Northern Ireland

From MaxTravelz

Northern Ireland consists of the six north-easterly counties of the island of Ireland, and is a part of the United Kingdom. Despite bad publicity over the past few decades, it is nonetheless a fascinating province with much to offer in the way of beautiful scenery and cosmopolitan cities. Northern Ireland is renowned for the friendliness of its people; in particular Northern Irish people love tourists and extend a warm welcome.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Towns 4 Counties 5 Get in 5.1 Immigration and visa requirements 5.2 By Air 5.3 By Train 5.4 By Car 5.5 By Boat 6 Get around 6.1 By car 6.2 By bus and train 7 Talk 8 Drink 9 Stay safe 10 Contact 11 Currency

Regions

• North Coast (Causeway Coast) - The north coast of Northern Ireland has some of the best scenery in Europe and has to be seen to be believed. This coastline is of outstanding natural beauty where breathtaking and rugged coastline merge into the romantic landscape of deep silent glens and lush forest parks. There are also spectacular waterfalls, dramatic castles and mysterious ruins. The world famous Giant's Causeway (Northern Irelands only UNESCO World Heritage site) with its array of hexagonal basalt columns and tales of ancient Irish giants, and 'Old Bushmills', the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery, are just two attractions, which are a must for every visit to Northern Ireland. There are fantastic golf courses loacted at Portstewart, Castlerock and most notably at Portrush (Royal Portrush). Beautiful, unspoilt sandy beaches also extend along the coast.

• The Mourne Mountains - The Mourne Mountains are a walker’s paradise where old mountain tracks take you past lakes, rivers, woodland and up to the many fine peaks and the famous Mourne Wall. The Mournes also offer fine rock climbing opportunities. Slieve Donnard standing at 852 m (2,796 ft) is the highest mountain in the Mournes range and also the highest mountain in Northern Ireland. It offers spectacular views from the summit towards England, Scotland and Ireland.

• Rathlin Island

Cities

• Belfast - the capital of Northern Ireland, In recent years the city has undergone a renaissance and is now a vibrant, buzzing city. It has been voted the fourth best city in the UK for a city break in the Guardian/Observer travel awards.
• Armagh - Ecclesiastical capital of Ireland
• Derry - The city is worth a visit for its famous stone city walls (which date from the 16th century and are the only complete city walls in Europe). Derry City is also the only remaining walled city in Ireland and Europe's most preserved walled city.
• Lisburn - became a city as part of the Queens Jubilee celebrations in 2002
• Newry - became a city as part of the Queens Jubilee celebrations in 2002

Towns

• Ballymena - good shopping town in County Antrim
• Coleraine - Situated on the River Bann in County Derry, 5 km from the sea and with an impressive history dating back to Ireland’s earliest known settlers, Coleraine today is a major gateway to the popular Causeway Coast area. Coleraine is an excellent shopping town and also has a major performance theatre located at the University of Ulster in the town.
• Enniskillen
• Omagh - The Ulster American Folk Park is located here. This is an outdoor museum which tells the story of emigration from Ulster to America in the 18th and 19th centuries.
• Magherafelt
• Portrush - Located on the coast just north of Coleraine, Portrush is Northern Irelands premier seaside resort. It has two beaches, one of the best golf courses in the world (Royal Portrush Golf Club), the largest amusement park in Ireland (Barrys), nightclubs, pubs and plenty of good restaurants.
• Portstewart - Portstewart is decidely quieter than Portrush and is situated in a more attractive location. It is a scenic coastal resort on the northern coast and is well-known for its magnificent beach with impressive sand dunes, attractive seafront and breathtaking cliff walk. There are many ice-cream parlours, restaurants and plenty of other entertainment. Portstewart also attracts many golfers - Portstewart Golf Club has 3 courses, including the Strand championship course.
• Ballycastle - pretty coastal resort on the north east coast. From here boat trips are available to Rathlin Island. The Mull of Kintyre in Scotland is clearly visible from Ballycastle.
• Strabane

Counties

• County Antrim - Belfast is situated in County Antrim. The coastline of County Antrim is breathtaking to behold.
• County Armagh
• County Down
• County Fermanagh - situated close to the Irish border, with wide stretches of island-dotted waterway and secluded bays surrounded by a patchwork of green fields, undulating hillsides and fresh forests. Also boasts Lough Erne (made up of two channels, the lower and upper Loughs), one of the most uncongested lakes in Europe.
• County Londonderry - contains the walled city of Derry, the Sperrin mountains, and beautiful coastline featuring the pretty coastal resorts of Portstewart and Castlerock and their magnificent beaches.
• County Tyrone

Get in

Immigration and visa requirements

Northern Ireland has the same immigration and visa requirements as the rest of the UK.

• Citizens of the European Union do not require a visa, and have permanent residency and working rights in the UK. Citizens of the Republic of Ireland have additional rights allowing them to vote in elections.

• Citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland also have permanent residency rights, but may require a work permit in some circumstances.

• Citizens of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States do not require a visa for visits under 6 months.

• Most other countries will require a visa, which can be obtained from the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.

• The UK also operates a Working Holidaymaker Scheme for citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations, and British dependent territories. This allows residency in the UK for up to 2 years, with limited working rights.

For more information of UK Immigration and visa requirements, see the UK's Home Office website

By Air

The main airports in Northern Ireland are:

• Belfast City Airport is 2 miles from Belfast City Centre, and serves domestic UK and Ireland. Airlines using the airport include:
  • British Airways to Manchester
  • bmi to London Heathrow
  • flybe to Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, London Gatwick, Newcastle, Norwich and Southampton

• Belfast International Airport is the only international airport in Northern Ireland and is used by the following airlines:
  • bmibaby to Birmingham, Cardiff, Durham Tees Valley, Manchester and Nottingham
  • Easyjet to Alicante, Amsterdam, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, Malaga, Newcastle, Nice, Paris
  • Continental Airlines to New York (Newark)
  • Zoom to Toronto

• City of Derry Airport is a smaller regional airport serving County Derry and is used by:
  • Aer Arann to Birmingham and Manchester
  • British Airways to Glasgow and Manchester
  • Ryanair to London Stansted

By Train

Northern Ireland's train network is connected to the Irish Republic and direct services are available between Belfast and Dublin. Translink operate services and bookings can be made through their website.

By Car

Roads link Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. However, take care when driving in border areas. In some places the border, being based on county boundaries, runs along the middle of the road while in others it's possible to cross into the South and then back into the North again within several hundred yards. Fortunately both countries drive on the left though road signs and speed limits in the Republic Of Ireland are now metric (kilometres) while road signs in Northern Ireland are all imperial (miles).

By Boat

Ferry services link Northern Ireland with Stranraer and Cairnryan in Scotland, and also Liverpool in England.

Get around

By car

Northern Ireland has a limited motorway system, connecting Belfast to Dungannon, Ballymena and Newtonabbey. All large towns and cities are well connected by road. The speed limits are -

Motorways (blue signs) - 70 miles per hour. (113 km/h)

Other roads (green & white signs) - 60 miles per hour. (97 km/h)

Urban areas (towns and cities) - 30 miles per hour. (48 km/h)

By bus and train

Translink operate the Northern Ireland public transport system.

Talk

English is spoken everywhere. There are a wide range of regional dialects. Ulster Scots and Irish are used in some small communities. Do be aware though that the Northern Irish tend to speak quite rapidly compared to most English speakers, and have a huge arsenal of local words that are frequently dropped into conversation by speakers of all ages and groups.

Drink

Bushmills whiskey is made in the town of the same name on the north coast, and distillery tours are highly recommended. Belfast produces its own range of ales. Depending on their license, most bars stop serving alcohol at either 11PM or 1AM. Some clubs serve until later, and some bars have (illegal) "lock-ins" where the doors are locked at closing time, but people can stay and drink for longer. You usually have to be known by the bar staff to be allowed to remain, however.

Stay safe

Despite a reputation otherwise, Northern Ireland has one of the lowest crime rates among industrialised countries. According to statistics from the U.N. International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS 2004), Northern Ireland has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe (lower than the United States and the rest of the United Kingdom). In fact, the results of the latest ICVS show that Japan is the only industrialised country safer than Northern Ireland. Almost all visitors experience a trouble-free stay. However, as with most places avoid being alone at night in urban areas. In addition, avoid wearing clothes that could mark you out as being from one community or the other (for example Celtic or Rangers kits). Avoid political gatherings where possible.

Contact

The country code for Northern Ireland is the same as the rest of the UK, +44. The code for the whole of Northern Ireland is 028, with the 0 being dropped for inbound international calls. Northern Ireland numbers can be called from the Republic of Ireland by replacing the area code 028 with 048. International phone cards are widely available in large towns and cities.

Currency

The official currency of Northern Ireland is the Pound Sterling. Bank of England notes are commonly used but the four Northern Irish banks print their own versions. Although these are legal tender in the rest of the UK they are sometimes not accepted there so it may be advisable to change any before you leave.

Northern Ireland does a large amount of trade with the south of Ireland (where the Euro is used) therefore many outlets in border areas accept Euros. Typically expect to pay around 3 Euros for every 2 Pounds.

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