I know you can’t say ‘Irelands’ but this trip took us to Northern Ireland but also south into Ireland or Eire. The way you know you have crossed a national border is that the road speed signs change from mph to kph and back again. The border meanders through the countryside and the roads take you in and out of the two countries with no fanfare at all. Much like the rest of the European Union. Ah but what’s to happen when Britain and thus Northern Ireland is no longer in the EU but Ireland is? A big question that no one has been able to answer so far but that is an issue for another day.
There is a lot to see and do in Northern Ireland and I was keen to revisit some highlights of a trip I made there many moons ago. However the pressing reason for the timing of this visit was the exhibition of a marvellous feat of creative art and craft at the Ulster Museum in Belfast. A tapestry of the highlights of every Game of Thrones Season. This medieval style wall-hanging, made from Irish linen, initially depicted the major events, characters and filming locations of the show’s first six seasons. New pieces were added as the events of season 7 and 8 unfolded. The tapestry has been woven on a state-of-the-art Jacquard Loom using a linen thread sourced from one of the last surviving mills in Northern Ireland. Once woven, a team of over 30 stitchers meticulously hand embroidered all of the finer detail. On the day of our visit a team of four ladies were working on the final panel, Season 8. They were on a deadline to complete the work by the next day and they had only started the day before so they were working at a pace.
When work began on the first six panels of seasons 1 to 6 the artisans were actually locked in a room to work on the piece and sworn to secrecy because the season 6 episodes had not yet aired as they embroidered swords and blood and crowns and fire. The lady we watched working on the very final scene had never seen an episode! The resulting fine work of art is over 90 metres long and a vision of amazing complexity and beauty. It is attached in a single pieced-together length that stretches on panels that wind back and forth across the room.
There are motif-laden borders top and bottom in some places and intricate scenes and relevant quotes in the main body of the panels. Even if you have never seen a single episode of the series you could not help but be overwhelmingly impressed with the sheer scale of the tapestry and the brilliant artistry of the design and handiwork. Production of the finished article has taken approximately 26 weeks from design, colouring, weaving and embroidery. National Museums Northern Ireland enlisted a team of volunteer embroiderers aged between 22 and 82, from local textile guilds who have spent a collective 1000+ hours hand-finishing the tapestry. I asked one of the ladies working on it when we were there if any of the embroiderers were male. She told me that she allowed one of the fellows tasked with setting up the display panel boards to apply one stitch and his was the only male hand to do so. So I think the answer to that question might be “no”.
We knew that the exhibition closes at the end of the month (July 2019) so I asked why it was closing and where was the tapestry going. The answer astounded us. It is being taken to Bayeux in France to be exhibited in a venue near to its inspiration, the famous Bayeux Tapestry (which is only a measly 77 metres long!) No doubt it will be used to shine a spotlight on Game of Thrones locations in Northern Ireland and as tourism posters go, this one must surely be the grandest ever made!
There is no doubt that Game of Thrones has had an enormous impact on tourism in NI.
The country is riddled with spectacular locations for the show from Episode 1, Season 1 right up to the final Season. We headed south to several such locations. Inch Abbey, the remains of a Cistercian Abbey founded in 1180 and used as the site for Robb Stark’s Camp at Riverrun. The views across the nearby river to the Cathedral of Downpatrick are lovely.
And then on to Castle Ward where an 18th century mansion sits on a rolling green hillside. Also on the estate is a huddle of 16th century buildings that were transformed into Winterfell, home of House Stark. It includes the tower that Bran Stark was climbing when he probably shouldn’t have been. The estate nestles on the side of a bay and is very picturesque.
Next we travelled south to County Meath, Ireland to visit the UNESCO World Heritage listed site of Brú Na Bóinne. Here we joined a tour of the exceptionally grand Neolithic passage tomb known as Newgrange. Built around 3200BC, the site is essentially a very large circular mound of grass covered earth 85 metres in diameter, with an inner stone passageway that opens into a single domed chamber. The mound is ringed by huge engraved kerb stones and the front façade has been reconstructed with smaller white quartz stones. The amazing thing about Newgrange is that above the door entrance to the passage there is, what has been called a roof box. At dawn on the winter solstice, the rising sun shines directly through that opening forming a narrow beam of light which pierces the length of the passage to the base of the rear wall. Thousands of people apply to a lottery draw to be one of the lucky ones to experience this amazing phenomenon and then the fortunate few sit back with baited breath and crossed fingers hoping that the winter sun will actually be visible on the morning in question. We, however, were treated to an electric light simulation of the event.
We don’t know much about the people that built this amazing structure as they had no written language. It was re-discovered in the late 17th century when some workers uncovered an enormous stone that they intended breaking up for road construction. The stone however was covered with carved patterns and thankfully the workers left it intact. This led to the discovery of the entrance and subsequently the passage and chamber.
Heading north again we re-entered Northern Ireland and headed to a beautiful B&B set on a dairy farm in County Fermanagh. We had a delicious meal at a nearby country inn and went to sleep serenaded by the cows and sheep. Before retiring however we were asked by our host what we would like for breakfast. We were to choose from a menu of “Breakfaster starters” followed by “Breakfast mains”. Two course breakfast! Pre-ordered from an extensive menu! Very impressive and utterly delicious when we enjoyed it the following morning.
Our lovely host, Bernie, very helpfully booked us on the first tour of the near-by Marble Arch Caves. I usually avoid caves and suchlike as I am a terrible claustrophobe but I have grown better in recent years and have even ventured into the odd lift when I absolutely have to. I’m really glad that we opted to see these caves however as the tour begins with an underground boat trip across crystal clear waters with the marvellous limestone formations reflected on the mirror like surface. Then follows a walk along a well-constructed path through the caves with ample warning from our lovely guide Luca about low hanging, potentially concussive rock formations. The caves follow the river and the reflections produce some wonderful effects.
The reflection above is named after the lost city of Atlantis - the water reflecting the stalactites formed on the overhanging rock above.
After coffee and cake at a country park containing the most enormous fir tree we continued north and had ourselves a “Spinal Tap” moment at a Stone Circle. We followed signs off our route to a paddock where we found a ring of stones that were not what you would call on any kind of Stonehengey scale. They were ancient however, and that’s important.
We didn’t really have time to visit Londonderry/Derry (depending on your political persuasion) but we passed her by on the other side of the river with wonderful views of the commanding Cathedral.
Further north and we encountered the steep cliffs and plateau of Binevenagh which dominates the skyline of the Magilligan Peninsula. It’s a stunning landscape and there are many stretches of coastline here that were utilised as locations for various scenes in the GoT franchise.
Perched high on the cliff overlooking Downhill Beach is the iconic Mussenden Temple. Modelled on the Temple of Vesta in Italy, it once held the Earl Bishop’s Library when his striking and palatial home was built in the 18th century.
Today the mansion is in ruins but you can absorb the scale of the thing with its double storey stone construction encompassing a spacious residence including walled gardens, stables and barns.
The cliff top provides awesome views of the beaches.
Unfortunately it seems to be a thing that you may park directly on the sand so a carpark of vehicles somewhat disrupts the natural beauty.
Our next stop was the delightful Ballintoy Harbour. The tiny fishing harbour featured as Lordsport Harbour where Theon Greyjoy returned to the Iron Islands for you GoT nerds. At the base of a narrow twisting roadway a café/store and a couple of houses edge the foreshore and grassy hilltops provide great views of the rocky coast.
Before we retired to our next B&B we stopped off at the Dark Hedges, an impressive avenue of beech trees planted by the Stewart family in the 18th century and intended to impress visitors as they approached the family home at Grace House. (It was the setting for The King’s Road in GoT.)
Our home for the night was a cosy B&B in the town of Bushmill. As we set out to find somewhere for dinner, several marching bands paraded down the main street which was very jolly. Several police stood on point duty to divert any traffic away from the musicians. We asked one of the officers where we should eat and he pointed to a nearby restaurant indicating that the fare was excellent but “pricey”. There was another establishment at the other end of town but from the puff of his cheeks and the shake of his head we got the picture that a bank robbery might have been required to foot any bill arising from a meal there. We tried the nearest restaurant and the menu looked great however they were booked solid. So that left one of the four or five fish and chip shops on the high road. We checked their closing times and decided to partake of a quick pint before dinner.
Bush House was packed to the rafters with uniformed band members but we squeezed in and had a very pleasing Smithwick’s ale each before heading back for a ludicrously cheap and exceptionally tasty fish and chips for Ian and burger and chips for me. Then back to the pub, where despite being a Sunday night the place was still enjoying some lively crack (or craic as they know it). The juke box was five choices for a pound and old hits was the order of the day (or night as it was).
We imbibed pints and then moved onto the local famous Bushmill whisky, made right there in the town. When we ran out of cash and decided to head home the locals stepped up to shout. It was an exceedingly friendly and lively night. The next morning I couldn’t decide if my head or my feet hurt the most! (there was dancing involved). We found out from our BnB host the next day that the pub is known locally as “The German”. Apparently about 20 years ago the publican shut the place down for a fortnight while he went to Germany on holidays and upon his return he and his establishment were dubbed ‘the German’ and the name has stuck.
We got up veeeerrrryyyy early so we could visit Giant’s Causeway without the hoards. I got to the top of the tallest stack and my hangover really kicked in but the view was stunning so I put my malaise to the back of my mind and trundled on careful not to slip or stumble on the stones. Ian was there of course to guide and support, love him. (A couple of litres of water and a lovely Irish breakfast later and everything was right as rain.)
Giant’s Causeway is a famous landmark in Northern Ireland. I happened across it by accident all those years ago on my last trip to NI and I wanted Ian to see it. It is a very strange geological phenomena consisting of about 40,000 basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the foot of the cliff down the shore to disappear under the sea.
Most of the columns are hexagonal, although some are 4, 5, 7 or 8 sided. Some of the tops are flat, some concave and some convex. All in all it is a very peculiar site. Legend has it that the columns are the remains of a causeway built by…you guessed it, a giant named Fionn mac Cumhaill (pronounced, utterly appropriately, Finn MacCool.
After breakfast we headed for Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. The bridge spans the 20 metres from the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede and is 30 metres high. Keeping in mind that any discomfort I would feel on a flimsy swaying structure high above the sea and rocks below could only last as long as it took me to move just 20 metres, I decided in a moment of rashness to go for the challenge. It did take a while for my legs to stop shaking but it was well worth it. The view back to the coast from the island is amazing and I even steeled myself for the return journey, although Ian did get a sharp rebuke for clattering along behind me and causing way too much movement for my liking.
After yet another cake and coffee we continued along the Causeway Coast Route, as it is known, down tiny twisting lanes to Torr Head where we climbed the hill to the old ruins of a Coast Guard Station and more fantastic views of the coast.
We encountered a traffic problem as we headed south. A family of unsuspecting holiday makers had been trying to navigate the steep and narrow roads with a mid-size campervan and got stuck when the wheels refused to grip on a very steep section. They completely blocked the road and had no choice but to very slowly and very carefully reverse a mile or so to an area with room to perform a twelve point turn to return from whence they came. And we had no choice but to follow on behind at a snail’s pace.
Our journey continued along the east coast to the pretty town of Cushendun where we ventured into the Red Caves, yet another filming location for GoT (where Melisandre gave birth to the shadow creature).
County Antrim is also home to the spectacular Slemish Mountain which rises steeply from the landscape. It is said to be the first Irish home of Saint Patrick and on 17th March each year large crowds walk to the top of the mountain as a pilgrimage. We didn’t have the time for the ascent and the view of the surrounding countryside is pretty spectacular even from the base.
We moved on to check out Carrickfergus Castle, an imposing Norman castle built on the edge of the sea in the town of the same name.
Our final afternoon was spent in Belfast where we walked along some of the famous ‘Peace Lines’ or ‘Peace Walls’. Built mostly in the late 1960s and early 70s to separate predominantly Republican and Nationalist Catholic Neighbourhoods from predominantly Loyalist and Unionist Protestant neighbourhoods these structures were constructed in Belfast, Derry and Portadown to minimise inter-communal violence. Many of the walls are covered in murals the themes of which express ideas or messages that are important to the community in which they are portrayed, including murals that depict solidarity with international revolutionary groups. There are 97 separate walls, barriers and interfaces in Belfast. There is a growing movement to consensual removal of the Peace Walls but whether this will include removal of some or all of the murals I cannot tell. Some view the structures as necessary and others see them as a blight. There is however an understanding that the Peace Walls are an integral part of Northern Irish history.
Northern Ireland is a fascinating country with outstanding natural beauty and an interesting if troubled history. The people we encountered were unflaggingly friendly, helpful and sociable. You may think that we undertook a self-drive Game of Thrones filming locations tour of the place and you might be right but consider this…those location scouts sure know what they are doing. If the name of the game is to set your story within spectacular landscapes then they definitely got that bit right. If you have never watched a single episode of the show you would still love the beautiful Northern Ireland scenery that is showcased throughout the eight seasons.