Riding Ireland
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Nomad
I've rented a Harley from the place in Waterford, but usually I rent a cheap, old Transalp or something. Still great fun!
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2009
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From: DE
It's a lovely place!
My father's people are form Dungannon. South of Dungannon is some nice hilly riding, with the odd stone circle and such, if that's your thing.
The nice thing about Co. Tyrone is that most of the tourists are up in Antrim or over in Belfast. So yo have the roads all to yourself, mostly
Have you been to Derry, or over to Donegal? Lovely riding out that way!
My father's people are form Dungannon. South of Dungannon is some nice hilly riding, with the odd stone circle and such, if that's your thing.
The nice thing about Co. Tyrone is that most of the tourists are up in Antrim or over in Belfast. So yo have the roads all to yourself, mostly
Have you been to Derry, or over to Donegal? Lovely riding out that way!
Road Captain
Joined: May 2009
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From: Independence, MO
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Nomad
Derry is a great town. I'm assuming you're talking about the Bogside (a neighborhood just outside the walls of Derry), where one can see the murals, bullet holes from Bloody Sunday, the H-Block memorial, and other lovely things. There are also Loyalist murals in (London)Derry, too.
Why the indian-style headdresses on King Billy's day? Well, William III did wage a war in the American colonies called "King William's War" in which he fought Indians and French Catholics (it was the first of the so-called French-Indian Wars). This was part of a complex series of wars waged against James II (the Catholic king he deposed) and those who supported him, like France. (Many Québecois are still somewhat bitter, as I understand.)
How the Loyalists turn that into their Orangemen's regalia I'm not sure, nor do I care. No idea about the light sabre--no accounting for a Loyalist's taste
But, yes, still many villages in NI are all one persuasion or the other. Bushmills is a prod village. Ballintoy is mixed, then Ballycastle is Catholic, etc etc etc.
I moved from NI when I was 5 and lived out the last 15 years of the Troubles in London, which wasn't particularly fun either. Try minding your own business and being Irish in London when the Provos were blowing up pubs, New Scotland Yard, etc.
Yet, I bear no ill will towards Irishmen of any persuasion, and have friends and relations of all stripe of Irish. A criminal is a criminal, and the Troubles was the work of criminals, some in uniform, some in office, all insane.
Shame, all that. NI is a beautiful place. I prefer to think of it as Ulster, which includes Donegal, as well.
To ride the Antrim coast, the Giant's Causeway and all that, to Derry, around Lough Foyle and up Inishowen......and putting around all the bits of the Donegal coast.....pure Ireland to me.
The down side to riding in NI is the cost of petrol! ....and the speed cameras!
Why the indian-style headdresses on King Billy's day? Well, William III did wage a war in the American colonies called "King William's War" in which he fought Indians and French Catholics (it was the first of the so-called French-Indian Wars). This was part of a complex series of wars waged against James II (the Catholic king he deposed) and those who supported him, like France. (Many Québecois are still somewhat bitter, as I understand.)
How the Loyalists turn that into their Orangemen's regalia I'm not sure, nor do I care. No idea about the light sabre--no accounting for a Loyalist's taste
But, yes, still many villages in NI are all one persuasion or the other. Bushmills is a prod village. Ballintoy is mixed, then Ballycastle is Catholic, etc etc etc.
I moved from NI when I was 5 and lived out the last 15 years of the Troubles in London, which wasn't particularly fun either. Try minding your own business and being Irish in London when the Provos were blowing up pubs, New Scotland Yard, etc.
Yet, I bear no ill will towards Irishmen of any persuasion, and have friends and relations of all stripe of Irish. A criminal is a criminal, and the Troubles was the work of criminals, some in uniform, some in office, all insane.
Shame, all that. NI is a beautiful place. I prefer to think of it as Ulster, which includes Donegal, as well.
To ride the Antrim coast, the Giant's Causeway and all that, to Derry, around Lough Foyle and up Inishowen......and putting around all the bits of the Donegal coast.....pure Ireland to me.
The down side to riding in NI is the cost of petrol! ....and the speed cameras!
Road Captain
Joined: May 2009
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From: Independence, MO
I'm kind of glad I didn't know what Orange Day was all about till I asked a friend in Cork a few days after we were in NI. My wife and I are both Catholic. We had a great time at the Giant's Causeway some of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen.
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From: Nomad
These days, most NI Protestants are middle class, whereas most NI Catholics are working class. So, NI Protestants = Tories; NI Catholics = Labour. The social and political boundaries are not as hard and fast as they once were, thank goodness. But throughout the Troubles they mostly were. Extremists on both sides have their own extreme parties and leaders. For every Ian Paisley there is a Gerry Adams.
OK.....history lesson over! promise! (did I sound neutral? I tried.....)
The Giant's Causeway is one of my favorite places in the world, and apparently one of UNESCO's favorite places, too. My grandfather used to take me there every summer and tell me the stories. Great memories.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,085
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From: DE
"To ride the Antrim coast, the Giant's Causeway and all that, to Derry, around Lough Foyle and up Inishowen......and putting around all the bits of the Donegal coast.....pure Ireland to me."
AMEN,
That's actually the route we took after leaving Belfast, and while SW Ireland (Dingle Peninsula, etc) is lovely, it is tough to beat the Antrim coast for pure majesty. The only area of Ireland where you can walk across the Atlantic. Faber, I am sure you know what I am talking about.
AMEN,
That's actually the route we took after leaving Belfast, and while SW Ireland (Dingle Peninsula, etc) is lovely, it is tough to beat the Antrim coast for pure majesty. The only area of Ireland where you can walk across the Atlantic. Faber, I am sure you know what I am talking about.
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 8,831
Likes: 15
From: Nomad
"To ride the Antrim coast, the Giant's Causeway and all that, to Derry, around Lough Foyle and up Inishowen......and putting around all the bits of the Donegal coast.....pure Ireland to me."
AMEN,
That's actually the route we took after leaving Belfast, and while SW Ireland (Dingle Peninsula, etc) is lovely, it is tough to beat the Antrim coast for pure majesty. The only area of Ireland where you can walk across the Atlantic. Faber, I am sure you know what I am talking about.
AMEN,
That's actually the route we took after leaving Belfast, and while SW Ireland (Dingle Peninsula, etc) is lovely, it is tough to beat the Antrim coast for pure majesty. The only area of Ireland where you can walk across the Atlantic. Faber, I am sure you know what I am talking about.
My grandfather used to tell me those stories all the time, of Fionn mac Cumhaill and Benandonner...........right there. When I was a boy, I so badly wanted to walk to Scotland. Once my grandfather gave me a snorkel and told me to try. You can imagine how that got me sorted!
Dingle is lovely, too. There's Gaeltacht down there, but I have a hard time understanding them. (maybe cuz I'm rusty
) Dingle and the rest of Kerry is absolutely wonderful. Some don't like the tourism. I say that tourists usually gravitate to beautiful places. Really hard to beat the Irish coast anywhere.