Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Giant's Causeway


For our last weekend trip, we went to Giant's Causeway!

Giant's Causeway is in Northern Ireland, which is another country, in case you didn't know.



I didn't at first! Short explanation of the two countries:

Ireland has been historically oppressed by the British since the 1600s, arguably, even longer. It was ruled over by the British king, and the vast majority of Irish people were poor, Catholic, and farmers. The loyalist British population was wealthy, merchants, and loyal to the crown.

The Irish potato famine in 1845-1852 convinced many Irish people that British oppression was not working. Many Irish left for America, and there are still theories that the potato famine was actually an attempted genocide by the British government.

Irish Republican organizations were powerful in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and following a period of war, Ireland got its independence- all except 3 counties in the North of the country. That, today, is still known as Northern Ireland, and still belongs to the Crown.

The question of a united Ireland is still extremely debated, and even violent at times.

Despite this tricky background, Giant's Causeway was one of the most fun trips that we have taken. The weather was absolutely amazing, which complemented the scenery perfectly. We had two amazing meals at classic inns, and we spent Saturday sightseeing.

Saturday night, we went into a nearby town to experience the nightlife. It was so interesting to see a rural Northern Irish town- everyone we met was fascinated by the Americans, and their accents were so funny!




Sunday, we visited some scenic monuments, and even got to go horseback riding!

One of the Shanahan daughters was pretty experienced, so she and I got to canter and gallop up the hills, through streams, and through forests. It was definitely one of the most memorable experiences I've had.


It was a beautiful, relaxing, and calm weekend that I won't forget!

About Me

My photo
Hi! I blog at Brunch and Bijoux. Celebrating les belles petites choses in life.
Powered by Blogger.