A bit of a correction before we proceed. Cat has advised that the app to find more and/or cheaper flights in the UK is called “Skyscanner”…not whatever I called it. Don’t forget to send your corrections along folks….I need all the help I can get.
Monday, April 22nd, and we’re up and on the road by 08:00 heading from Dublin to the site of the Battle of the Boyne, near Drogheda. I’d read a bit about the battle itself but I didn’t know that much about the reasons for the battle and the implications for English and Irish history. While the battle was successful for the English under William III, the war raged on for some time before James II ran off to France. William, being protestant and James being catholic, this set the stage for clashes between the two religions that still go on.
In the north, celebrating King Billy and the use of “orange” by the protestants, all reflect the impact William’s victory has had on Northern Irish history.
The interpretive centre is quite nice and the laser depiction of the battle is very unique and puts the whole event in perspective. There are also life size displays of uniforms and weapons and rather unique presentation by the tour guide of certain “implements” used to care for the wounded.
There is also a very nice wee café that overlooks the large garden area and we took advantage of that before loading up on the bus and heading to Belfast.
We arrive on the outskirts of Belfast at the dock area, and the actual site where Titanic was built, to see the incredible building that is the Titanic Museum. The four corners of the building are shaped like the prow of the Titanic and are the same height. It’s a stunning first sight.
As you wend your way through the museum you go from the planning and design stages, to the construction of the ship, it’s launching (which was a major event in Dublin and around the world), then on to the voyage, the disaster that happened (including a wall with the name of every survivor and those lost) and finally you end up with the story of the finding of the remains. There is a “ride” that takes you through the shipyards as the ship is being built and exhibits which display what the ship looked like on the inside. Quite a memorable experience and well worth the visit.
We are staying in Dublin for the night at the Malone Hotel. Our ever resource full tour guide, Peter, has offered to show us the way to his favourite Belfast pub, The Crown. It’s a bit of a walk, essentially through the campus of Queen’s University at Belfast, down to the town centre. The Crown is an amazing place, recently refurbished and totally packed with Belfastians. Just as we’re ordering a few pints of Belfast Black, a group exits the “snug” next to us and we all pile in. Not all as we’ve lost a few due to the treck and the possibility of a good nights sleep.
The Belfast Black is a stout and only available in Belfast. It is one of the smoothest drinking pints I’ve ever had and the group of us demolish quite a bit of it. This is actually where the neglect of the blog gets it’s start as, by the time we get back to the Malone, I’m knackered and head to bed.
Perhaps I’ll catch up tomorrow.