Located in the heart of Queen’s University Quarter, Molly’s Yard is a beautiful restaurant in Belfast.
If you are interested in the history and restoration of this lovely place there is a video on the web-site above.
We walked to the restaurant – about 10 mins from our hotel. We saw some very eclectic places and lots of ‘students’ from the Queen’s University.
Today started slowly – we had booked a taxi tour for 11am so we took it easy, and I blogged and we took time to do quiet things.
The taxi tour is about the political history of Ireland, Belfast, Britain.
I never really understood what the conflict in Belfast was about. Finally we understand! Dermott outlined what happened and where it is today. Black Taxi Tour included Shankill Road and Falls Road to see the murals of the troubles that occurred here. We saw the infamous Peaceline, a wall built to keep Nationalists and Loyalists apart and in the process divided the communities. Also, the women who were involved in the troubles – separate from the men.
We went to the Eileen Hickey Irish Republican History Museum. https://eileenhickeymuseum.com
Some tension remains but most people just want to get on with their lives peacefully.
The themes of most of the murals is human rights. The catholics support the Palestinians and the Protestants support the Israelis. The women who were imprisoned during the troubles used large handkerchiefs with notes written on them like letters from their loved ones who visited them. There are numerous examples in the Women’s museum.
A very enlightening and very thought provoking tour. Glad we did it.
We grabbed our car and headed north towards Howth 12 miles away – a fishing village. They take their fishing seriously in Howth (pronouced like growth)
It’s a lovely village on a hill down to the sea with charming stores and classic churches.
On the pier where the boats were moored, restaurants were unstacking their chairs at the numerous tables outside, in a very optimistic fashion. Twenty tables at one place on a day like this during the week?? Must be a lot of fish eaters around.
Next, we headed further north along the coast and saw some really stormy seas. There was a fisherman out about 750 metres from the shore. Must be either pretty keen or some fairly fantastic seafood to catch to endure the conditions today!
We stopped for morning tea in a lovely town called Malahide – it was raining and windy and cold so it was obviously time to eat.
Once inside, a woman, about my age at the next table, commented on how horrible the weather was. I agreed and she picked up my accent and said – “Oh, you’re a visitor, I’m sorry..” meaning you don’t want to talk to me about it – it was funny, and we did continue to talk about the weather and Malahide and what a great place to live it was. She then said and its the 1st of October (the significance of the date to her didn’t mean anything to me, however I did say) – and it’s my birthday – at which point she said ohhh, smiled and put out her hand to shake mine. It was a lovely moment. People can be so nice.
We continued along the coast through Malahide and found some stupid young men (my assumption) fighting to right a windsurfer. Two in the water and one coming to help. Again – if you’re strong enough I guess the conditions could be fun, maybe.
We travelled the A1 for most of the journey north until we reached Newry. The significance of this city is that its just over the border into Northern Ireland and my great-great grandmother, as a 12 year old, Anne Simpson came from here as a free settler and travelled to Sydney, Australia by ship.
Spent a little time in Newry looking around and found the town hall and a lovely bridge over the river Newry. Newry River passes through the city of Newry and empties into Carlingford Lough near Warrenpoint.
We had lunch in Newry at a fun place with a huge menu of very interesting food. The place was Art Bar Funkel run by Aiden and Sinead @ 3 Monaghan St, Newry BT35 6BB. Recommended.
Food was hot, tasty and fast and the staff lovely and friendly.
Travellers, Not Tourists - my time and travels around the world and in my own backyard! 