Northern Ireland- Part 1

Catching the big one!

After boarding the ferry to Belfast Northern Ireland from Stranraer Scotland, Beth and Rob made their way quickly to the ship's onboard restaurant and made their food order with the Irish lass who tended the till.  They then stepped aside to select a wine and a bottle of water before returning to find a younger, slight women and a large, burly, red-haired man awaiting service from the now departed cafeteria girl.

Martin

“Just whon ded y’u sudd’nly get ahead ov me in da bluddy line?” snapped the man in a thick unidentified accent when Rob placed their beverages onto the barren cafeteria tray that lay at the till awaiting the arrival of their food.

Rob stupefied by the curt tone of the red faced man, pondered a response while envisioning the Notre Dame University logo of a green punchy leprechaun with the underlining slogan ‘The Fighting Irish’.

Cliff of Northern Ireland

*Gulp* “We just placed a food order before you arrived. I believe that that is our tray."

“Oh, my apology.  I ‘ad a bloak like dat cut in on me de oth’r doy an gave me attitude."

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The Giant's Causeway

Basalt Columns

In Northern Ireland, it is told that the Irish giant named Finn MacCool had his part in the creation of the geologic wonder made of polygonal-shaped basalt columns collectively known as the ‘Giant's Causeway’.  Finn made the causeway, or stone bridge, to link with Scotland where he challenged the Scottish Giant Benandonner to a battle. Finn, upon seeing the great size of the Scottish giant, was so scared that he ran back across the causeway to Ireland.  When he reached home his wife hid him in bed and wrapped him up like a baby.  The great Benandonner, having followed Finn over the causeway, knocked on Finn's cottage door and was greeted by his wife. She claimed that Finn was out, invited the great giant in for lunch, and showed him her baby wrapped up in bed.  The giant, seeing the grand size of the baby, became frightened at the thought of the overwhelming size the child’s father.  He destroyed the causeway as the scared giant fled home.  As proof of this theory there is a similar rock structure found on the shores of Staffa Scotland.

More Columns

The robin of Europe. The sign of
spring.

The Giant’s Causeway remains a world heritage site and one of the biggest draws to the whole of Ireland. For Beth and Rob, the Giant's Causeway proved an ideal place to hike and marvel at the unusual rock structures of Ireland's northern shores. 

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Titanic Museum

On their first day in Northern Ireland Rob and Beth sat in a pub in the city centre of Belfast getting their
 bearings and chatting with a bartender. When she asked what they were going to be doing over the next couple days they mentioned doing a tour of the Protestant and Catholic areas of town to visit the historical sights of the conflicts. She was a bit dismayed and responded, "Oh don't just focus on the negative... Go see the new Titanic museum."