St. Patrick’s Day 2005: Belfast and Beyond

I recently visited three very different parts of Northern Ireland — Belfast, Bushmills, and Belle Isle — and was instantly caught up in its charm.
Belfast, which has been called “Europe’s friendliest regional capital,” is currently one of the hottest, hippest cities in Europe. In 2003, it was voted one of the top five UK cities by readers of the “Guardian/Observer,” beating out places like London, Manchester, and Liverpool. Touring the city — by foot, bike, bus, or taxi — is a breeze, and whether you’re interested in the history of the Titanic or the Troubles, in art, culture, or just a few days of shopping, you can find it here.

The Titanic
No ship has caught the world’s imagination like RMS Titanic, the biggest and most luxurious ship ever built when it sailed out of Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyard on April 12, 1912. Over the years, books and films, including James Cameron’s blockbuster with Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet, have turned its tragic sinking, only 12 days after leaving the port, into legend. Today, there are branches of the Titanic Society around the world, more than 70,000 Web sites dedicated to the ship, an encyclopedia where you can read the latest research, and over 300 museums that feature Titanic memorabilia. Nothing compares to a Titanic Tour, though, like the one run by the Lagan Boat Company that views the shipyard from the Lagan River.
The tour starts down by the Big Fish, the unusual fish-shaped sculpture that represents the return of the salmon to the Lagan. You’ll sail under the Dargan Bridge, pass the old docks, and eventually come to the shipyard where the Titanic and many other great liners were built. At its height, more than 32,000 people worked there (today there are only a few hundred), with Samson and Goliath, two of the biggest gantry cranes in the world, still dominating the Belfast skyline. The area will eventually be preserved as part of the new Titanic Quarter of the shipyards. More than 20,000 people saw the ship’s launch and 100,000 saw her sail out of Belfast Lough, and this tour is a small reminder of the ship’s glory.

The Troubles
The not-so-glorious political events of Belfast can be explored in two areas of the city — the Protestant Shankill Road and Catholic Falls Road — and for anyone who has an interest in the history of the Troubles, a black taxi tour is a must. I took the tour with Norman Gibb, co-owner of the company that has been providing these tours since 1998. He said the idea came about from visitors.
“People would come to the taxi ranks and ask us to take them to the places they’d heard about and had seen on TV,” Gibbs said, “so we created these tours to answer that need.”
While the tours can be personalized to suit exactly what the visitor wants to see, they usually begin at the bottom of the Shankill Road in front of a rather new mural, which sarcastically expresses the Protestant opinion of Sinn Fein’s involvement in the peace process. The murals, which are frequently changed to reflect current politics, are brilliant examples of political satire, religious history, and social commentary.
At “King Billy Square,” the murals were created to honor King William of Orange and his victory at the Battle of the Boyne, and further along on the tour you’ll see historic murals that celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee and one that chronicles the history of the UVF.
From the Shankill Road, Gibb made a stop at the Peace Wall, then enormous structure erected in 1969 to separate the two communities. Today, it’s filled with political graffiti and messages of hope written by people from all over the world.
After passing through security gates at the end of the wall, the tour then explores life on the other side — in the Catholic Falls Road area. We stopped at the Clonard Martyrs Memorial, a Garden of Remembrance that honors the work of 83 citizens from the Clonard area “who lost their lives as a direct result of the conflict.” The last stop is the Falls Road office of Sinn Fein, where the side wall is painted with a mural honoring Bobby Sands, the most famous of the hunger strikers of 1981.
For Gibb, he said, “Living here was part of my training, but I had enough interest in Irish history to want to do it for a living.” To be 100 percent sure of his facts, he carries the Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Ireland on his taxi’s front seat.

Historical pub tour
When you visit a capital city, a pub tour or “crawl” is a convenient — and friendly — way to spend the evening and to get to know some of the local “in” spots. With so many historic pubs in this city, it’s also a great way to be certain you don’t miss any of them. The Baileys Historical Pub Tour, which is often led by Judy Crawford, a licensed guide who’s well versed in pub history and lore, always starts upstairs at The Crown Liquor Saloon on Great Victoria Street. Arguably the most famous pub in Northern Ireland, it was built in 1849 and much of its stunning interior was constructed by Italian craftsmen who were in Belfast working on Catholic churches and on the great ships being built at Harland and Wolff.
Beyond the exquisite tiling, glasswork, and ornamental woodwork, the bar is also famous for its 10 beautiful snugs, each of which has its own bell for summoning the barman. Britain’s National Trust now preserves the pub.
Lesser known, but equally popular with locals, is White’s Tavern, founded in 1630, supposedly the oldest continuously licensed premises in Belfast. The Morning Star, in Pottinger’s Entry, is also a beautifully restored pub, currently under the ownership of an Australian, who has introduced kangaroo, crocodile, and emu to the pub menu. The Kitchen Bar, once a boarding house, was just about to move to a new location during my visit, a victim of a wrecker’s ball and city center restoration. One of its trademarks, a long narrow bar, was expected to be relocated to the new premises.
Other pubs that are generally part of the tour are Bittles, with its unique triangular shape; Duke of York, famous for Irish music; and McHugh’s, located in the oldest building in Belfast. The tour lasts approximately 2 1/2 hours and comes with a complimentary glass of Baileys at the pub of your choice.

St. George’s Market
Another less serious side of the city’s history can be found at the St. George’s Market, (Oxford Street, opposite Waterfront Hall), the oldest covered market in Ireland (1896). Markets have been a vital part of Belfast life since the 17th century, so for some genuine local color, St. George’s is a pleasant diversion. Before it was a general market, it sold butter, eggs, and poultry, but since its reopening in 1999, it’s now the largest indoor market in Ireland with more than 240 stalls selling fish, meat, produce, cheese, antiques, clothes, and flowers. It’s open only on Fridays, so plan accordingly, although on Saturdays there’s a specialty farmer’s market that has exotic goods like venison, ostrich, and wild boar on offer, along with organic vegetables and great home-baked breads. Bring a shopping bag and feel like a native!

BELLE ISLE
Speaking of food, one of the newest and brightest lights on the Northern scene is Belle Isle School of Cookery, located on the estate of the same name in Lisbellaw, Co. Fermanagh, at the northern tip of Upper Lough Erne. Inhabited since the 11th century, the 470-acre estate consists of a magnificent country castle that can be rented for up to 14 people, three separate self-catering cottages (perfect for the sportsmen who frequent the area), recently refurbished courtyard self-catering apartments, and since November 2003, a purpose-built state-of-the-art cookery school.
Chef Liz Moore, who provides simple, flexible, and practical instruction for the weekend chef or potential gourmet cook, heads the first of its kind cookery school in Northern Ireland. Moore is considered to be one of the new generations of young chefs who concentrate on Irish food with a lighter and more modern twist. She honed her cooking skills during many years of cooking in Europe, and thus offers a wide range of courses lasting from one day to four weeks. Each is designed for any level of cooking ability.
We enrolled in a weekend course focusing on game cookery, but other courses include outdoor entertaining; dinner party favorites; brilliant breakfasts; breads, cakes, and biscuits; cooking with wine; and chocolate heaven. Enrolled with us were three affable gals from Scotland who do a “foodie” thing annually, and a London bachelor hoping to improve his dating potential though cooking. We had great fun with the preparation of each meal and even more fun sharing it with wines — lots of it — paired with each dish.
Students enrolled in the classes are housed in the courtyard apartments, some of which are large enough to accommodate six adults. The facilities can also be rented for weekend getaways, fishing and shooting forays, although if Liz Moore has anything to say about, Fermanagh will be the next great destination for food lovers.
For details, visit www.irishcookeryschool.com or www.belleisle-estate.com.

BUSHMILLS
Another Northern attraction that is probably already on everyone’s list of “must-see” places is the Giant’s Causeway, a spectacular rock formation comprising thousands of black hexagonal rocks that jut out from the North Antrim coastline into the sea toward Scotland. After a visit there, you must head straight to the town of Bushmills, less than a mile away, to tour the Old Bushmills Distillery, which has played a significant role in the history of Northern Ireland as the world’s first licensed whiskey distillery.
Licensed in 1608 by King James I, the Old Bushmills Distillery is one of the few remaining places where distilling, blending, and bottling are combined under one roof. When you visit, you get to experience firsthand the craft and skills of making single-malt Irish whiskey, which includes malting Irish barley, triple distillation in copper stills, and aging in oak casks. The best part is the tasting of the final products — single-malt whiskeys that include those aged for 10, 16 and 21 years; Black Bush, a special whiskey aged in Oloroso sherry casks; and their newest product, a rich, chocolate-and-vanilla-flavored Irish cream liqueur. For details, visit www.bushmills.com.
If you can extend your stay to include a night or two in the area, head to the Bushmills Inn Hotel in the heart of town, where turf fires, intimate snugs in its pubs and restaurants, and cozy rooms invite you to kick back and enjoy the view.
And what a view it is along the Antrim coast, where 12th century Dunluce Castle is precariously poised on a sheer cliff, two miles west of Bushmills, and the world-class Royal Portrush Golf Course, a few miles farther west, extends out to sea in a classic dunes setting. For details, visit www.bushmillsinn.com.
For a fine finish to a Northern Ireland visit, wend your way to Ardtara Country House, set in the green and rolling countryside of Upperlands, in South Derry. A mere 30 minute drive from Royal Portrush, it’s a perfect destination for golfers, whiskey tasters, and anyone seeking a quiet respite from bustling Belfast. The house, a real Victorian charmer, was originally the home of the Clark family, prominent players in the Ulster linen trade. As a member of Ireland’s prestigious “Blue Book” properties, the house is perfect as a last port-of-call before heading home, especially from Belfast’s International Airport, only 20 miles away. For details, visit www.ardtara.com.