HI Arlo,
Rathfriland is a small town in County Down, but is not far from the much larger town of Newry.
You're in the Mourne mountains, so don't miss Tollymore Forest Park. Castlewellan Forest Park is also very beautiful with the largest maze in Europe if that's your thing!
Can't really help with eating out in that area, but if you contact the NI tourist board you'll get lots of info. Belfast is only about 35 miles from where you'll be...........come up for the day & see the city.

Hey thanks toastedmallow, Never been to tollymore will try it out. Rathfriland is great all my family are there too.

thanks again. Arl

As you are in that area you could also go to the "Silent Valley", beautiful walks there, specially if the weather is nice

Also try the road at Spelga Dam..............cars queue up to try it................you drive to the bottom of the hill, stop the car, take the hand and footbrakes off..................and your car rolls UP the hill.

Has to be seen to be believed.....I believe there is also one in Scotland called the "Electric Brae" which does the same thing!

Hi Tootsie,

I've been to spelga! it was a few years ago mind, it's a really weird sensation feeling like your going backwards. It's really nice there and so quietly mysterious.I've also walked the Giant in the morne mountains I think that's where it is it hills in the shapoe of a gigantic man lying down, you can pick out the legs, facial features hands/arms and body. Have you heard of it?

Im embarrassed to say I havent!!

But Im glad I talked to you because we are going camping for a weekend in Castlewellan Park, in the next few weeks, so it will give us somewhere else to try!!!

Many thanks

Toots

Hi Toots,

What's Castlewellen Park like? can you just stay for a night? How much would a pitch for an 8 man tent Cost? Might drag my parents there and make them rough it!! the kids would love it.

Arl

Yes you can stay at Castlewellan for a night and yes the kids will love it. We stayed last year & will definately return - between the maze, the lake, and new found friends the kids entertained themselves for hours. See here for prices etc http://www.forestserviceni.gov.uk/our_forests/castlewellan/camping.htm

Back to the original question - if you are only here for a week, you may not have time, but you should try to take in a drive along the Antrim Coast Road and a visit to the Giants Causeway.

Thanks Carol,the prices are reasonable. Giants Causeway is a must! I can see it from my dad's front window

Ah - didnt realise you would have "a base" on the north coast as well as in the Mournes. In that case I definately recommend you travel from one to the other hugging the coast the whole way. The Carrick-a-rede rope bridge is also kind of "compulsory" when you are up that direction! If you want to camp for just 1 night you might like to consider Carnfunnock Forest Park instead. It would be ideally placed to break your journey into 2 days - but it is very popular and you will have to book a pitch in advance. http://www.larne.gov.uk/carnfunnock.html
There are loads of towns and villages you could stop at along the way, as the notion takes you. There are also a number of Forest Parks, National trust properties, museums, etc, etc. You will have no problem locating the "main" tourist attractions off any reasonable map or off the tourist board web site http://www.discovernorthernireland.com. It depends what kind of stuff you are into, how old the kids are and how you want to spend your holiday.
The kids may enjoy Exploris at Portaferry. Plus the ferry ride over from Strangford has a bit of novelty value. I would recommend W5 at the Odessey as a good standby, if your kids are youngish (say under 12) if it is raining - and lets just say its a long time since we had hosepipe bans over here!
My suggestions for a few "less obvious" attractions round my neck of the woods would be:
Nundrum - ancient monastic site near Killyleagh - something a bit different + beautiful location (& free admission)
Ballycopeland windmill near Millisle - fully restored, working 18th c windmill - though to be fair - they dont run it cos its a to fix when it breaks. (small charge)
Scrabo Tower - Newtownards - for the views from the top (also free)
If you have any questions ask away - dont promise to have all the answers but i will help if i can

Hi Carol,

Thanks for the info the websites are brill. Well we are off tomorrow morning, I have a perforated eardrum at the moment so the nice doc has gave me plenty of pain killers for the flight, luckily we don't go up too high flying to belfast and it's under an hour in the air. We're going to do Giants Causeway, shopping in Newry, Terella beach for a picnic and visit loads of family all in 6 days so it should be a packed holiday. Oh yeah and the usual walk up the Knock Hill every morning with my dad.

I'll do a little report when I get back.

See ya

Hi All,

Well we got back at the weekend, we flew with Bmibaby and stayed with family in Rathfriland.

THE JOURNEY
As we were coming out of the George Best Airport, I spotted my Dad. Little one ran and jumped up on him and eldest lad hugged him, it was quite emotional we hadn't seen him for 2 years.

The cost of the Airport is minimal compared to Birmingham we Paid £1.40 for 25 minutes in Belfast, £2.90 in Birmingham for the same. We all jumped in the Car and started the drive to Rathfriland. My Hubby has never been to Ireland before. "When do we get on to the Motorway?" he asked.
"Hey boy! This is one of the biggest roads in Ireland, just wait til we're nearer home" laughed my Dad.

"You were right you know" said a bemused hubby
"I normally am" I sighed "what about this time?"
"Look they all have flags out" we passed a small housing estate where the england flag was flying high. A little later we saw the irish flag flying in another estate. Some estates have fantasically painted murals on the walls of houses at the entrance to the housing estates. It's just a shame that they represent so much trouble that has happened in this beautiful country.

As we were travelling we went through a village called Moira the flower baskets etc are pretty spectacular, but not as good as a few years ago apparently. There was an arrangement of a truck completely mad out of flowers there.

The roads were getting smaller and smaller. There are lots of new build houses being built out in the countryside (very grandious and with lots of garden and drives) Dad says there are lots of bans on new plans now as the countryside was being spoilt. I see signs for Banbridge. 'We're nearly there' I thought. Banbridge is the main town closest to Rathfriland it's 9 miles away from Rathfriland. The lanes were really tiny now and we were struggling to see signs of Human life, but Plenty of Cows, trees and farm land. The views of the Mourne mountains are absolutely breath-taking. It's early in the morning and you can see the mist rolling over the fields for miles and miles.We turn into Lisnacroppin Road I know we are just at the top of the hill.

Getting into dad's house which is a small 2 up 2 down end terrace we smell breakfast. My Stepmum is up to her ears in cooking an Ulster Fry to beat them all. It consists of Bacon, Sausage, Vegetable Roll (not to be confused with vegetables It is made from sausagemeat, spring onions and parsley)Soda bread, Potato Farl, tomoatoes and eggs freshly laid that morning at the bottom of the garden.

Next installment: OUR TRIPS

Can't wait to read the next part!!

First trip out was to Newry to a pharmacy to get some antibiotics left there by an emergency doctor for hubby (he had man-flu)

As you drive through Newry you see a bit of city life. people bustling about doing their chores, shopping and the like we stopped at the chemist picked up the antibiotics and drove out. We passed a corrugated fence with razor wire and look out posts above, there was cctv cameras everywhere....."Is that the Local Prison?" asks my hubby. He was astounded when I told him it was the local bobby station. claiming that they couldn't be in that much danger. My stepmum, proceeded to tell him that this was a legacy of the troubled years and soon hopefully they would be gone. we got back to the house and then it was time for visiting the family.......

We decided to leave hubby in Bed to get over his man-flu and bundled the kids up and headed off to Rathfriland village. It's set on a hill with a a very small number of shops. There are no Asda's, Tesco's or anything there's a florist, a butchers, a jewellrey shop, a chemist, a couple of take aways and 2 mini-marts. The mini-marts sell everything you could need apart from clothes for these you need to go to Banbridge (9 miles away)

What is with Irish people or is it just my family? we had just had the biggest Ulster Fry in History and then every aunty & uncle went to (3 on this particular morning) they got out their best china and home baked cakes and scones....I tried to say no but their little faces looked as though I'd slapped them so I munched my way through 3 visits and got home to my dad making his famous Irish Stew!!!!! Actually I love it ( he spent years as a publican over here and had the best newspaper reviews and good foood reviews ever, but after so much hospitality there's only sooooo much food one can take.

Banbridge is a small town the shopping is good enough and for a great night out try the Coach Inn & The Downshire Arms.

We travelled over the border into the south to county louth, O'meagh it's lovely it looks out onto the river and across the water you can see WarrenPoint in the North of Ireland. it was misty the day we went with a slow drizzle of rain it smelt lovely with all the mixtures of tree's, grass and fresh water smell. There's plenty of walks too as you are in between the Mourne Mountains and another set (which I've forgotten the name) but those mountains are renouned for their 13 different walks. we then carried on into Carlingford and went for lunch in a pub called the Carlingford Arms. If you go just Try the Seafood Chowder and Oysters They are gorgeous!!!!!!!

Thanks for sharing the trips. Oh yes we like to feed people My mum cooks like she is feeding the thousands...and its only for me and my husband

We also went to sleepy valley which is so tranquil it's a must for countryside lovers. The roads through the mourne mountains can get very steep and dangerous to drive on (I hate to think about driving them in winter conditions), but you must do it for the views, I don't know of anywhere in England where there is so much greenery/farmland.

Any literacy fans out there might appreciate the Bronte homelands (in between Banbridge and Rathfriland _ this is where the father of emily etc was born and brought up. It's said that he inspired the girls to write and become individuals in their own right and not just a wife and mother, which was very radical in those days.

Anyway we got back to Dad's and took the dog for a walk after yet another dinner we wanderedup the Iveagh Road and after a while came across a few steps leading down to cupboard in the middle of nowhere!!!The dog was sniffing around the door of the cupboard and after much discussion with the other half about dead rats, bodies etc the mighty and the Brave other half opened the door...........

I want to know what was in the cupboard

Well there was nothing !!!!!!! until you looked down..... It was a well, it didn't look too clean at first but there was a little drinking cup there too hubby thought he would test it out, I ummed and arghhhhed about it not looking clean. Nipper the dog started lapping it up like there was no tomorrow so he dipped the cup in and came out with the cleanest water I've ever seen in my life. We investigated further and it comes from a fresh water spring. So we tasted it (in fact I was a bit thirsty as I normally take the car everywhere and not used to walking) I drank about a pint! It was lovely and cold and fresh (no chemicals see).

Anyway we cariied on wandering and ended up at the top of the knock hill. The views were fantastic.

That evening we went out to The Inn in the Square pub in Rathfriland which is a small pub (about 20 seats I think. Cheap enough beer. But if you want pub food you are best of going to the George (they do B&B there aswell I believe.

Well, the hubby's impression of Rathfriland after our 6 days was
quote" It's so laid back, if they were anymore laid back they would fall over". He even went as far as saying it was as relaxing as Goa (where we spent 1 month at the beginning of the year). My impressions are not really of a traveller as it's more like home to me, I've been there that many times I tell my dad what roads to take to get home.

The kids love Northern Ireland and we loved it when we went over the border too somewhere I have decided to explore more.

Anyway that's my travels to Ireland. Thanks for the encouragement Jamiec See ya!

Oh it was a well! I was thinking yous where sucked into oblivion or somewhere

Anyhow, hope you all come back soon to NI (home to you!)

My Husband and I have decided to start taking more breaks at home and in ROI, there is so much to do and see here in NI .......and what do we do.....fly off to some other European city!

I have talked him into booking a long weekend somewhere in December, now i'm just trying to decide where!

Thanks for sharing your break here
Jaime C

Just caught up with this one!

Glad you had a lovely break, and that your husband liked Northern Ireland. When you live in a country you tend to take it for granted a bit, its lovely to see it from someone else's perspective.

Come back again soon!