Ireland

Ireland is divided into 32 counties, which themselves are split into the four provinces of Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster. Of Ireland's counties, 26 are within the Republic of Ireland, while the remaining 6 are in Northern Ireland. Dublin is the largest city in the Republic of Ireland which is independent of Great Britain. The currency used in the Republic is the Euro. Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland which is  part of the United Kingdom.

St. Patrick's Cathedral Ireland's largest church was founded beside a sacred well where St. Patrick is said to have baptised converts around 450 A.D. A stone slab bearing a Celtic cross and covering the well was un-earthed at the turn of the 20th century. It is now preserved in the west end of the cathedral's nave. The original building was just a wooden chapel and remained so until 1192 when Archbishop John Comyn rebuilt the cathedral in stone. Much of the present building dates back to work completed between 1254 and 1270.

In 1492, two great Irish families, the Butlers of Ormond and the Fitzgeralds of Kildare, were engaged in a bitter and bloody feud. Seeking sanctuary, Black James, nephew of the Earl of Ormond and his men fled into the Chapter House. The Fitzgeralds followed in hot pursuit. Their leader Gerald Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare, realized the fighting was out of control. Through the closed door he pleaded with Black James to accept a truce. Suspecting treachery, Black James refused to let Fitzgerald inside. Fitzgerald hacked a hole in the door and thrust his arm inside as a sign of good faith. Thus the door became known as the door of reconciliation.

Dublin - Republic of Ireland

Belfast - United Kingdom

Northern Ireland was a place we would like to have explored further. It is a beautiful part of the United Kingdom with magnificent architecture and well kept farms with beautiful hedgerows. Belfast Castle overlooks the city from a prominent site 400 feet above sea level on the slopes of Cave Hill. This magnificent sandstone building, recently restored by Belfast City Council's Parks Department, has close associations with the city's history.

Our shore excursion was the coast and glens of Antrim. This was one of the top five scenic highways according to National Geographic magazine. The black rocks along the coast are reported to be 20 million years old. The coast was certainly not like the sandy beaches of South Carolina and Florida in the USA.

The first 'Belfast Castle' was built by the Normans in the late 12th century. On the same site a stone and timber castle was erected in 1611. The home of Sir Arthur Chichester, Barron of Belfast, was burned down in 1708, leaving only street names ( Castle Place) to mark the site.

The Chichesters (later the Donegalls) lived in England as absentee landlords decided to build a new residence within the deer park on the slopes of Cave Hill. The architect firm Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon was engaged with the junior partner John Lanyon being responsible for the plans of the castle. He followed the Scottish Baronial style, popularized some years earlier by the reconstruction of Balmoral Castle in 1853.

The building was completed in 1870, having far exceeded the initial estimate cost of £11,000. The Donegall fortune had dwindled so drastically that the project was nearly left unfinished. The son-in-law of the Marquis, Lord Ashley, heir to the title, Earl of Shaftsbury, stepped in and paid for its completion. Today, the castle is used for weddings, ceremonial type events and other public uses.