Travel Ireland Top 10 outdoor activities in Ireland

The pubs and the craic in Ireland maybe wonderful, but its dramatic scenery and range of outdoor activities are even better. Irish travel expert Catherine Mack chooses 10, from seaweed foraging in Cork to staying in a castle in Connemara.

Original post via The Guardian.

Stay in a castle in Connemara

Ballynahinch Castle Hotel, which is celebrating its 65th birthday, doesn’t stand still when it comes to conservation efforts. Its estate and fisheries manager, Simon Ashe, has planted thousands of trees along its lakeside location, restored an ancient well for the hotel’s water, installed a giant wood chip burner, and is one of Ireland‘s leading campaigners against fish farming and drift nets. He has recently opened a section of an old railway line which ran through the estate as a walking trail, to link up with the Connemara Greenway, an off-road cycle track planned for 2012. And because they treat their guests with as much love and respect as they do their land, Ballynahinch will always be an institution of fine Irish hospitality.
• +353 95 31006  ballynahinch-castle.com, doubles €230 B&B

Kayaking in County Kerry

Many people who come to the west of Ireland drive the Ring of Kerry but Outdoors Ireland founder Nathan Kingerlee is on a mission to get people out of their cars – and into a kayak. Kingerlee, guided us across Killarney’s Lough Leane, down the adjoining River Laune where he identified each peak of the famous Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, pointed out nesting eagles, and taught us how to ride the rapids. You might not do the whole Ring, but these are 15 miles of Kerry you will never forget. As Outdoors Ireland is part of a growing the tourist board’s Stay Green network, choose a local farm or eco-hostel to stay at, and climb the Reeks with Nathan the next day.
• +353 86 860 45 63, outdoorsireland.com, all day kayaking €75 adults, €65 children

Catch and cook in County Mayo

“This is the best birthday ever” my son yelled as we lashed out into the Atlantic, caught bucket loads of mackerel and pollock, ate fresh fish stew on the beach of remote island of Inishkea, caught more fish on the way back, and almost wept with excitement when joined by a dancing pod of dolphins. We were on a catch and cook weekend in County Mayo, set up by local fisherman Anthony Irwin and his partner Angela Healy. Back at the house, Angela taught us how to fillet and prepare our catch, adding it to a feast of fish she had worked on all afternoon. The icing on the birthday cake? Another full day of mussel foraging, cliff walks and gourmet gorgeousness with this delightful duo.
• +353 87 6656114, dulra.ie, two-day tour €265pp (under-13s €150) including two nights’ dinner, B&B, fishing equipment and guides; one-day tour costs €90 (under-13s €65)

Stay in a yurt in County Leitrim

Property investors may rue opening a rash of hotels in rural locations as the economic crisis deepens, but the clever people, such as Teapot Lane Luxury Yurt Camp in Leitrim, are building yurts and tipis. Their cute yurts have plenty of communal indoor cooking facilities, in case it rains. As if. Walk in one direction for the foothills of Benbulben (guided walks available) and in the other for some of Ireland’s best beaches, with surfing lessons arranged. And if that sounds tiring, you can always grab a massage in their cottage treatment room at the end of the day.
• + 353 87 934 0341, teapotlaneluxurycamp.com, yurts sleeping 2-4 from €160 for two nights or €700 per week; larger sizes available

Canoe trail in Country Down

With the success of Lough Erne’s award-winning canoe trail, comprising up to 30 miles of marked routes through Upper and Lower Lough Erne, Northern Ireland has gone canoe crazy, with four other trails and more on the way. Strangford Lough is one of my favourites where, as part of the trail, you can stop on tiny Salt Island and stay the night in a converted fishing bothy. This is just a few miles from Belfast, but get yourself onto this stretch of water and you will really think you have paddled into paradise. Watch this space for a new trail and bothy opening on the North Antrim Coast, later this year.
• 028-4482 1317, actionoutdoors.info, half-day guided trip from £35. Further information on canoeing on Northern Ireland at canoeni.com

Village life in County Wicklow

Brooklodge & Wells Spa has recreated a whole village around its hotel. With its own brewery, bakery, cafe, shop full of local produce, farmers’ market and now church, there is a community ethos which infuses everything here. Far from having a resort feel, it has simply put Macreddin village, an actual old settlement dating back to the fifth century, back on the map. It is also home to the only certified organic restaurant in Ireland and England, and they have an impressive list of local producers name checked on the menu. With a geothermally heated spa, four star rooms and free use of bikes, this is a great way to discover the wonders of Wicklow.
• +353 402 36444, brooklodge.com, double rooms from €140 including top, organic breakfast

Seaweed foraging in West Cork

Seaweed has traditionally been an important food, fertiliser and medicine in Ireland. Like many traditions, it is being revived, with books about it, bathhouses full of it, and now foraging trips to find and eat it.  Join Atlantic Sea Kayaking in West Cork where top paddler and font of all marine life knowledge, Jim Kennedy, has teamed up with seaweed expert Sally McKenna, to take you to remote islands and inlets in search of wonderful weeds. I harvested kelp, ate Dulse seaweed scones and wrack-infused soup on the shores of deserted Rabbit Island. Stay at South Reen Farm, the nearby eco-cool cottage, with remote beach on one side and kayaking bays on the other.
• +353 28 21058, atlanticseakayaking.com, €95pp all day kayaking and foraging. South Reen Farm South Reen Farm (+353 28 33258, southreenfarm.com), sleeps 8, from €650 per week

Cycling in County Mayo

A disused railway line that has recently been reopened as a cycling and walking trail, The Great Western Greenway runs from Newport to Mulranny in Co Mayo, and has just been extended to Achill Island and Westport, enabling you to cycle or walk through 30 miles of remote Mayo heathland, along rivers and coastline. It is the Irish winner of 2011 “European Destination of Excellence (EDEN) award.  I cheated and did it on a brilliant Kalkhoff battery operated bike from Electric Escapes, although you can also hire a bike with Clew Bay Bike Hire, who will pick you up at given points and bring you back again.
• Electric Escapes (+ 353 98 56611,  electricescapes.ie) €25 per day for electric bike hire; Clew Bay (+ 353 98 24818, clewbayoutdoors.com), from €20 per day for bike and collection/drop-off service

Literary Derry

Few people would think of coming to Magherafelt in Derry in search of poetry, yet Laurel Villa Guest House is full of literary gems. Most of them are inspired by Seamus Heaney, as this region is his home territory. Admire 10 limited edition linen scrolls each bearing a Heaney poem, a glass cabinet with first-edition literary pamphlets, portraits of poets, and books everywhere. But most of all, take a guided tour of the area with owner and Blue Badge guide Eugene Kielt, meeting the blacksmith at The Forge, and listening to Heaney’s words being read in Eugene’s dulcet tones at Mossbawn, Anahorish, Toomebridge and finally Bellaghy.
• 028-7930 1459,  laurel-villa.com, rooms from £35-50pp B&B, guided tours from £60

Stay in a fishing village in Donegal

Donegal’s traditional fishing industry has taken a battering. So the community of Creevy, outside Ballyshannon, initiated their own tourism business by restoring some derelict stone cottages for self-catering, building a 10-mile coastal footpath, and offering day trips on their old fishing boat. All the homes are named after people who once lived there. I stayed in Kitty’s, who has now passed on, but with the help of the Creevy Co-operative Society, she has left a fine legacy overlooking the pier.
• + 353 71 9852896, creevyexperience.com, from €399-€799 (sleep 4-6)

Dublin’s Best Kept Secret

St Audoen’s and the Forty Steps  is one of Dublin’s best kept secrets, few people get to pass through the ancient gates of this most haunted place. It is situated in the heart of what old Dubs used to call ‘Hell’ where tales are told to this date about mysterious lepers, ghostly bells and Dublin’s notorious Hellfire Club. Please do not be surprised if a supernatural phenomenon occurs in this place, we are used to it!!!

This is an image of the famous 40 steps – the passageway between the interior of Medieval Dublin to the area known as ‘Hell’ – a denizen of whorehouses and drug dens. It was the exclusive reserve of criminals, lepers, murderers and low-lifes, where the ghost of Darky Kelly, a famous brothel-owner, has been spotted many times. She was burnt alive as a witch, just steps away from the gate of the city (about ten metres to the right of the steps shown in this picture).

The story goes that she became pregnant with the child of Simon Luttrell, the Sherrif of Dublin. Fearing for his position he refused to acknowledge the child as his own and levelled an accusation of witchcraft at Kelly in order to shut her up. Being a lady of the night, the accusations stuck and she was roasted slowly in front of a baying mob.

The stories tell us that Darky has been seen here, wandering the streets of Medieval Dublin and making her way to the gate at the end of these steps, where abandoned babies were left at the side gate to St. Audoens church.

“On the southern end of Hell, over on Fishamble St., a new pub called *Darky Kelly’s* can be seen. Kelly was an 18th century *madame* who kept a house known as ‘The Maiden Tower’ in the building in which the pub now resides. It was said to be ‘notably labyrinthine’ by officers of the law who once raided the place, probably because they spent so much time there before leaving…

Darky Kelly was executed, for the alleged murder of her child, the body of whom was never actually produced. Her prosecutor? One Simon Luttrell, Sheriff of Dublin, alleged Hell-Fire Club member, and reportedly the father of the child…”

10 Most beautiful City Parks in the World

10. Monsanto Forest Park, Lisbon, Portugal

Monsanto Forest Park is a protected forest in Lisbon’s Western areas and is one of the largest green city parks in Europe, with almost 1000 ha. The park, often considered “the lung” of this thriving city, was created by an enormous conservation effort on the formerly barren Monsanto Hills and today it offers great opportunities for hiking, biking, and marveling at the stunning views of the bay in the distance.

 

 

9. Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland

Dublin’s Phoenix Park at 707 hectares is a historic landscape of international importance and one of the largest designed landscapes in any European city. It was originally established as a Royal deer park in the 17th century, but today it boasts the residence of the Irish President, a medieval castle, the Dublin Zoo, and a diversity of gardens and monuments.

8. Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney, Australia

Sydney’s Royal Botanical Gardens runs along the eastern edge of the central business district and the northern end of the park just so happens to overlook Sydney Harbor, offering spectacular views of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. In addition to world-class views, the gardens also offers a diversity of some of the most beautiful flora and fauna Australia has to offer.

7. Griffith Park, Los Angeles, USA

Griffith Park in LA is one of the largest and most diverse urban parks in the world (at 1700 ha). This often overlooked LA attraction cannot rival many of the other city parks on this list in terms of landscaped beauty, instead it this wild and unkempt park offers a multitude of enjoyable activities and world-famous landmarks, including; the Autry Center, the Hollywood sign, the Griffith Observatory, the historic Greek Theatre, the LA Zoo, and stunning views of the sprawling metropolis that is Los Angeles.

6. Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany

Stretching from the Brandenburg Gate in the east to Zoo Station in the west, Berlin’s Tiergarten is one of Europe’s largest and most beautiful inner-city parks. Originally conceived as a hunting ground for Prussian kings, the Tiergarten is today transformed into a bustling park that homes the excellent Berlin Zoo, the Victory Column monument, the Bellevue Palace, and several picturesque lakes and walking paths.

5. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, USA

Designed as a replica of New York’s Central Park (look a bit further down in the list), this 405ha park attracts 13 million visitors a year (making it one of San Francisco’s most popular attractions).  The park offers a wealth of intriguing attractions that keeps visitors coming back for more; the beautiful Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco Botanical Garden, De Young Museum, the Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of Flowers, a Bison paddock, a couple of lakes, and beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge.

4. Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo’s Ueno Park is revered as the primary destination for rest, relaxation and recreation in the massive capital of Japan. Replete with Shinto shrines, a rental boat lake, a lotus pond, and home to the city zoo, the National Science Museum, the Tokyo National Museum and the Museum of Western Art, Ueno Park is the ideal getaway from the chaos of the city streets surrounding it. The park truly comes to life with its complete natural beauty as hundreds of cherry trees blossom in April of every year.

3. Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain

The whimsical architect Antonin Gaudi’s works are present throughout Barcelona, yet it is his park, Parc Guell, that provides one of his most enduring and beloved legacies to locals and tourists alike.  Parc Guell is surely smaller than most other parks on this list, but it makes up for it in uniqueness, hipness, and beauty. This unusual city park blends colorful mosaics, biomorphic sculptural elements, stunning natural beauty, and unrivaled views across the city all the way to the Mediterranean beaches.

2. Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada

Stanley Park is the true heart of Vancouver, emblematic of local’s passion for the outdoor and epitomizing the rugged natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest as dense forest and untamed ocean collide. Scenic paved pathways throughout the park allow for walking, jogging, rollerblading, or cycling along beautiful gardens, native totem poles at Brockton Point, Pacific Ocean beaches, and Vancouver Aquarium.

1. Central Park, New York City, USA

New York City’s Central Park is the city park by which all other city parks are judged by. The first purpose-built public park in North America (1856) is located in uptown Manhattan, nestled amongst skyscrapers and some of the priciest real estate in the world. Today, this emerald oasis provides a welcome tranquility away from the noisy and chaotic streets of the city, and allows visitors to view the romantic Bethseda Fountain, the mysterious Belvedere Castle, the lively Delacorte Theater, restored carousels, street performers, lakes, and the world-famous New York City Zoo.

Original Post can be found on www.realamazingfact.com

14 Curiosities from Ireland, Happy St Patrick’s Day

Original post by Gabriel Carnevale Alves,

The direction of movement of vehicles here in Ireland is different from Brazil. Motorists drive on the right side of the vehicle. In Brazil, for example, the system used is the “French hand.” To prevent accidents with tourists and outsiders who somehow come to Ireland the government has painted at intersections and crosswalks the words “look left” and “look right”.

 

The first two numbers of plate of cars indicate the year of manufacture them. Thus, the more you take good care of your vehicle, you can not hide his true “age”.

 

There is no water bill for households. But that does not mean you can be wasting water without reason.

 

 

The energy bill and gas bill comes to your address every two months. You do not pay every month like in Brazil. You always pay after use for two months.

 

 

Neighborhoods in Dublin are not known by names but by numbers ranging from 1 to 24, like for example, Dublin 1, 5, 10, 17. These numbers also represent the zip codes. The city center of Dublin is Dublin 1 and 2.

 

 

Dublin is divided by a river called the River Liffey. This river divides the city of Dublin and also separates the city into north and south. The river also separates the neighborhoods of Dublin. The districts with odd numbers are on the north and the districts with even numbers are in the south.

 

 

The switches to light up the toilets are always outside of it. Furthermore, it is rare to find a bathroom with power outlets. By the way before I forget the bathrooms do not have drains well. The bathrooms have only drain in the part where the shower. It sucks when it comes to cleaning the bathroom.

 

 

It is forbidden to drink in public areas in Ireland. Whether it’s in a park, street or sidewalk. However, this does not mean that one time or another you will not see a drunk on the street.

 

Smoking is prohibited in closed areas, for example, shops, restaurants, pubs, bars and so on. It is common to see people in the door of restaurants and clubs smoking outside. However, do not think you escaped getting 100% of the stinking cigarette. It is not difficult to catch a bus and find teenage “rebels” smoking on the first floor of the bus – even though a closed environment and no smoking.

 

 

Much of the houses and buildings (usually rectangular and low) of Ireland – especially older buildings follow the Georgian architectural style and are very similar (if not almost all the same). Nowadays, what most distinguishes the houses are the colors of the doors. However, many years ago, the doors used to be all alike in black. Today you can still find the same style of buildings and doors black in London. Legend has it that when the husband of Queen Victoria died in 1861, orders were that all homes prints black flags in mourning on the doors of their homes. A good Irish, however, never lose the opportunity to undo the British. And so, at the funeral of Prince Albert, the doors of homes in Dublin dawned all painted colorful, initiating a trend that never went away.

 

 

Some bus stops (not many) are reversed. The back of the bus stop is facing the street. Thus, when you’re sitting waiting for the bus, you have to turn every moment to see if the bus is coming.

 

The shops and supermarkets do not distribute plastic bags to people who are buying several. Usually people bring their own bags to carry their bags. It is not difficult to see people walking the streets with milk and bread in their hands, for example. Anyway, the supermarkets are allowed to sell bags. You can buy single bags (those very weak) or bags have become more resistant to using on other purchases.

 

 

According to legend there is no snakes in Ireland. According to legend, Saint Patrick, patron saint of the country, banished all snakes from the island and they never returned. But there are some skeptics who attribute the absence of animals to the cold weather.

 

On March 17 the Irish come out on the street dressed in green to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day The festival is big and has lots of entertainment.