We booked our yearly day tour out of Dublin with PaddyWagon. Why Paddywagon? I don't know, maybe just because on our last tour they were super great that even my father who is not a big fan of travelling enjoyed it. You can pick any of the day tour companies out of Dublin to discover a extra bit of Ireland, or in this case Northern Ireland.
Stop1: Ruins of Monasterboice
It was founded in late 5th century and was an important center of religion. The most striking thing are the large crosses you can see around. The tower is still almost perfectly intact but it can't be entered.
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The Monastery is in the middle of nowhere so, the view around is very nice
Stop2: Belfast
You have here 2 options, either you go on a Belfast Cab tour or you have time for the city and probably end up in the crown bar or so. I went for the cab tour, which is definitely interesting to do as it gives you quite a view on the history of Belfast.
The tour guides you around the area of the Peace wall, which separates the Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods. On the Protestant part you have a wall with loads of messages from people to encourage peace.
"The first peace lines were built in 1969, following the outbreak of the 1969 Northern Ireland riots and "the Troubles". They were built as temporary structures meant to last only six months, but due to their effective nature they have become wider, longer and more permanent. Originally few in number, they have multiplied over the years, from 18 in the early 1990s to 48 today; in total they stretch over 21 miles (34 km), with most located in Belfast. They have been increased in both height and number since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998" (Source). But now, it is planned for the walls to be taken down by 2023.
"The first peace lines were built in 1969, following the outbreak of the 1969 Northern Ireland riots and "the Troubles". They were built as temporary structures meant to last only six months, but due to their effective nature they have become wider, longer and more permanent. Originally few in number, they have multiplied over the years, from 18 in the early 1990s to 48 today; in total they stretch over 21 miles (34 km), with most located in Belfast. They have been increased in both height and number since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998" (Source). But now, it is planned for the walls to be taken down by 2023.
while on the Christian side, you can't even see the wall as the view is blocked by houses.
A little bit down the road you'll see the international wall.
Stop3: Titanic Experience
It is included in the price and you have 2 hours to go through all the floors.
at the end if you go out through the back door you'll get this view:
You can check more details out on my separate post about how I experienced the Titanic Experience in Belfast.
You should definitely visit Belfast and I am sure I'll go there again as one day is not enough to get a real taste of the city
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