Dublin

At first glance Dublin seems like just an ordinary city, but dig a little below the surface and it has its own special charms. Twice as big as Belfast, it lacks the small-town vibes but makes up for it with some bigger city amenities.

The Abbey on Parnell Square:

The Garden of Remembrance:

Trinity College:

 Trinity College:

 St. Stephen's Park:

 The Spike on O'Connell Street:

 Wonderful exhibits at the Dublin City Gallery:

 The beautiful grounds at the National Botanic Gardens:

 Very historic but extremely sobering Kilmainham Gaol:

 Halfpenny Bridge:

 Very historic General Post Office:

 The markets at Moore Street::

 Back in Galway at the Ard Bia at Nimmos cafe:

Belfast

Belfast has a very charming, small-city feeling with an artsy, hip community elbowing its place along side the decaying industrial core as it struggles to rebuild after the many years as the center of "The Troubles." However, the undercurrent of the tensions sadly remains and there have been three days of rioting (so far).

But, there is a hopefulness in seeing the bustling shops, galleries, restaurants and pubs. The window says, "Not as Catholics or Protestants/Not as Nationalists or Unionists/But as Belfast workers standing together:" This was at the Belfast City Hall which also had a very nice historical exhibit (extremely fair and balanced):

The Belfast Public Library is another fine building:

 St. Anne's Church:

Very cute streets:

Terrific outdoor wall art:

 Prince Albert's Memorial Clock:

Northern Ireland

To the ignorant eye, the Protestant looks like a Catholic. Northern Ireland looks like northern Ireland. But, I supposed to the ignorant eye, all Asians look alike; to the mosquito a Black looks like a Caucasian. As Rodgers and Hammerstein say in South Pacific, "You have to be taught to hate and fear." Nevertheless, to the discerning eye, the farms are a little bigger in Northern Ireland than in northern Ireland. And, yes, one doesn't have to have a discerning eye to see that the Union Jack flies in Northern Ireland.

But, first the trip there via Carrickabraghy Castle...

A stop at Greencastle to take the ferry over to Northern Ireland

Greeted by the forbidding exterior of H-Block, the site of the deadly hunger strikes during The Troubles.

Then on to the inspiring sights at Dunluce Castle.

And, the amazing Giant's Causeway.

Beautiful Ballyliffin

There's a little part of Ireland that is north of Northern Ireland. It's in Donegal county which is part of Ulster province and includes the village of Ballyliffin (or, as we say in Gaelic, Baile Lifin) on the Inishowen peninsula.

The countryside is littered with postcard worthy views.

The two-way roads narrow down to the width that is less than an alley way some with grass growing in the middle and yet two cars manage to pass each other.

There are so many scenic look-outs from various bluffs and peninsulas, each more breath-taking than the last. We end up at the northern most point of Ireland, Malin Head.