Carrick-a-Rede
Rope Bridge
Teetering 23 meters
over the Atlantic, a light rope bridge links Carrick-a-Rede island to mainland
Northern Ireland. Watch seabirds including fulmars, kittywakes, and guillemots
wheel and dive above and below, and be prepared for some dizziness as you look
across at Rathlin Island and Scotland! The bridge is connected to the main road
via a short coastal footpath, which offers excellent viewing points of the
breath-taking local scenery
Guinness Storehouse
DUBLIN
South of the Liffey, much of James Street, west of the old
city, is centred around the colossal complex of the Guinness Brewery. Founded
by Arthur Guinness in 1759, the Guinness Brewery initially manufactured ale,
but in the 1770s started making porter, a drink so named because of its
popularity with the porters of London’s markets. Arthur’s new brew, whose
distinctive black colouring derived from the addition of roasted barley to the
brewing process, found such favour that by 1796 it was being exported to
London, and three years later ale production ceased altogether. From that
point, Guinness and his successors never looked back and, at its peak in the
middle of the twentieth century, their brewery produced some 2,500,000 pints of
their now eponymous product a day.
The brewery is sadly not open to the public, but
instead you can visit the seven-storey Guinness Storehouse, signposted from
Crane Street, a high-tech temple to the black stuff. Its self-guided tour kicks
off with the brewing process – a whirl of water (not from the Liffey, despite
the myth) and a reek of barley, hops and malt – before progressing to the
storage and transportation areas. A huge barrel dominates the section on the
lost art of coopering, and nearby there’s an engine from the brewery’s old
railway system. The remainder of the tour consists of an array of marketing
memorabilia, supported by plenty of facts and figures about the Guinness
empire, and there’s a gallery on John Gilroy, an esteemed painter who designed
many of the company’s advertisements. Right at the top of the tower is the
Gravity Bar, where you can savour your complimentary pint of perhaps the best
Guinness in Dublin while absorbing the superb panorama of the city and the
countryside beyond.
Most of Dublin’s attractions are contained within a
relatively compact area, spreading either side of the many-bridged River
Liffey, which divides the city between its Northside and Southside. These have
very distinct characters, defined over the city’s historical development:
stereotypically, the south is viewed in terms of its gentility while the north
is seen as brash and working class, home of the true Dub accent. Pre-eminent
among the city’s historic sights is Trinity College, whose main draw for visitors
is the glorious Book of Kells. From here, the city’s main commercial street,
Grafton Street, marches off towards St Stephen’s Green, home to the rococo
splendours of Newman House. Among the stylish Georgian streets to the east of
Grafton Street, meanwhile, you’ll find the compelling displays of the National
Gallery and the National Museum. On the west side of Trinity begins Temple Bar,
which somehow manages to remain the city’s hub for both carousing and art,
overlooked sternly by Dublin Castle, British headquarters in Ireland until 1921
and now home to the glorious collections of the Chester Beatty Library.
Dublin’s two historic cathedrals, Christ Church and St Patrick’s, stand to the
west of here.
The Cliffs of Moher is Ireland’s most visited natural attraction with a magical vista that captures the hearts of up to 1 million visitors each year. The Cliffs rise up to 214 (700 feet) at the highest point and range for 8km over the Atlantic Ocean on the Western seaboard of Co. Clare.The Cliffs is a Special Protected Area under the EU birds Directive 1979 and is home to Ireland's largest mainland seabird nesting colony. The historic O'Brien's Tower (1825) stands near the highest point of the Cliffs of Moher and boasts views of 5 counties on a clear day. Opened in 2007, the eco-friendly visitor centre operates using environmental best practices with a state of the art Cliffs exhibition.
Belfast Botanic Garden
Belfast Botanic Garden used to be a public park
during the period 1828-1895. It is a Victorian heritage with the gorgeous vast
rose garden, oaks planted in the distant 1880 and herbaceous borders. The Palm
House, an iron glasshouse, was designed by Charles Lanyon. Tropical Ravine is
an illustrative example of horticultural Victoriana where you can enjoy the
view of the various plants in the sunken glen from a balcony. The dome area is
a home for many temperate and tropical plants. What also contributes to the
Belfast Botanic Garden's reputation as a meeting spot for tourists and citizens
are the children's playgrounds and charming pathways. The area functions as a
concert place, as well.
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