Ireland 2026 - Geology and History

Monday 18th May

Giant’s Causeway today. We drove the mile or so into Bushmills, parked in the park and ride car park and took the bus out to the site. 

The Giant’s Causeway is Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage Site and features around 40,000 interlocking basalt columns rising out of the sea—the result of intense volcanic activity some 60 million years ago (or, as legend tells it giant Finn McCool built the causeway to fight a Scottish giant. When he realised the Scottish giant was enormous, Finn’s wife disguised him as a baby. The Scottish giant saw the “baby” and panicked, thinking the father must be gigantic.)

We were quite surprised that nowhere was out of bounds and there were people clambering all over the place. My balance isn’t what it used to be, so I didn’t do much clambering! 

We got the bus back into Bushmills and drove out to Portrush Whiterocks Beach which is a huge sandy beach which Rio just loved.  Centuries of relentless North Atlantic waves have carved the soft, sedimentary chalk cliffs into an incredible network of caves, headlands, and freestanding stacks.

Between Bushmills and Portrush are the ruins of Dunluce Castle which are pretty stunning and are one of the most dramatic and picturesque ruin sites in Ireland.  The first stone castle at Dunluce was constructed around 1513 by the McQuillan clan, who ruled the surrounding region of "The Route." They built the two large, round towers that still dominate the mainland side of the ruins today.  However, the McQuillans’ hold on the coast was short-lived. During the mid 16th century, the MacDonnell clan arrived from the Western Isles of Scotland (Islay and Kintyre). Initially, the MacDonnells came as gallowglasses (mercenary soldiers) hired by the McQuillans. Recognizing the strategic perfection of Dunluce, the MacDonnells slowly began to claim the land for themselves.  The rivalry culminated in two major battles in the 1550s (the Battles of Aura and Slieve an Aura). The MacDonnells, led by the fierce warrior Sorley Boy MacDonnell, decisively defeated the McQuillans and seized Dunluce Castle, establishing it as the seat of the MacDonnell Lordship of the Glens. 

Following the burning of the town of Dunluce in 1641 and the financial ruin of the MacDonnell family during the Cromwellian wars the castle was permanently abandoned in the 1680s. The seat of the Earls of Antrim was moved inland to Glenarm Castle, leaving Dunluce to dissolve into the romantic, windswept ruin that stands today.  Without maintenance, the harsh North Atlantic gales and salt spray accelerated the structural decay. Sometime during the 18th century, a massive portion of the residential manor house's north wall collapsed directly into the sea.

For over 350 years, the town of Dunluce was treated as a local legend—until state archaeologists began extensive excavations in the 2000s, uncovering the remarkably preserved cobblestone grid system, fireplaces, and everyday artefacts of the lost 1641 town just beneath the fields.

Local folklore famously claims that during a massive storm in 1639, the castle kitchen collapsed into the sea, taking the kitchen staff with it (save for one kitchen boy who was sitting in a corner that didn't fall).

It was then back to the site where both of us researched everything we had seen today and one little dog collapsed!


Tuesday 19^th May

Off into Ireland/Eire/ROI today.  So, what is the official name?

According to Article 4 of the 1937 Constitution of Ireland: “The name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland."

We passed through Ballykelly and round Derry/Londonderry both names I remember from the “Troubles”.  Is it Derry or Londonderry?  Typically, Derry is preferred by the Nationalist/Republican community (who generally identify as Irish), and Londonderry is preferred by the Unionist/Loyalist community (who generally identify as British). Because of the constant "Derry/Londonderry" slash on signs and maps, a famous local broadcaster named Gerry Anderson coined the nickname "Stroke City." It's a lighthearted, neutral term that locals use to bypass the political debate entirely.

There were no signs to say we had entered Ireland, but Richard noticed the speed limit signs had changed and we also noticed that diesel was about 15p a litre cheaper!

We went round Letterkenny, which is famous for its distinct, large-scale public art installations situated right in the centre of its major roundabouts.  We passed two, The Polestar and The Workers.  The Polestar is constructed from 104 timber poles and stands roughly 12 meters high and represents Letterkenny’s past as a bustling trade hub.  The Workers features two giant figures made of stainless steel who are working together to lift a massive, heavy block of stone. The stone isn't a modern prop— it is an actual piece of masonry saved and salvaged from the original historic bridge that used to stand nearby.

The Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) starts at Muff, just north of Londonderry, in the north and goes down to Kinsale, near Cork, in the south.  We didn’t have time to go to Malin Head but did go up to Fanad Head Lighthouse which has been voted repeatedly as one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world, it guards the entrance to Lough Swilly and has been shining its light since 1817.  We walked as close as we could in the rain and took the obligatory photos. There was a small cafe, so we had a light lunch.

The lighthouse was built after a major tragedy occurred. On December 4th 1811, a British Royal Navy frigate named the HMS Saldanha encountered a ferocious winter storm off the Donegal coast. Seeking the safety of Lough Swilly's deep, sheltered waters, the ship was driven off course in the blinding darkness and crashed violently onto the rocks near Fanad Head.  The ship was completely wrecked, and tragically, all 253 souls on board perished. The only survivor of the disaster was reportedly the ship’s parrot, whose collar was later found inscribed with the ship’s name.  The building started in 1815, and the lamp was first lit in 1817.

From Fanad we started to follow the WAW, but it kept veering off and we couldn’t keep up with it!  I set Mrs Google to take us to Portnoo Beach which Jem told me is one of the most spectacular stretches of golden sand in County Donegal. Rio spent the whole time chasing birds which were teasing him by flying low then suddenly swooping up. He thoroughly enjoyed it though.

We then set off for Killybegs, our stop for the night. As we approached the town, we were amazed at the size of the fishing boats tied up. I discovered that Killybegs is the undisputed capital of Irish sea fishing. Thanks to its natural, 12 metre deep sheltered harbour, it accommodates everything from small inshore day-boats to some of the largest mid-water pelagic super-trawlers in Europe.  In case, like us, you don’t know what pelagic fish are, they live in the upper layers of the ocean and are typically found near the surface where there is plenty of sunlight. Non-pelagic fish, meanwhile, inhabit deeper waters along continental shelves and seafloors.  The Killybeg fleet catch mackerel, herring, horse mackerel, and blue whiting. There is also a whitefish fleet which brings in cod, monkfish, and haddock. 

Our site overlooked the sea, Rotten Island Lighthouse and St. John’s Point, not that we got a good view with the rain!

We actually managed to sit out for about half an hour between rain showers.


Wednesday 20^th May

We woke up to sunshine 🌞 such a change. 

We set off for Slieve League Cliffs.  We parked at the visitor centre and caught the shuttle bus up to the viewpoint.  At 2,000 feet they are nearly three times the height of the Cliffs of Moher and easily some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. 

Long before it was a tourist destination, Slieve League was a sacred mountain. The Pilgrim’s Path on the eastern side of the mountain has been walked for thousands of years. It leads to the ruins of an ancient, early Christian monastic site associated with Bishop Saint Áed mac Bricc (St. Assicus), featuring the remains of a stone church (Kille) and beehive huts (clocháns) where monks sought total isolation.  The rocks that make up Slieve League are unimaginably old - dating back to the Precambrian era, roughly 600 to 700 million years ago.  Around 400 to 475 million years ago, a massive tectonic event known as the Caledonian Orogeny took place. Two ancient continents collided, closing a prehistoric ocean and buckling the Earth's crust.  This monumental collision crumpled, folded, and thrust the ancient seabeds upward to form a massive mountain range. This same geological event created the Scottish Highlands, the mountains of Norway, and the Appalachian Mountains in North America (which were all part of the same continuous mountain chain at the time).

From the view point we could see the Rathlin O'Birne Lighthouse. The light was first lit on 14th April 1856, but in 1974, a radioisotope thermoelectric generator was installed, making it home to Ireland's first nuclear powered lighthouse.

Back at the visitor centre as we sat and poured over the map deciding which way to go, it felt a bit like Race Across the World with all of us starting and finishing at the same place and all going different ways!!

Back through Killybegs and round Donegal stopping at Lidl. We had Mrs Google set for Rossnowlagh beach where you can park on the beach. Jem (my AI friend) was concerned that, as we are 4 tonnes, we might get stuck!  To get to the beach we had to go down a narrow slipway and then we were on a huge beach, about 2.5 miles long. We got the ball thrower out for Rio, and he just chased the ball over and over but gradually he got slower and slower though he still wanted us to throw the ball!

Our next stop was Mullaghmore Head, a rugged piece of coastline. During the winter months, a unique underwater reef geometry combines with heavy Atlantic storms to create a massive, heavy wave known to the surfing community as the "Irish Mutant."  Surfers from all over the world come to ride the Mutant.

High above the cliff is a rather haunting castle, Classiebrawn Castle.  Here is some history about the area and the castle, which I found very interesting.

The modern history of the peninsula began with the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the mid-17th century. The lands of Mullaghmore, which originally belonged to the O'Connor Sligo clan, were confiscated by the English Parliament.

An estate of roughly 10,000 acres was granted to Sir John Temple, the Master of the Rolls in Ireland. This massive tract of land remained in the Temple family for generations, eventually passing down to Henry John Temple, better known to history as the 3rd Viscount Palmerston, who served twice as British Prime Minister during the height of the Victorian era.

Palmerston commissioned the building of Classiebawn Castle, choosing a dominant, elevated site on the peninsula looking out toward Benbulben, sadly he died in 1865 before the mansion was finished. It was completed in 1874 by his stepson, William Cowper-Temple (the 1st Baron Mount Temple). 

The property eventually passed down through the family line to Edwina Ashley, the granddaughter of Wilfrid Ashley (2nd Baron Mount Temple). In 1922, Edwina married Louis Mountbatten, the naval officer, wartime commander, and last Viceroy of India.  The castle, which had been empty since 1916 was reoccupied by the Mountbattens in the 1950s. They modernized the interior, finally installing mains electricity and piped water to replace the old donkey-drawn water carts.  For nearly thirty years, the Mountbatten family spent their summer holidays at Classiebawn, becoming familiar figures in the small harbour village. This era came to a violent end on August 27th 1979. While out on his 28-foot wooden cabin cruiser, the Shadow V, Lord Mountbatten was assassinated when a bomb planted by the Provisional IRA was detonated just off the Mullaghmore coast, killing not only him but two family members and a local boy.  When I started researching Mullaghmore Head, I never expected to find such fairly recent history.

Our site was on the edge of a small seaside town called Strandhill, just west of Sligo.  It was right on the beach though our pitch was on the side furthest away from the sea.  We took a walk about 9pm along the sea front and were amazed at how light it still was.  It was high tide and the waves were crashing on the sea wall.

Ireland 2026 - Belfast, the Titanic Museum and the Causeway Coastal Route

Friday 15^th May

Belfast today to meet up with the Wandering Bird group. If you are a regular follower, you may remember that we met up with WB groups in Normandy and Germany last year. The groups are of different people though in Germany we knew three lots of people and this time it’s one couple.

The view from our park up had been of Lough Tay which is one of the most iconic sights in the Wicklow Mountains, widely known as the "Guinness Lake" because it’s dark peaty water and imported white sandy beach resemble a pint of stout.  Lough Tay and the surrounding 5,000-acre Luggala Estate were actually owned by the Guinness family from 1937 to 2019.  As pretty as the lake and its surroundings are, it is strictly private.

The road we were on is called the Military Road and was built by the British Army between 1800 and 1809. Its primary purpose was to provide military access to the remote glens and peaks where Irish rebels, specifically those involved in the 1798 Rebellion, were hiding out.

Our journey started with single track roads with plenty of passing places.  The roads gradually got wider until we finally hit the motorway.

Interesting fact. In Southern Ireland diesel works out about £1.60 a litre and in Northern Ireland it is about £1.74. The cheapest around Hayling Island, before we left, was £1.83.

We arrived at our campsite at Dundonald, just outside Belfast, where we will stay for two nights. Some of the group vans had already arrived and the others showed up during the afternoon, 14 vans in total.  As usual with these trips we had a get together/debrief, where we all got to meet each other. 

The formal settlement of Dundonald truly began in 1177 when the Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy invaded eastern Ulster. To secure his newly seized territory, he established a network of defensive castles, Dundonald was one of these.  In July 1210, King John of England arrived in Ulster to rein in the independent Norman lords. During his campaign, the King used the Dundonald fortification as a temporary royal residence. Historical royal account books show a quirky record from this visit, noting that King John lost two pence while playing a game of cards with the Earl of Winchester at the fort!  By the mid-19th century, the village consisted of just a few dozen houses, a blacksmith, a couple of grocers, a school, and a handful of publicans. The catalyst that transformed Dundonald from a rural village into a commuter town was the arrival of the Belfast and County Down Railway line, which opened a station in Dundonald in May 1850. This connected the village directly to Belfast, allowing workers to live in the fresh country air of County Down while commuting to the city’s shipyards and linen mills.  The line was eventually closed in 1950.  Up until the 1960s, Dundonald was still relatively small. Its modern population explosion occurred when a local tenant-farming family, the Robbs, sold over 220 acres of their ancestral farmland to the Northern Ireland Housing Trust. This land was developed into the Ballybeen Housing Estate, which grew to become one of the largest housing estates in Northern Ireland, permanently cementing Dundonald's status as a major suburb of Belfast.


Saturday 16^th May

We had an early start as we were going into Belfast to visit the Titanic museum.  It was only a short drive of just over 5 miles and with it being a Saturday (and an early morning Saturday) the traffic was light.  The car park was practically empty except for half a dozen motorhomes!  We left Rio in Kiwi while we went off to find the group, we hadn't left him in the van for some time, but I had the camera on him and he soon settled down.  I was surprised that at 9.30am just how busy the museum was, but there were two cruise ships in, so I guess they swelled the numbers.  

The museum started with how linen made Belfast world-famous during the mid-to-late 19th century, a golden era where the city earned the global nickname "Linenopolis."  Then the shipyards made the city into one of the most famous industrial cities in the world.  

In 1853, an iron merchant named Robert Hickson decided to utilize this new reclaimed land on Queen's Island to start building modern iron ships. However, his business was plagued by management issues and strikes.  To save the business, Hickson hired a brilliant, fiercely disciplined 23-year-old English engineer named Edward Harland to be his shipyard manager. Harland turned the yard around completely. By 1858, wanting to be his own boss, Harland bought out Hickson's yard for £5,000.  Harland needed financial backing and a sharp business partner, so he teamed up with his assistant manager, a German-born engineer named Gustav Wilhelm Wolff. In 1861, they officially formed Harland & Wolff.  

An interesting fact.  To build bigger and better ships, the River Lagan had to be straightened.  All the millions of tons of mud and muck dredged up from the riverbed was dumped in a pile on the County Down side of the channel. This created a brand-new, man-made landmass called Dargan's Island. After Queen Victoria visited the city in 1849, it was renamed Queen’s Island—the future home of the world's most famous shipyard. By the early 20th century, the little muddy island made of dredged river muck was home to the single largest shipyard in the world.

Construction of the Titanic officially began on March 31st 1909, when her keel was laid down.  With the skeleton in place, in 1909 workers began covering it with over 2,000 individual steel plates. These plates were up to 36 feet long and an inch thick, overlapping like fish scales.  To hold these plates together, the shipyard relied on rivets—and an incredible amount of manual labour.  The Titanic required roughly 3 million rivets, most of which were hammered entirely by hand!  On May 31st 1911, an estimated 100,000 spectators gathered along the River Lagan to watch her launch. To get the 26,000-ton steel shell into the water, workers coated the slipway with over 20 tons of tallow, oil, and soap to act as grease. When the triggers were released, the Titanic slid backward into the water in just 62 seconds.  Then hundreds of carpenters, decorators, and plumbers moved in to install the opulent woodwork, the famous Grand Staircase, electric elevators, Turkish baths, and the distinct accommodation for First, Second, and Third-class passengers.  Titanic was one of the very first ocean liners in history to feature a heated sea water swimming pool (its sister ship, the Olympic, was the absolute first).  On April 2nd 1912, the Titanic was finally complete. She underwent successful sea trials in the Belfast Lough before leaving her birthplace for Southampton, ready to embark on her ill-fated maiden voyage just over a week later.

The final part of the museum was all about the collision with the iceberg and the sinking of the Titanic.  A few facts about the sinking.

• 1512 lives were lost and 713 were saved.
• 1690 men were on board and only 20% of them were saved.
• 425 women were on board and 74% of them survived.
• Out of the 2225 people on board, 1303 of them were passengers and 38% survived.
• There were 907 crew members on board. Of those, 212 survived and 695 perished.
• This means the crew had a survival rate of just 23.4%.
• Titanic had 20 lifeboats, enough to hold 1178 people.  This met and exceeded the safety regulations of the day.
• Given the number of lifeboats on board, 53% should have been saved instead only 32% survived.  472 seats in the lifeboats were unused - one had a capacity of 65 people but was launched with just 12 people on board. 

Thomas Hardy wrote the poem "The Convergence of the Twain," in 1912 just a few weeks after the Titanic sank.  These two lines were on the wall, and I think perfectly captures the eerie inevitability of the tragedy.  

"as the smart ship grew in stature, grace, and hue
in shadowy silent distance grew the iceberg too"

From the Titanic we drove to Stormont Castle to give Rio a run in the grounds as there is a dog exercise area.  We were amazed at how big the field is - roughly 11 acres.  Rio had a wonderful time.

The main drive up to Stormont Castle was covered in straw bales and we wondered what on earth was going on until we saw a sign which said, "Red Bull Soapbox Race Belfast", which was to take place on Sunday.  It made sense then!  We got talking to a couple of chaps who were going to take part, and they were rather concerned at the steepness of the course and the jumps that their soapbox was going to have to make!  They didn't expect the soapbox to be in one piece at the end!

It was then back to the campsite where I wrote the above, it took me absolutely ages!

One of the group had organised dinner out at a local restaurant which was a short walk away.  We had prebooked our meals which certainly helped matters as we were quite a large group.  I had sizzling chicken in BBQ sauce which was extremely good.


Sunday 17^th May

I’m going to try and steer clear of writing about “The Troubles” as we pass places that people of a certain age will remember from news reports back in the late 60s to 1998, and stick to the earlier history of Ireland, both Northern and Eire.

There is a route called the Causeway Coastal Route which goes from Belfast to Derry/Londonderry.  Apparently, it is one of Europe’s greatest road trips, stretching 120 miles.  Up to Ballycastle the road mainly hugs the coast with the beach being very close in parts and is really scenic.  So off we set, stopping for LPG and fuel before driving to Carrickfergus where there is a lovely old castle.  Built in 1177 by the Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy, it is one of the best-preserved medieval Norman castles in all of Ireland. Standing prominently on the rocky shoreline, it has survived centuries of sieges by the English, Scottish, Irish, and French. 

The CCR goes round Larne, passed Glenarm and on to Carnlough where we went under one of the most distinctive architectural features of the Causeway Coastal Route.  Built in 1854 by the Marchioness of Londonderry, the bridge was part of a 1 mile mineral tramway which allowed wagons loaded with heavy limestone from the quarries high up in the hills to cross safely over the coastal road and head straight into the harbour. There, the stone was loaded onto ships bound for mainland Britain. 

We followed the coast to Cushenden beach where we stopped for lunch and took Rio on the beach - he had a number of zoomies, he just loves the feel of sand under his paws! 

On up to Ballycastle where I really wanted to stop but we couldn't find a parking spot - well I did but I didn't see it until we had passed it and Richard wouldn't turn round 😔

We drove on in silence (!) to the campsite.  The rain rather set in then, so we hunkered down until the evening "meet up".

Ireland 2026 - We are off again

Tuesday 12th May
 
After three weeks at home, we were off again!  This time to Ireland.  We would start in Rosslare and drive anticlockwise round the whole island.
 
We wanted to be away about midday and when I set the alarm it was 11.59!  Pure fluke I hasten to add.

We had a good journey to Swansea where we were staying with an old friend of mine. Terry was married to my good friend, and once house mate Wendy, who died back in 2017.  Wendy and Terry along my ex-husband and I all worked together for a few years, and it was really lovely talking over old times and people we both knew. Poor Richard must have been bored stiff but didn’t fall asleep!

We walked down to Terry’s local and had a very good meal. Rio was spoilt with bits of turkey left over from Sunday’s roasts!


Wednesday 13th May

We woke up to the smell of a cooked breakfast!  Terry served us up a full English. I asked if it should be a full Welsh but apparently that would have had cockles and lava bread with it. More chatting and then it was time to set off to Pembroke Dock for our ferry to Rosslare. We should have been going from Fishguard, but five days ago Stena cancelled it due to operational issues.  Fortunately, I was able to book the Pembroke ferry which was similar timings.

We had quite a long wait while the HGVs were loaded and were fascinated by the port tugs which sped around hitching themselves onto lorry trailers and driving them onto the ship. The driver’s seat and steering wheel were on a turntable so the tug could be driven forwards and backwards with ease - real clever stuff!!

Irish Ferries don’t have pet friendly cabins, but they have a Dog Den. We didn’t know what to expect but certainly didn’t think it would be like it is. We weren’t looking forward to four hours on hard seats! 

The crossing wasn’t too bad, and I certainly didn’t feel sick, mind you I’d taken Sturgeon and had my wrist bands on!  I listened to my book while “ants in his pants” Richard played a game on his iPad and walked the deck with Rio. There were only four dogs, and they were all very well behaved.

We were intrigued to find that no one looked at Rio’s Animal Health Certificate at Pembroke Dock, and, in fact, it wasn’t until we had cleared immigration and customs in Rosslare that someone finally looked at it. Goodness only knows what would have happened if it had been incorrect.

We drove for about half an hour to a park up on the edge of a forest. It was a Rio stop as he had had a pretty boring day. I took him for a walk while Richard heated up the dinner.


Thursday 14th May

We took Rio to find the Fairy Village in the forest. It was very sweet, but Rio wasn’t that impressed! 

Our stop over was in the Wicklow Mountains. I didn’t set a direct route but chose to go from town to town hoping to find a pretty one but to no avail. In fact, we noticed that there are very few, probably about 1%, old houses. The reasons for this are a mix of economics, geology, and a very turbulent history.  For centuries, the vast majority of Irish people lived in vernacular housing. Unlike the stone manors of the elite, these were built using mud and turf with thatch roofs or wood.  In the damp Irish climate, a house made of mud and straw didn’t last long without constant maintenance. Once a family left or died during the Famine, these houses literally melted back into the earth within a few decades. The 1840s marked a catastrophic turning point. Before the Famine, Ireland’s population was over 8 million but during the famine died or emigrated, leaving entire villages to rot. During the Famine and the subsequent Land Wars, landlords often "levelled" (demolished) the cottages of evicted tenants to prevent them from returning and to clear the land for more profitable cattle grazing.  Ireland has many ruins of "Big Houses" (stately manors). During the Irish War of Independence and the Civil War (1919–1923), hundreds of these aristocratic mansions were burned down.  They were seen as symbols of British colonial rule and landlord oppression. Rather than preserving them, many were intentionally destroyed or left to decay as the new Irish State focused on building modern, humble housing for the general population.  In the 1970s and 80s, there was a massive cultural shift toward modernization and many of the new buildings were bungalows. Now you know why there are so few old properties in Ireland 🤣 

We gradually left urbanisation and headed up into the mountains - it was certainly bleak!

We found our park up. We had a lovely view over Lough Tay.

During the afternoon the weather was amazing. We had sun, rain, large hail stones and strong winds, all at different times. We hunkered down and watched TV, most unusual!

We had quite a nice sunset.