Mulchman's Blog

Day 14 started like the rest with breakfast and us getting in the car and driving somewhere. We were headed back to the Republic of Ireland to return to the first B&B we stayed at and were very eager to get back to something familiar. Along the way all we had planned was stopping a Newgrange – a 5000 year old (older than the pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in Britain) burial site/passage tomb/passage grave. I wasn’t quite sure what it was or what to expect.

The drive out of Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland was easy and went by fairly quickly – I was eager to get back to the high speeds (as they’re kilometers per hour) in the Republic and the awesome move-left-into-the-shoulder passing mechanism that I’ve come to love so much.

Newgrange is accessible by bus only so you have to go to the visitor center and get a specific tour time to access the site. Luckily, our tour time was about 15 minutes from when we arrived so we didn’t have to wait long. The bus ride to the site is quick and once there you have a guided tour of the site with a few minutes at the end to wander by yourself before having to catch the bus back. The entire trip is about an hour.

At the site they tell you a bit of history about the structure and what they think it was used for – it’s 5000 years old so no one really knows for sure what it is or how/when it was used – and then you get to go inside. It’s quite cramped and the 25 or so of us in the tour group barely fit. The passageway into the single dome shaped tomb area is quite small forcing just about everyone to duck and/or squeeze in between the rocks when passing through. Once inside they explain that only on certain days near the winter solstice does sunlight ever make it into the tomb. It is thought that on these days the ashes of those placed inside the tomb would go to the next dimension/world/whatever. The whole thing was quite incredible and somber.

After Newgrange we got lunch and headed to Malahide where the B&B was. Once there we got the same rooms we used before and had some tea and scones – the scones were awesome! A little bit later Amber and I went into town and I had a couple of beers and then we picked up pizza and brought it back for us all to eat. After that it was bed.

Ireland Guinness pint count: 28

Day 13 started out with breakfast once again and then we were off to see Giants Causeway, Bushmills Distillery, and Dunluce Castle.

We got to Giants Causeway quite easily and still quite early and immediately took the route to see the actual rocks rather than the scenic route that finally loops you around to the rocks. After lots of pictures we then went to the wishing chair thing then up the hillside to the ampitheatre area then finally back up the 162 stairs to the top of the hill overlooking it all and back to the visitors center. It was quite a sight. At the visitor center we had lunch and then we were off to Bushmills Distillery.

At Bushmills we had to wait for a tour time so we went to the gift shop first and returned to the main area for the tour once it was time. The tour was just a tour where you see where and how they make the whiskey (note the “e” in whiskey meaning it’s been triple distilled – apparently “whisky” without the “e” means it hasn’t been triple distilled). You walk from building to building with the tour guide while he walks you through the process and it gets beaten into your head that 1) Bushmills is triple distilled, 2) Scottish whisky is only distilled twice and 3) other whisky is only distilled once. I guess they really want you to know this fact since they say it so many times. The tour ends in the “1608 Bar” where you get a complementary drink. Amber got the 400th anniversary one, Kathy got Black Bush, Carol got a hot toddy thing, and I got the Special Reserve (which they don’t sell/distribute/export except for in their gift shop).

After Bushmills we started heading back toward Derry but only after stopping at Dunluce Castle. Part of this castle fell into the sea in 1639 while servants were preparing dinner and 7 of them or so – the servants – fell into the sea with the castle. Walls and the basic floor plan are all that remain of the castle today but it’s still cool to walk around.

We were then back on our way to Derry driving sooooooooooo slow. Northern Ireland uses miles as its distances and miles per hour for speed so it feels like you just crawl along compared to using kilometers and kilometers per hour down in the Republic of Ireland. They also don’t seem to have or use the awesome passing mechanism that the Republic of Ireland has whereby the slow car can drive entirely in the shoulder while others pass in the driving lane and it works even if there are tons of oncoming cars. I absolutely love this setup in the Republic of Ireland and have used it extensively for the past 13 days or so – that is when the roads are actually big/wide enough to implement it – and what’s even better is that the slow cars you pass aren’t all pissy or upset that they’re being passed and they willingly move over to the left to let you pass. This would never work in the US.

Back in Derry we headed out to Badgers again for dinner and it was delicous once again. Amber got her own pint of Smithwicks too and finished it all by herself! As we were leaving we realized we hadn’t gotten a picture of this  momentus feat so she’ll have to do it once again for posterity’s sake.

Back at the B&B it was bed time.

Ireland Guinness pint count: 26

Day 12 started out with breakfast at the crappy B&B and then we were out of there as soon as we could get out. We didn’t have much planned – it was mainly a driving day. We needed to get to Derry (northern Ireland) from Sligo and I wanted to stop at a dolmen.

We got to the dolmen area pretty easily but the dolmen itself wasn’t viewable from the road so after asking some locals at the “Dolmen Centre” place building thing they pointed out where we needed to walk. As soon as we got on the private land and trail that the dolmen was on, we were greeted by a black-ish dog that turned out to be our tour guide. He would eventually guide us right to the dolmen but only after we encountered some very deadly horses. The horses were blocking the trail but Amber got them to move. I thought that would be the end of the horses but sadly it wasn’t.

I got to the dolmen first, the Kilclooney Dolmen, and was taking pictures and everything was going fine until the horses flipped out and started charging at us. These horses were crazy and out for blood. Amber enjoyed it greatly as one of the horses pinned me up almost against the dolmen with its deadly feet ready to kick my direction. After some tricky maneuvering, and Amber telling me to just get down, I managed to escape and find my way back to the car but not after a second encounter with a different horse!

After barely escaping the second horses’ charging I was free of these maniacal vermin and could breathe easy once again. Once the others caught up to me (& for some reason they didn’t have any horse troubles) we went in the Dolmen Centre for bathrooms and a postcard. We were then back on our way to Derry.

On our way to Derry we stopped in Balleyfogey for lunch at some Nighthawks Cafe place and then were back on the road.

The drive from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland was quite uneventful and was really only noticed by the speed limit signs changing to MPH and the road names changing. I wanted tanks, troops, demilitarized zones, etc. but there was nothing – just crossing a bridge and noticing license plates changing.

After getting to the B&B in Derry we walked around a bit seeing some of the murals and the area where Bloody Sunday took place and eventually making our way up into the old walled city and walking on the wall for a bit and then going into the Guild Hall (which looks like a big church). It had some awesome stained glass windows – some of the best in Ireland allegedly.

After that we walked around some shopping areas and found a place the B&B guy had recommended for dinner – Badgers. The food was pretty good and I had two pints of Guinness and one Smithwicks Irish Ale. Amber actually liked the Smithwicks, too!

After that it was back to the B&B and time for bed.

Ireland Guinness pint count: 25