in time, keep in mind these tombs were built with no modern tools at all and yet they knew how to build them and align the entrance on some, so they light up during the solstice. - friendly, knowledgeable guides. - well organised, small groups are taken in by bus rather than a mob of people overrunning the place so you can actually see and take it all in. - buy your tickets online and go early - a great Visitors Center gives you the backstory of the tomb's history before your tour.

Exploris the Portaferry Aquarium is currently closed but that's not all there is to do in…read morePortaferry. On Saturday we took a day trip to Portaferry and we walked the Portaferry Trail along the harbour and past the historic Portaferry Castle. To be perfectly honest I didn't know this trail existed until we actually got to Portaferry (some promotion is needed). the trail is about 1.5 miles in total and it allows you to take in views of the breathtaking Strangford lough whilst also providing cultural and historical insights in to Portaferry town. This is an unmanned trail, you can pick up literature about the trail at the tourist information centre but apart from that you'e on your own. In all fairness the trail is well signposted with brass/bronze signs guiding the way. In terms of parking you can either park behind Exploris or near the ferry. There are no facilities on the tour, you'll have to find somewhere to grab refreshments in Portaferry town it's only a short walk so don't worry. This is a really nice scenic tour - perfect for a day trip. We brought the dog, although there's not much greenery for your four legged pals to enjoy so I suggest keeping them on the lead!

The Shrine of St. Oliver Plunkett is part of the PaddyWagon Tours. We went to St. Peter's Church in…read moreDrogheda to check out this Shrine. It is where the severed head of St. Oliver Plunkett (executed 1681) is located. It was unbelievable how preserved this head was considering there were no preservatives. The church itself was nicely designed. It is gothic and medieval, but there was not much to see except for the severed head. Tip: Check out PaddyWagon. It is one of the brief stops of their tour.

Worth stopping by for everyone. Even atheists. There's a great story about Oliver where his head…read morewas removed and is stored in this church at the moment. Irish would tell me that they remember head having hairs, but at current date they are gone and teeth are starting to show because skin shrank over the years. Church is a bit like a little musem of its own. I'd avoid taking pictures, unless you're alone.

God, I feel terrible giving this place a one star but I am always honest in my reviews and I was…read morehorrified at this woodland walk. I may have started at the wrong place - I hope I started at the wrong place! We followed a sign past a river and through some trees into the woodland - this should have been a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon but it wasn't. As soon as we got on the path we were climbing over broken glass bottles, blue bags and Harp cans. It was more like the perfect teenage drinking den than a summer woodland walk. There was a strong smell of wee-wee in places and areas which were burnt from teenage bonfires. If I was 16 and looking for a sneaky place to neck some cider this would be it! The track is a little over grown, smelly, filled with rubbish - even fly-tippers have been in and left a selection of rubbish including a striped motor-bike. Let's hope that there are nicer areas to this woodland and maybe a better entrance but from my experience I wouldn't recommend this walk to anyone. I hope the council read this and get the place cleaned - it could be beautiful.

I love all things historical and this castle is the central historical element to this little…read morefishing town. The castle can be found right next to the towns tourist information centre which is rife with information about all things historical in the area. We were able to go into the castle for free and have a nosy about the grounds - it's not the biggest floor space but it is quite tall, looming and a bit scary. After listening to the many birds who are nesting there and avoiding the plop plops dropping from above we decided to ascend the steps at the west corner onto the first floor. This is when I got loads of goose bumps down my back. We started to ascend with my dog leading the way, we got up about 10 steps when my dog started to freak out, bark and reverse down the stairs. My fiance and I were too scared to go up any further after that. To be honest I couldn't wait to get out then - creepy! Very attractive ruins and easily accessible for all and if you want more information just drop into the lovely ladies in the tourism office. I asked about the castle and one of the lovely ladies mentioned something called a murder-hole - I heard nothing else she said as I ran off, filled to the neck with the hee-bee-gee-bees!

Most tourists visit Portaferry for the Aquarium and that is all well and good but this little…read morefishing town is certainly not a one trick pony. It can also boast a beautiful castle overlooking Portaferry Harbour and Strangford Lough. Portaferry Castle is a 16th Century townhouse built in the 16th Century but unfortunately it is only the shell that remains. But if you are a bit of a History buff you will be amazed by the architecture and the story behind the castle. If you are visiting Exploris or are finishing a day out by the seaside I would urge you to visit Portafrry castle. It is beautiful on a clear day and don't forget the binoculars.

Moored in the Lagan is The Belfast Barge, quiet and unassuming it doesn't blow its own trumpet but…read moreit really should. There are 3 elements to the Belfast Barge which was news to me when I visited last week. Much more than just a boat The Belfast Barge is a successful restaurant, a museum and an events venue. Next week they are hosting a comedy night in their events venue, which will be very cosy. The museum is full of maritime facts and history depicting Northern Irekand's ship building and boating heritage. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions. The restaurant is fully licensed and acts as a café bar during the day and at night live music and cabaret dominate the barge, the boat will literally be rocking!

A unique performance space. I have seen comedy performances and gigs here. It's holds a lot of…read morepeople and worth going to if you get a chance #Comedy #Music