Heart & Soul of Ireland- Day 7

Sunday, May 17th, 2026

This morning we are checking out of our hotel in Derry, Northern Ireland and working our way to Mohill in the Republic of Ireland.

We made a quick stop at St. Eugene’s Cathedral in Derry. It was built in the 19th century and opened in May, 1873. A Roman Catholic cathedral couldn’t be built until the passage of the Roman Catholic Relief Act in 1829 where the United Kingdom’s parliament removed the legal requirement to swear faith to a specific religion or sect that barred the Roman Catholics in the UK and Ireland from building a cathedral.

St. Eugene’s Cathedral opened without a bell tower, spire, or stained glass windows due to a lack of funds. In the late 1890s stained glass windows were installed and the spire and bell tower were added by 1903. We stepped in quietly because a mass was occurring.

After visiting St. Eugene’s Cathedral we visited a cashel, the Grianán of Aileach. A cashel in early Irish history refers to a circular ringfort. It is located on the summit of Greenan Mountain. On a clear day you can see quite a distance, across Lough (lake) Swilly, Lough Foyle and the countryside. This morning it was drizzling and foggy so our views weren’t that spectacular.

The Grianán of Aileach was originally constructed before 800 AD. It was built by Áed Oirdnide, king of Cenél nÉogain which was a small kingdom located by the Inishowen peninsula. Building the fort here the king could view both his Inishowen and see his newly won territories. Grianán of Aileach was considered the king’s stronghold.

It was reconstructed in the 19th century. Its walls are 15 feet thick and 16 feet high. Inside are three terraces which are linked by steps and two long passages within it. We did not climb the steps due to the wet, uneven stones.

Benbulben’s tabletop is part of the Dartry Mountain range. It is said that fairies live here!

Tawnawully Mountains which are part of the Bluestack range.

We passed by the Classiebawn Castle located on the west coast of Ireland and the Harbour at Mullaghmore along the Wild Atlantic Way which is a 1600 miles coastal driving route along Ireland’s western coast.

It was the holiday home of Louis Mountbatten who was a member of the British Royal family who was assassinated close by in 1979. It is currently privately owned.

Nearby the castle was the Mullaghmore Cliffs Viewpoint along the Wild Atlantic Way. There were breathtaking views of the rugged Atlantic coastline. The waves were really big but our pictures don’t illustrate just how big.

We made a stop at Mullaghmore Beach. It’s a white sand beach that spans almost 2 miles and is also located along the Wild Atlantic Way. It is known for its dramatic coastal views and world-class surfing. When we stopped by the tide was out!

We visited St. Columba’s Church in Drumcliff. It was built in 1809 and stands where a medieval monastery once stood.

We stepped inside the church and the congregation was enjoying Fellowship after the service. The church walls have memorials and one belonged to Pastor John Yeats who was Rector at Drumcliffe long before his famous great-grandson visited.

These memorial doors were donated in 1989 by the W.B. Yeats Society of Western Australia to commemorate the famous W.B. Yeats.

The famous poet/writer W.B. Yeats was born here and is buried in the church graveyard. He was reinterred here in 1948 almost a decade after his death in France in 1939 in accordance with his last wishes.

The picture below was the sculpture was unveiled in 2003 and was inspired by the poem “He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven” by W.B. Yeats.

The sculpture has four elements. The first was the Figure and it is crouched over the blanket. The second was the Blanket which represents the dreams and aspirations of the Cloths of Heaven. The third was the Light Tower which was similar to the Plain Cross Shaft. The fourth was the Stone Seating which invites viewers to rest and dream their own “Cloths of Heaven”.

We ended our day at the Lough Rynn Castle Hotel where we would be spending the night.

It is located between the lakes of Lough Rynn and Lough Eril. The castle was built on the land that has the remains of the Mc Raghnall’s Castle from 1474 AD.

Looking at the grounds from the back of the castle.

Below are some photos from the interior of the castle.

Our rooms were located in the Eastern Range which was formerly the residence and stables of the Estate Manager who was responsible for looking after Lord Leitrim’s gardens, grounds, and guests.

We walked the Walled gardens on the estate. The first tier was the working garden where fruits, vegetables, and herbs are grown and then used in the hotel restaurant. The gardens were just beginning to bloom but it was still beautiful to wander through the tiers that ended at the River Rynn.

The native Irish Honeybees have a history at Lough Rynn Castle. The honey that is collected from the hives is featured in the breakfast menu at the Estate’s restaurant. Reverend Joseph Digges became the private chaplain to the Earls of Leitrim on the estate. Many consider him to be the Father of Irish beekeeping. He chaired the Irish Beekeepers’ Association from 1910-1921.

After our delicious meal in the restaurant on the estate we went for a walk around the grounds and gardens.

Heart & Soul of Ireland- Day 6

Saturday, May 16th, 2026

Our first stop after a ride around Derry was the Guildhall. It is located in the heart of Derry since 1887. It was built by the Irish Society.

Guidhall was the scene of many bombings during the Northern Ireland Troubles. One IRA (Irish Republican Army) bomb in 1972 destroyed the artwork. Original plans were still on file and the shattered windows were duplicated.

Just a sampling of the stained glass windows in the Guildhall.

The main hall was set up for a wedding that was occurring later in the day. It is a gorgeous space.

The Guidhall is also home to the City’s Council’s chamber and Mayor’s parlour.

A time capsule was found during the Guildhall restoration. It was a sealed glass container that dates back to 1887. It contained documents and coins.

In the hallway was a statue of Queen Victoria created by Francis John Williamson. It was unveiled in 1898 and carved from marble. During the “Troubles” in June, 1972 it was damaged in two IRA (Irish Republican Army) bombings. She lost her crown, sceptre and hands. You can still see shrapnel marks on her side!

Above I mentioned the Troubles. It was a violent sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland between the Protestant unionists (loyalists) and the Roman Catholic nationalists (republicans) that lasted from the 1960s to 1998. This will be discussed later in this post when we visited the Free Derry Museum.

Our guide for the Guildhall was Chris. He was excellent. He also was an artist and four postcards in the gift shop were of his work. We purchased two that we have framed and displayed in our home.

John Hume was an Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland. He was an instrumental figure in the Good Friday Agreement signed in 1998 that ended 30 years of sectarian conflict also known as the Troubles. He won the Nobel Peace Prize among other awards for his non-violence approach to ending the conflict.

The Peace Bridge is a cycle and foot bridge that connects the two sides of the River Foyle. It opened on June 25th, 2011 and is 771 feet long. It is a symbol of triumph over adversity and is a symbol of peace.

All of us on the Peace bridge with the city center behind us.

Our awesome driver/guide Martin walked with us on the Peace Bridge.

Below is the Harbour House or Harbour Commissioner’s Office. It is a sandstone building from 1882 and now is the headquarters of the Derry City Council’s Heritage and Museum Service.

The Derry Girls mural is located on the side of Badger’s Bar and Restaurant. The mural features the popular cast of the award winning show, Derry Girls (it is available on Netflix). The show follows five secondary school students and how they navigate their teen years in the 1990s amid the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

We met our guide for a walking tour of the Derry Walls Heritage Trail near the Diamond War Memorial. It was erected in 1927 and located on The Diamond in the center of Derry. It is dedicated to those citizens who lost their lives during WW1.

The walls were built between 1613-1619 as fortification and protection. The walls are one mile in circumference and provide an elevated vantage points to view the Renaissance style streets and the Bogside.

The Free Derry Museum tells the story of the working-class community, long oppressed, rose up to demand justice and equality. It has up to 20,000 items related to this critical period. The museum wants visitors to see the struggle for human and civil rights. It honors the memory of those who fought and died for their rights. It discusses the parallel between the civil rights movement in the United States and in Derry. It is a moving museum.

Outside the museum the sound waveform of “We Shall Overcome”

The sign below was first painted by a local activist in 1969 after sustained attacks on the Bogside community. Bogside was home to Catholic workers since the 19th and 20th centuries. It represented a “no go” zone for the British authorities and the Royal Ulster Constabulary from 1969-1972. It is a symbol of social justice.

There are twelve Bogside murals that are painted in the Bogside area of Derry. The murals have become known as “The People’s Gallery. We have photos of all but two, The Hunger Strike Mural and the Tribute to John Hume Mural.

Petrol Bomber Mural– “The mural depicts some scenes from the ‘Battle of the Bogside’ which took place the Bogside area of Derry in August 1969. The mural shows a young boy in a gas mask – which he used to try to protect himself from the CS gas used by the RUC – holding a petrol bomb. The mural was painted in 1994.” -© the bogside artists
site developed by: Martin Melaugh

Bloody Sunday Mural– was painted in 1997 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” on January 30th, 1972.

The Saturday Matinee Mural– it was completed in January, 1999 on the 27th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday”. It contains the portraits of the 14 people who were killed by the British Army. Each oak leaf symbolizes one of the victims.

Bernadette Mural– was painted in 1996 and depicts Bernadette McAliskey (Devlin in 1969) addressing the crowds on the streets of Bogside. She was later sentenced to prison.

Death of Innocence– The girl in the mural, Annette McGavigan, was 14 years old when she was killed on September 6th, 1971. She was shot by a British soldier while standing on the street where she lived. The mural was unveiled in September, 1999. The artists added some finishing touches in 2006.

The Civil Rights Mural– It was unveiled in 2004. It commemorates the beginning of Derry’s struggles for democratic rights.

Peace Mural– It was completed in 2004 and it commemorates the hope for continued peace.

Operation Motorman– The mural was completed in 2001 and depicts some of the events that happened during “Operation Motorman” on July 31st, 1972.

The Saturday Matinee Mural– This mural was started in 2001 and depicted a typical riot scene and many times these occurred on Saturday afternoons.

The Runner Mural– This mural was the last created and was unveiled in July, 2006. It shows tear gas being released and it was used a lot during the Troubles.

Besides the “People’s Gallery” of murals, the Bogside serves as an open-air museum with multiple poignant memorials to activists who were killed, hunger strikers who died and those who perished fighting for their civil rights. Please go through this slide show to see what Martin, our guide, explained to us as walked the area.

After a busy and emotional day in Derry the eleven of us gathered in the hotel bar for a drink. One person tried our hotel’s craft beer, “the Barking Bishop”! It’s an IPA crafted in collaboration with the Bishop’s Gate Hotel which is where we were staying. You can only buy it at the hotel.

We met in the lobby with snacks and drinks and relaxed. It was a great way to unwind after our day in Derry!

Heart & Soul of Ireland- Day 5

Friday, May 15th, 2026

As we left Belfast, Martin (our driver) took us on a tour of Belfast of areas we didn’t see yesterday. We drove through the Ulster University, Belfast campus that was located in the Cathedral Quarter of the city. It was the largest university in Northern Ireland.

We made a quick stop to visit the Belfast Castle that sits at the foot of Cave Hill. From the castle and its landscaped gardens one can look over at Belfast and Belfast Lough (long wide expanse of water). Unfortunately when we stopped in the morning it was foggy and the views weren’t very good.

We followed the Causeway Coastal Route and as we passed “The White Lady” made from sea stack. A sea stack is created from many years of coastal wave and wind erosion.

The Carnlough Harbour is a focal point of the small picturesque Carlough Village. If you are a Game of Thrones fan it is a must see stop because of filming there for season 6.

In Cushendall we saw the bronze statue created by artist Deborah Brown of a goat named Johann standing on a rock. It is located near the harbour and is in memory of the last victim of Foot and Mouth disease (2001). In recent years the locals have been dressing Johann in a knitted sweater.

The scenery was spectacular as we traveled the Coastal Route along the northern coast of Ireland.

We made a stop at Portaneevey Viewpoint located in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland. From here it looks out over several islands. The first island was Rathlin Island. It was inhabited with about 140 people. The island is six miles long and one mile wide.

Sheep Island was uninhabited and located near the coastal village of Ballintoy. Its name comes from old local practice of grazing sheep that were placed there in the summer so thieves wouldn’t steal them. It is now a wildlife sanctuary.

Carrick-a-Rede is the third island we could see from this viewpoint. It has a rope bridge that spans the Atlantic Ocean. The rope bridge was built in 1755 to assist fishermen to access the island and their salmon fishing nets. The rope bridge spans a little over 65 feet and is 100 feet above sea level.

Carrick-a-Rede Island and its rope bridge

We continued our drive along the Causeway Coastal road and stopped at the Giant’s Causeway. It is a geological wonder and in 1986 became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It was formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. The Giant’s Causeway is made up of over 40,000 perfectly shaped basalt columns. There also is a legend that Finn McCool, an Irish giant, built the stones as part of his pathway to face his Scottish rival in battle.

It’s an .8 of a mile walk from the Visitor Center to the Giant’s Causeway. The site offered a bus ride down and back. To save time we opted for the bus ride down and back. When we were finished exploring the site we were in line for the bus to go back up the road. As we were waiting for the next bus, an emergency Coast Guard vehicle and officer arrived. We quickly learned that someone had fallen and was hurt badly. Because more emergency vehicles would be coming down the road, the bus was suspended for an unknown amount of time. Our group then walked the .8 of a mile up the road.

Views of the coastline as we walked back up the road.

Once we were all back to the Visitor Center we met our driver and headed to get a late lunch in the town of Bushmills. Martin recommended a cafe and we went in and had a wonderful meal.

A few of our travelers are golfers and close by was the Royal Portrush Golf Club. We made a quick stop so the golfers could visit the pro shop. Portrush courses overlook the ruins of the Dunluce Castle and golf has been played here since 1888. It has hosted the country’s first amateur and professional tournaments.

Our next stop was Dunluce Castle. The castle is located on the jagged cliffs perched 100 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

View of the cliffs from the castle to the East.

The first castle was built in the 13th century and the current structure was built between the 16th and 17th centuries. The castle has a turbulent history of clan warfare. It was inhabited by both the feuding McQuillan and MacDonnell clans.

Dunluce Castle appeared in the Game of Thrones if you are a fan. It served as the primary filming and reference for Pyke the stronghold of House Greyjoy on the Iron Islands.

We arrived in Derry and checked into our hotel. We walked around town and then found a pub for dinner. Bishop’s Gate is an arch we walked by. It is located within Derry’s 17th-century city walls and is one of four original entrances. It was rebuilt in 1789 as a memorial to King William III and it marks the spot where the deposed King James II was denied entry in 1689.