Northern Ireland still a pleasure after 30 years
“Been anywhere nice on your holidays?” the hairdresser would inquire.
“Lovely, thanks. Newry,” I’d reply. Or Armagh, Derry, Banbridge, Antrim, as applicable. “And yourself?”
Assuming the hairdresser, anticipating the standard Spain/Portugal response, was a) actually listening, which sometimes she wasn’t, and b) knew where the hell I was talking about, this usually produced the desired stunned pause, followed by incredulous questions about the merits of visiting a place she’d seen on the Nine O’Clock News but never on the Holiday Show.
However, while in the hairdresser’s mind I might have spent my holiday beside a watchtower with army helicopters hovering overhead, what drew me to the North was, paradoxically, the peace and quiet.
Brief visits to Crossmaglen, Derry’s Bogside, Belfast’s Falls and Shankill roads quickly fulfilled my desire for the far-side tourist experience, but the main attraction was it wasn’t crowded with other visitors.
The abiding memories are of stunning scenery and welcoming people, usually only delighted by the appearance of a stray tourist in off-the-beaten-track villages and, where no B&B was available, inviting me to stay in their own homes.
But turn the clock forward 20 years and ask the mother of four do I want to drive my carful of bickering little darlings from Cork to the other end of the country, for fun? It’s a tough one.
The North still has to offer something over and above other destinations simply to induce visitors to undertake a journey of up to eight hours.
Make it we did though, tired and tetchy, but within 10 minutes of opening the door of our spacious, comfortable family room at the Roe Park Resort in Limavady the children were petitioning to investigate the leisure centre.
All thoughts of exploring Co Derry on our first evening floated away in the warmth of the bubbling ‘aqua meditation chamber’, closely followed by a trip to the sauna and steam room while the younger generation swam, the smallest paddling happily in the children’s pool.
Set in 155 acres with its own 18-hole golf course and spa, there’s an air of country elegance about the resort.
For families, it’s surprisingly affordable, with meals at its two restaurants child-friendly in menu choice and half-portion price.
The vegetarian parent enjoyed a starter of creamy garlic mushrooms in a crisp filo basket, followed by tangy tempura of vegetables, Asian noodles, and sesame, chilli and soya dressing.
Having started with a wholesome vegetable soup, the carnivorous counterpart tucked into a generous sirloin steak with potato wedges.
Children’s options covered the standard burger, pizza and chips bases but also included creamy chicken pasta and grilled chicken breast.
Those on a gluten-free diet had four starter and three main course choices.
But it was at breakfast that the Roe Park came into its own, and even the children’s imaginations couldn’t find anything missing from the immense range of fresh, fried and fruity options greeting them the next morning.
The children opted to embark on the full tourist trail. Top of mum’s list had been a nostalgic return to the majestic Glens of Antrim and the tranquility of picture postcard villages Cushendun and Cushendall.
First up was trial by rope bridge, where research would have saved a lot of stress.
Gone was the rickety old bridge at Carrick-a-Rede, the gaping chasms between the slats that had haunted my memory for two decades replaced by a far more stable structure. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/carrick-a-rede
Next, the Giant’s Causeway. Consistently among the North’s most popular attractions, it’s still a must.
Although jostling to share a few square feet of basalt column with crowds of fellow sightseers isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, a tongue-in-cheek guided walk won over the children, who voted this the highlight of their visit. (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway)
Dunluce Castle, clinging precariously to its cliff edge, was also a hit, a children’s treasure hunt sending them racing around the ruins searching for archaeological clues.
Three sights seen, all within 10 miles of stunning coastline, and at that we skipped the Bushmills distillery and nearby golden strands at Portrush and Portstewart. (www.discovernorthernireland.com)
With Derry the UK’s inaugural City of Culture in 2013, we visited a buzzing, rejuvenated walled city for the first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann north of the border.
Although the city has been brought from its knees since my last visit, the sincerity of the welcome remains the same.
Next time we’ve promised ourselves a visit to Belfast for W5 at The Odyssey, Aunt Sandra’s Candy Factory, Titanic Belfast and The Ulster Museum.
And the Glens for Mum.
Because there will definitely be a next time.
The Roe Park Resort, Limavady, Co Derry (www.roeparkresort.com) offers specials, including two nights’ B&B plus evening meal from £99 PPS, with children under four staying free and £15 B&B for ages 5-12.
Pet O’Connell
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