Day 4 ~ On the Way to Derry

As we left Belfast this morning, we encountered the beautiful countryside of Northern Ireland.  The white blossoms of the hawthorn and yellow blossoms of the Scotch broom contrasted with the green grasses on the hillsides where sheep were grazing. There were also stunning views of the sea; and at one point, we could even see Scotland in the distance.

Carrickfergus Castle is a Norman Irish castle built in 1177 on the northern shore of Belfast Lough. The castle played an important military role until 1928 and remains one of the best preserved medieval structures in Northern Ireland.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a famous rope bridge near Ballintoy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The bridge spans 65 ft. and links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede.

The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption 50 to 60 million years ago.  The name of this site refers to the legendary Irish giant, Finn MacCool, who attempted to meet a Scottish giant in battle to determine who was the stronger giant. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. The columns below are called the Organ because they looks like a pipe organ.

Not all the notable basalt is in columnar form.  Below is the Giant’s Boot. If it were the actually boot of a giant, he would be about 50 feet tall. 

Dunluce Castle is a now-ruined medieval castle in Northern Ireland built in the 13th century. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping surrounded by extremely steep drops on either side. This may have been an important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood.

Once in Derry, we learned more about the conflict between the Protestant Unionist and the Catholic Nationalists. Catholics were discriminated against under Unionist government in Northern Ireland, both politically and economically. Inspired by the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association began organizing demonstrations in the late 60’s,  In August, 1969, in the Battle of the Bogside, Catholic rioters fought the police, leading to widespread civil disorder in Derry and is often considered the starting point of the Troubles (see Day 3). The slogan below was first painted in January 1969 by John Casey. It is said that is was inspired by the sit-in protests of UC Berkeley.

Tomorrow we will learn more about the history of Derry.