Hidden Ulster Tours

25/10/2024

Tomorrow afternoon (when I've waved goodbye to my tour group after 14 days) I'm headed to Groomsport to facilitate a wee workshop as part of Ulster-Scots Week.

Bakers will be making bread and I'll be talking about language and poetry and hopefully the weather will be kind. If you're in the area, do stop by - it's a free event.

30 more days until Winter Hibernation......

Call at the whitewashed Cockle Row Cottages and be transported back in time. Immerse yourself in this traditional thatched fisherman’s cottage.

19/10/2024

Today's adventures on the Di**le peninsula included a visit to Garfinny Bridge which is a rare survival of a medieval stone bridge, spanning a wee mountain stream known as the Garfinny river. The centuries-old bridge was built without mortar. The top of the arch is a little over 3m above the riverbed and consists of radial stones and corbelled boulders...

I was also beside the Atlantic at Kinard.... Tomorrow we have an extreme weather warning in place so my tour itinerary is disrupted.... Plan B will be very much a "wing it and include booze" alternative, but the scheduled Cliffs of Moher and Burren are definitely off!

15/10/2024

Yesterday I visited Dublinia Museum near Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin to learn about the Viking and Medieval history of Ireland's capital.

The museum is excellent and I learned a lot which I've tried to capture here...

*Víkingr* was a word used for a sea-pirate from the area that we now call Scandinavia.
It is not certain where this word comes from, although it may be connected with the Old Norse word for an inlet, creek or bay. The word for such places was *vík* and since sea-pirates sailed out of them to attack and steal from passing ships, it may have formed the basis of víkingr.

Strictly speaking, the term 'Viking' should be applied only to those who were sea-pirates and to their activities, but it is now commonly used to describe all Scandinavian peoples of the Viking Age and their culture.

The Vikings came from three areas of the region now called Scandinavia.

- Vikings from the area that became *Norway* (the Norse) sailed west to the Scottish islands, the Isle of Man, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland and eventually as far as Newfoundland and America.

- Vikings from the area that became *Denmark* sailed across the North Sea to the eastern side of England and to Normandy.

- Vikings from the area that became *Sweden* went eastwards into Russia and the Baltic Countries.

In 841 the Vikings established a camp in the Dublin area. This allowed them to stay in Ireland over the winter rather than sailing back to Scandinavia.

Vikings often raided monasteries, but these were not anti-Christian attacks.

In the Viking Age, people frequently entrusted their valuables to religious centres for safe-keeping. This, together with the ecclesiastical treasures that they contained and the fact that they were often poorly protected, made them attractive targets.
Attacks on monasteries should be viewed in much the same context as modern bank raids and Vikings were not alone in recognizing them as sources of easy wealth. In Ireland, churches and church property were regularly pillaged as part of the many disputes between the various Irish kingdoms or local chieftains.

Weaving was one of the most important crafts in the Viking world. In almost every household, wool from the family's sheep was woven into cloth for clothes, bedding, tents, tapestries, wagon covers, and even sails for ships. The Vikings wove their material on upright, warp-weighted looms that leant against the walls of their houses. They used mainly simple weaving patterns such as tabby (a plain weave) and twill (a diagonal effect).

This is a rough timeline....

*800s*
Vikings arrive and settle in Dublin
Olaf the White is the first King

*900s*
Vikings are expelled by Irish kings
Vikings recapture Dublin and re-settle near present day Wood Quay
Dublin becomes a key trading centre with a growing slave market
First coin minted in Dublin

*1000s*
Construction begins on Christ Church Cathedral
First bishop of Dublin is appointed
Brian Boru fights in the Battle of Clontarf
Viking power in Dublin weakens

*1100s*
Dublin defends itself by building outer stone walls
Strongbow and the Anglo-Normans invade and win control of Dublin
*Rabbits are introduced to Dublin by the Anglo-Normans*
Henry II of England arrives and grants a charter to the city of Dublin

*1200s*
St Patrick's Cathedral is first constructed
Stocks become fashionable for punishment
Five languages spoken in the city, Old Irish, Old Norse, Latin, French and Middle English
Work on construction of Dublin Castle begins

*1300s*
Dublin experiences an economic boom
Invading Scottish armies are driven out
Half of Dublin's population dies from the Black Plague
Irish unrest prompts Richard ll of England's arrival to assert authority

*1400s*
Irish chieftains challenge English authority
An area surrounding Dublin is established to defend the English king; this is known as the Pale
'Dirty Dublin' - a mass clean-up of the city is ordered by the Lord Mayor

*1500s*
Silken Thomas revolts against the King of England
Henry VIll rejects the Pope and declares himself head of the Church of Ireland
Irish monasteries are ordered to close and holy relics burnt during the Reformation
One of the oldest universities in the world, Trinity College, opens

*1600s*
English plantation policy enforced to weaken Irish chieftains power
St Michael's Medieval Tower at Dublinia is first mentioned in the parish records
First map of Dublin is recorded

After my tour, I climbed up the steps of St Michael's Tower which dates to 1667. This tower was once part of a small medieval parish church dedicated to St Michael the Archangel. The land for the church was probably donated by Sitric Silkbeard, the king of Dublin, around 1030AD.

26/09/2024

Today my Rick Steves' Europe group visited Muckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms in the heart of Killarney National Park, a place renowned for the beauty of its location and buildings.

The house was built in 1839-1843 for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, the water-colourist Mary Balfour Herbert - and was designed by William Burn, the well-known Scottish architect.

The principal rooms are furnished in period style and portray the elegant lifestyle of the 19th century landowning class; while the servants' quarters are in the basement.

During the 1850s, the Herberts undertook extensive garden works in preparation for Queen Victoria’s visit in 1861.

Muckross was put up for sale in 1899 and was purchased by Lord Ardilaun, a member of the Guinness family, related through marriage to the Herberts.

In 1910 Muckross was let to a wealthy American, Mr William Bowers Bourn. He was owner of the Empire Gold Mine and Spring Valley Water Company of northern California. A short time after, Mr Bowers Bourn’s only child, Maud, married Mr Arthur Rose Vincent of Summerhill, Cloonlara, Co. Clare. Her father purchased the Muckross property as a wedding present for them.

During the years of Bourn-Vincent ownership, between 1911-32, over £110,000 was lavished on improvements to the Estate. It was at this time that the Sunken Garden, Rock Garden and the Stream Garden were developed where today I found a tiny acorn beside a giant oak....

24/09/2024

It's a long way to Tipperary but I'm here, with my Rick Steves' Europe guests - on an unexpectedly golden autumn day - visiting the Rock of Cashel.

Set on a dramatic outcrop of limestone known locally as "the devil's bit," in the Golden Vale, this historically significant cluster of medieval buildings includes a round tower, a high cross, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, the Hall of the Vicars Choral and a fifteenth-century Tower House.

Originally the seat of the kings of Munster, legend tells us that St Patrick came here on the 5th century to convert King Aenghus to Christianity. Brian Boru was crowned High King at Cashel in 978 and made it his capital.

In 1101 the site was granted to the church and Cashel swiftly rose to prominence as one of the most significant centres of ecclesiastical power in the country.

The surviving buildings are remarkable. Cormac’s Chapel, for example, contains the only surviving Romanesque frescoes in Ireland.

24/09/2024

This morning I was at Kilmainham Gaol Museum with my tour group for Rick Steves' Europe.

We heard about overcrowding and starvation in the 18th and 19th centuries; rebellions (1798, 1803, 1848, 1867, 1916); the poignant love story of JM Plunkett and Grace Gifford; escape; civil war; the career of CS Parnell; and the modern role of the Gaol as a museum and film location....

It's a really worthwhile visit and contextualises not just Irish history but the story of prison reform.

I'm going to try and post updates from our various group visits on this tour as some.of the venues may be of interest to others.

23/09/2024

Dublin - and Ireland - is famous for its literature and everywhere you look, you will find poetry, prose, drama and words embedded in its cityscape.

Some of the writers who have called the city home were native Dubliners, while others were 'blow-ins' who moved here to pursue education, writing, or entirely different careers. Others migrated from Ireland, but still maintained deep creative and personal ties with the capital.

This afternoon I visited the Museum of Literature Ireland on the south side of St Stephen’s Green - the historic home of University College Dublin which began here in 1854 (though today its main campus is at Belfield).

The MOLI houses the 1000+ items that used to be in the Dublin Writers Museum (Parnell Square) which closed after almost 30 years in 2020 - blame Covid!

The collection includes rare first editions, specially-commissioned bronze busts and contemporary artwork, as well as personal items and intriguing mementos connected to the city's writers.

Now permanently on display here at MOLI, the collection reveals how Dublin became a literary city beloved by readers all over the world.

The exhibitions flow beautifully with some interactive areas, little (free) postcards, a chance to write your own thoughts and display them on a wall (I did!), a beautiful garden, a giftshop and a really nice, zen, coffee shop.

There's a LOT about James Joyce (of course) but I guess WB Yeats and Seamus Heaney have their own exhibitions in the National Library and Old Parliament buildings. There was nothing about my beloved Rhyming Weaver Poets - but heyho. I did read about some women writers new to me; and there was a great exhibit on contemporary authors.

This place is definitely worth a visit - even if you just relax in the restaurant garden with a book.

23/09/2024

Today I took a 45 minute boat trip on the River Liffey with Dublin Discovered and saw some familiar sights from a new perspective.

Tony was the Skipper and Gerry the Guide as we departed from the North Quay at the Sean O'Casey Bridge and motored west (to just past the Ha'Penny Bridge) and back east to the Grand Canal Basin.

It's a nice gentle way to pass an hour and it was unusual to see the undersides of bridges I've crossed so often.

08/09/2024

Post 3....

08/09/2024

Post 2......

08/09/2024

Sharing 3 posts from my other page as there's a crossover between tourism and poetry.... Standby 😀

29/08/2024

📍𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀 & 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿
📅𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟴 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿
ℹ️𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟭𝟮𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻 | £𝟲𝟮𝗽𝗽

A September Sunday lunch and guided tour with local history expert Lolly Spence of Hidden Ulster Tours.

Starting at McBride's on the Square, then to Michelin Guide listed No 14 the Georgian House, for the main course, next to Sugar Cane Café Bistro for a tasty dessert and a coffee, then back to McBride's for some well-earned local brews and a selection of the finest cheeses selected by Indie Füde.

Check out the menu and find out more👉 https://bit.ly/3yhvdsE

Taking place during Taste Autumn in Ards and North Down, 5 – 15 September 2024 during which local providers are running lots of fabulous foodie activities.

Find out more about everything happening across the borough as part of this celebration of local food and drink👉 https://bit.ly/TasteAutumnAND

Visit Belfast

Hidden Ulster Tours | No 14 Restaurant | McBrides On The Square | Indie Füde | Sugarcane Cafe Bistro

05/08/2024

My Dublin tour members are always asking for suggestions of things to do in their free time - so I've been trying to research options. Today I took the DART train to Howth. You can catch this train at various Dublin stations- (Pearse St, Tara St, Connolly) - and my all day ticket cost just €5.60.

Howth is an affluent village and outer suburb of Dublin, located on a peninsula, north of Dublin Bay. It has been a fishing village and small trading port from at least the 14th century; but nowadays it has a busy harbour, loads of excellent seafood restaurants, eclectic architecture and a cosmopolitan buzz. It has a castle but I didn't get that length today.

I wandered down the pier and, to my surprise, found myself boarding a boat! I'd had no such intention but hey-ho! Howth Cliff Cruises sailed out of the sheltered harbour towards Ireland's Eye, an uninhabited island which was once home to an 8th century monastery. The holy men produced a beautiful illuminated set of the gospels ("the garland of Howth") but were ransacked by Vikings and little remains today of their old site. The only other building on the island is a Martello Tower dating to 1803.

Round the back of the island are stunning sea cliffs, amazingly folded rocks and "The Stack" which is home to thousands of noisy seabirds including diving gannets, cormorants and Manx shearwaters.

The trip lasted about 45 minutes and cost €25. It should have included a viewing of Howth Head Lighthouse and cliffs but the sea was very choppy, a lot of water was splashing on board and a couple of people were sick and in tears! I was loving it!

Back on dry land, I headed off on a hike around Howth Head Cliffs. There is a well marked loop walk - I'm not sure of the distance but my step count today was 28,000. Typically, the heavens opened and I got soaked to the skin - hailstones and all. Before that I'd loved the views, the EIRE 6 sign from WW2-times and the freshness of the air.

As I dripped back to the DART, I was amazed at the queues of poncho-ed international tourists, cheerfully waiting for fish'n'chips; at the young ones perched on the pier wall; at the number of market traders selling everything from chopping boards to jewellery to beeswax beauty products. It's a vibrant place and a great way to spend an afternoon.

24/06/2024

We were so lucky with the weather yesterday for the Sunday Lunch Tour which was part of the Comber Earlies Festival.

We had a gorgeous starter in McBrides On The Square followed by the BEST beef dinner in No 14 Restaurant, dessert in Sugarcane Cafe Bistro and then cheese and craft ale courtesy of Indie Füde.

Thanks to everyone who came along and listened to my history of Comber; thanks to Ian & Sandra for an unexpected visit to their historic church; thanks to Paul for the photos, to Nic and family for the support; to Viki and Franc for the food blogging and to David & Susie for the wine!




Visit Ards and North Down

05/06/2024

I've been bringing my tour groups to Di**le in County Kerry for many years now and it's a place like no other. From the excellent restaurants to the vibrant trad music scene; from the cultural festivals to the incredible scenery, this most western outpost of Ireland (and Europe) is a place which I'm getting to know better and better.

I usually accompany visitors on coach tours of the Slea Head Peninsula; and in my spare time I walk sections of the Di**le Way, hiking Mount Brandon, Mount Eagle, Sibil Head, the Three Sisters etc.

But today I explored a new aspect of Di**le when I took the Sea Safari - a RIB experience that bounced me out of Di**le Bay, under the Eask Tower, into various sea caves, across the Blasket Sound and along the Atlantic Coast of west Ireland with geology, sea life and exhilaration beyond description.

Di**le Sea Safari is a unique opportunity to explore this mystical area from an unparalleled perspective. I found myself thinking of Early Man discovering Ireland from the sea, gazing at the rugged, twisted seacliffs, delighted to find the haven of Di**le Bay with its narrow entrance. Sailors over the centuries will have learned the profile of the mountains, marvelling as I did today at the mighty sheets of mudstone and sandstone, glittering with quartzite intrusions and whitened with guano from thousands of squawking seabirds.

The waters are pristine. Today I saw blue jellyfish, countless swimming and basking seals, playful slippery dolphins, and hundreds of puffins - feeding, flying, returning to their colony. Our captain said there are often basking sharks, minke whales and bluefin tuna here too.

The little high-speed yellow RIBs can take 12 passengers. It's a family-run business. Bridget took my booking, her husband Jimmy kitted the group out with waterproofs and life jackets, their son Colm was our captain and the lovely Rosalyn made everyone welcome. It all felt personal and friendly.

They are justifiably proud of the new website which has great information about the tour options, the history of the Blasket Islands, and the marine wildlife. https://dingleseasafari.com/about/

I will be recommending this experience to all my tour members in future with just a few caveats based on my adventures today...

1. Do not drink a latte before you go; there are no toilet options....

2. Do not sit beside the person who gets seasick. Although the captain will mop it up fast, your feet will suffer....

3. Wear warm clothes. The issued waterproofs keep you dry but you need layers beneath, and ideally gloves and a hat. You are on a high-speed boat on the Atlantic. My open-toe sandals were ridiculous...

4. Don't blow-dry your hair - or do tie it back. I look like a porcupine now.

5. Take a fully charged battery. My camera died halfway through so I've no photos of the puffin colony or the dolphins.

Despite my "issues" I totally loved the 3 hours at sea and was buzzing when we docked. This is TripAdvisor's #1 in Di**le and it is totally deserved.

04/06/2024

Another tour I experienced this week was the GPO Museum in Dublin's O'Connell Street.

The iconic GPO is the headquarters of the post office in Ireland but has also become a symbol of freedom and a place of commemoration.

The building originally opened in 1818 and was the central communications hub of Ireland; it was destroyed during the historic and tumultuous Easter Rising of 1916. That rebellion set in motion an unstoppable chain of events that ultimately led to the creation of the Irish Republic. Today's enlarged GPO re-opened in 1929.

The Museum is an immersive, interactive and engaging experience telling the story of the 1916 Easter Rising and Modern Irish History.

I took a guided tour with the knowledgeable and articulate Sean - but my mistake was not allowing enough time to explore further on my own after his 75 minute introduction. He took us through some of the displays, and he highlighted key chapters in the story of the past century - but I'm definitely going to return and spend longer looking at the displays, interacting with the digital screens and studying the artefacts. I could spend half a day here.

The story is presented fairly, chronologically and from all perspectives - which is probably why it has won a raft of awards.

I had no time to watch the specially created centrepiece film that puts you right in the middle of the action during the Rising as it happened (at the GPO and other locations). Nor did I have a chance to see the rare original copy of the Proclamation (though I've seen this in Trinity College Library).

The next time I go, I'll spend much longer, take more photos and update this post.

02/06/2024

Yesterday afternoon at 4pm, I time-travelled through three centuries of Dublin life.

My research visit to No. 14 Henrietta Street Dublin was incredibly worthwhile and took me from the grandeur of a Georgian city to grinding poverty, reminiscent of Strumpet City (an excellent book if you’ve not read it).

This reconstructed mid-terrace townhouse won the European Museum of The Year Silletto Prize in 2020; and it's an experience I want to repeat and recommend.

The house's storied history begins with its glory days, built by Luke Gardiner in the 1720s and tenanted by the aristicratic Molesworth family who hosted glamorous society events for Dublin's snoots.

After the Act of Union in 1800, Dublin's star began to wane and the merchant classes replaced the monied classes in Henrietta Street with No.14 occupied by lawyers, courts and a barracks.

By the late 19th century, the house was divided into 19 flats of one, three and four rooms. Sanitation, lighting, privacy all came second to survival as large families shared rooms and staircases and the building became a squalid and unhealthy tenement despite its Classical plasterwork. The wooden spindles of the magnificent staircase were burnt for warmth.

Leading us from room to room, with projected archive images on walls and even on the stretched sheet of a 4 poster bed, our guide introduced the families who'd lived, loved and died within these walls. Did you ever, when going to bed, say "I'll hit the hay"? Turns out that saying arises from slum dwellers beating their straw mattresses to dispel the rodents!

Restoration work on this house-museum took over ten years to complete, with many donations (physical artefacts and recorded audio memories of previous tenants) giving it genuine authenticity.

I wish I'd taken more photos but I was too engaged in the tour. I'll go back soon and will be sending my guests to learn more.

31/05/2024

Today I stepped on board the Jeanie Johnston - a replica three-masted barque. The original was built in Quebec, Canada, in 1847 by the Scottish-born shipbuilder John Munn; and was bought by Tralee-based merchants John Donovan & Sons, as a cargo vessel. The Jeanie Johnston traded successfully for a number of years, bringing emigrants across the Atlantic from Ireland and then bringing timber back to Europe.

The replica, docked on the River Liffey at Custom House Quay in Dublin, is a reminder of the experiences of many Irish families who crossed the Atlantic in ships which were never designed for human "cargo". Jeanie Johnston (JJ) is a living history museum by day, a corporate event venue by night - and occasionally an ocean-going sailing training ship.

The replica was commissioned to be ready in the year 2000 but limped into dock in 2002 significantly over-budget. This I learnt from Noel - today's guide who led a tour with three main strands: Famine and Emigration; conditions on board; and Jeanie Johnston's story - people, fate and legacy.

It was hard to get photos because "below decks" is so cramped. Laid out today for tourism, I couldn't imagine the cramped quarters where up to 250 passengers spent most of their time on the 6+week journeys, only emerging for a half an hour of fresh air each day.

Noel showed us the pot which served as a toilet (for both 'numbers') - unemptied for weeks on end, spilling in adverse sea conditions, and explaining the preference for a top bunk (which was also beneficial if you needed to vomit - but dear help the bottom bunkers....)

A ticket in the mid 19th century cost 3 pounds 10 shillings - and 100,000 people paid with their lives on what became known as 'coffin ships'.

JJ never lost a single passenger. The religious faith and decency of the owner; the experience of the captain; and the care and hygienic practices exercised by the ship's doctor meant that passengers were kept free from disease. Emigrants were convoyed speedily on the streamlined barque; permitted fresh air each day (often not the case on other ships); and less cramped (max 200 passengers) than the similar sized vessels which squeezed as many as 350 poor souls into the windowless hulls.

One 2-day old baby was permitted onto the JJ with his parents and, having survived the journey, was christened with 19 names (!) in acknowledgement of the owner, captain, doctor and crew (including two Johns). He went on to become a successful businessman and his descendants visit Dublin regularly and have donated photos and information to the JJ.

I took loads of notes - including the fascinating story of the sinking of JJ in a storm and the rescue of all on board after they tied themselves to the mast - and I will definitely recommend this tourism experience to any of my transatlantic guests whose ancestors braved the ocean crossing all those years ago.