Northern Ireland

Hi, Well I have lots to show you this time. We have been on a long trip since delivering the ring. We have traveled up to Northern Ireland, walked the walls of the fortified city, Found special candy at Portrush, visited the Giants Causeway and more. Just look at the pictures following!

After leaving the ring we were heading through Donegal when we saw these mysterious caves in the hills across the farmland. We have not been able to find out how or when they were formed or who may have used them. Nobody seems to know..... Maybe this could be where leprechauns live but we cant get close enough to find out. I still can't find a leprechaun. Have you seen any yet?

Many majestic churches are dotted across Irelend. Nearly every town has one or more and some are really old.

These round towers were used by monks many years ago to protect their money and valuables. Many armies went through the land and they would often try and steal the riches of the people they found. The monks built these and they could only be entered from a door well above the ground. When an army appeared the monks used ladders to climb into the towers and then pulled the ladders up behind them so they could not be followed.

Strange shaped hills appeared. Worn this way over the ages.

We drove over hills and between them until we got to the fortified town of Londonderry. This is  known as Derry by most people in Ireland

Derry is built on the banks of the River Foyle and was the site of many conflicts.

Huge walls were built around the city and many cannon can be seen protruding through the walls.

This was one of the main gates that could be used to enter the city.

We climbed the walls to view the defences!

Chance, Martin and Dallas took charge of a cannon each and were ready to repel the enemy!

They aimed carefully making sure that the gun was pointed just the right way. They prepared to fire and had one last check!

STOP, Don't Shoot! That's McDonalds!

Inside the walls were shops, churches and a cathedral

These must have taken years to build and were very grand.

The walls went up and up all around the city.

Cannon protected every section.

The height of the walls gave a good view of the surrounding countryside

Cannon were of all shapes and sizes!

A small church inside the walls

Stained glass windows light the beautiful woodwork within.

It was good that we did not shoot at the McDonalds store because all that walking made us hungry.

Chance found Thomas and he took him for a ride!

Meanwhile Dallas and Martin took a spin in the car!

We drove across the Sperrin Mountains.

And saw many wind farms producing electricity.

And in the distance we could see where the people had cut turf which is like peat. The turf is cut and dried over the summer. In winter it is used as fuel on their fires to keep warm just like we use wood or coal.

The beachside town of Portrush can be seen in the distance

A sailing boat could be seen putting out to sea

We headed to the marina and the beach.

The big red boat in the background is one of their Coastal Rescue craft. The seas here can get very wild and cold.

All this rushing about made me tired so I sat with Chance to have a rest.

Dallas enjoyed playing on the beach in the Sun.

I felt a bit chilly so I asked Davina to cuddle me and keep me warm.

Seaweed thrown up on the beach made interesting patterns.

Leaving Portrush the coast line was quite rugged

And the sea had washed large holes in the rocks

In the distance a castle can be seen on the cliff edge.

It was abandoned when it began crumbling into the sea.

Another sight close by took our attention.  Icecreams!

Traveling on we went to visit the Giant's Causeway

We had to walk down to the beach

The coastline was strewn with rocks

We kept walking

many people came to see the strange rock formations

The rocks were all patterned in similar shapes

It must have thrown Dallas off balance.

Chance stands firm on the rocks

Martin and Dallas stand at the bottom of the cliff

But Dallas decides she prefers a view a bit higher up!

The causeway stretches out into the sea toward Scotland. Legends and myths purport that the causeway was built by an Irish giant named Finn McCool as a way to walk to Scotland in order to fight his Scottish nemesis, Bernandonner. The story goes that Finn fell asleep before he could cross to Scotland, and Bernandonner came across to Ireland looking for Finn. His wife, Oonaugh, upon seeing that the Scotsman was much larger than her husband, cleverly wrapped him up, and passed him off to Bernandonner as her baby. Upon seeing this enormous baby, the giant Scot, thinking that the father must indeed be a larger giant than he, went back to Scotland, tearing up the causeway as he went, to keep the giant Irishman from coming for him in Scotland. The legend made sense to people for many years, as there are similar formations across the water on the Scottish side.

All the kids have some time out to try riding on a quad bike.

Sometimes the lanes were so narrow it was not safe to try and pass. Here a truck is taking  a digger along the road. There is no warning vehicles in front of the truck so everyone has to drive carefully on these roads in case we meet a truck or tractor or even animals on the road.

Mmmm and who is riding in the tractor?

Martin gives a tractor a wash.

Chance gets to clean the other bits.

Everyone in for a photo in a clean tractor!

In Port Stewart for a fee you can drive your cars onto the beach for a day out.

Further around the sand gives way to rocks. Can't drive a car here.

In the Distance are the shipyards of Belfast.

We took the wrong turn and ended up having an unintended drive through central Belfast.

On the way back to Dublin we saw some interesting bridges.

This bridge was very distinctive and soon after this we were traveling along the roads into Dublin for a rest until the next part of our adventures