N. Ireland - Giant's Causeway & Black Taxi Tour in Belfast
Each time I travel a theme appears out of the experience in new and insightful ways that I never expected. Taking a day tour to Giant's Causeway and Belfast in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom was an amazing experience. I really learned a lot about conflict resolution and brought some new thoughts home to my life and legal practice. Travel broadens your mind, helps with creative problem solving, and makes you a better person in so many ways!
Great story teller version of Giant's Causeway!
Elegant Irish Tours - Small Group - Giant's Causeway Tour from Dublin
Belfast, Northern Ireland: A Black Cab Tour of Falls Road
More info about travel to Belfast: A cab is the best way to tour Belfast's sectarian neighborhoods and their gripping political murals. Just west of downtown, Falls Road (Catholic) and the Shankhill Road (Protestant) are two well-known areas. And your ride can come with an education; for a reasonable hourly fee, many cabbies give visitors impromptu tours that will give you insights into the Troubles, a conflict that is thankfully much less volatile than it has been in the past.
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Belfast black taxi tours
Belfast school and university political conflict resolution tours of Belfast.Travel the famous Falls and Shankill road and hear first hand accounts of The troubles
Belfast Walking Tour
Experience Belfast provides 2 city tours, one long, one short. See the sights and understand what makes Belfast special, from history, to the troubles to punk music! We're the original walking tour and deliver unique personal experiences that people love. We have small groups and local guides and you'll leave with a smile on your face and better insight into our wonderful city. Group sizes are small limited to 10 people, don't delay, for more info and to book see experiencebelfast.com
Belfast Murals Tours
An in depth tour of the political history of the TROUBLES
local guides with local knowledge
Giants Causeway, Belfast & Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge 1 Day Tour
Discover the Titanic Experience Belfast, or take a Black Taxi political tour around the city. On your way to the breathtaking Giants Causeway, you will stop at Dunluce castle, known from Game of Thrones, to take some awesome pictures. Finish the day by crossing the famous Carrick a Rede rope bridge. Find out more or book at
Depart Dublin and travel by luxury coach, you have a dedicated Tour Guide who will tell you of the many story's and many historical events which occurred along the way.
Arriving in BELFAST CITY you will immediately observe how different it will look compared to the city which you departed, Dublin. Belfast was the only city in Ireland which experienced the Industrial Revolution of Britain during the 19th century. Now your Guide will explain the different options open to you during your visit to Belfast. All attractions on your tour are included. You choose between the world famous BLACK TAXI POLITICAL TOUR or to visit the TITANIC EXPERIENCE AND QUARTER . Even if some in your family want to visit one attraction and another wants to do the other, thats perfectly alright. The whole group rejoins when we depart for the Giants Causeway.
BLACK TAXI (CAB) Your local guide will talk you through the highs and lows of Belfast’s fascinating political history. Hear of its industrial roots, the past four decades of civil unrest. Visit and sign the Peace Line and join the list of world celebrities who have signed their name to the wall. Sign your name next to the Da Lai Lama and Bill Clinton. Walk along this huge wall which divides the two religious / national communties of east Belfast. The political murals some of which are the most spectacular in the world reflect a harrowing and tragic chapter in the history of Northern Ireland. A conflict between the two communties of Northern Ireland which cost the lives of thousands of people. A war between the paramilitary element of the minority nationalist community with the British State and the paramilitary element of the Protestant Loyalist community. The two paramilitary groups are depicted on many of the murals reflecting the different communities allegances.Your personal local Guide will relate to you their personal and family experiences of life in Belfast. Some of the stories you quite simply wont believe. (2 hours + 10 mins)
TITANIC EXPERIENCE/QUARTER - Visit the world’s largest state of the art Titanic Visitor’s Experience. Now you can experience the life and story of Titanic Ship, the entire faithful voyage and her eventful discovery on the seabed. Learn of the origins, construction, launch and history of the Titanic. The visitors centre expands over nine galleries and draws together special effects, dark rides and full scale reconstructions. The experience contains interactive features so you can truly explore the Titanic story in an insightful light. The journey will take you beyond the aftermath of the sinking to the later discovery of the ship. This tour will also take you to the present day with a tour of the live undersea exploration centre. See the huge Samson and Goliath cranes which were the symbol of Harland and Wolff shipyard. (2 hours + 10 mins)
Departing Belfast we hit the road deeper into the heart of the six counties of Northern Ireland making our way to the NORTH IRISH COAST. We visit the remarkably unique DUN LUCE CASTLE an amazing photo opportunity.The castle is located on the edge of the north Atlantic coast and is a popular location during the filming of the series the GAME OF THRONES.Passing the village of Bushmills best associated with the popular drink water of life / uisce beatha Irish whiskey. Following a route known as the Antrim Coastal Drive, pass spectacular scenery including stony shores, densely wooded glens and picture perfect sheltered harbours. DUN LUCE CASTLE
Arriving at the Unesco World Heritage-listed GIANTS CAUSEWAY created more than 60 million years ago after a series of volcanic eruptions, the Causeway is best known for its distinctive rock formations that span nearly 18 miles (29kms) of coastline. Stroll this spectacular site and see the formations known as “The Wishing Chair” “Giants Boot” and “Giants Organ” to name a few. The beautiful coastal paths surrounded by unparalleled views and legends of the Irish Giant Finn McCool, said to be the Causeway's creator. This is where you can enjoy lunch with a choice of providers on site. (2 hours)
What next, yes there is more. We continue our day to the CARRICK A REDE ROPE BRIDGE close to Ballintoy. This absolutely fabulous attraction is a must when visiting the north coast. You have the opportunity to walk over this world-famous salmon fishermen's rope bridge. That's if you're brave enough. A truly clifftop experience, 30- metre deep and 20- metre wide chasm is traversed by a rope bridge traditionally erected by salmon fishermen. The location is STUNNING!
Taxi Troubles
Glengall St. contraflow cycle lane. Public Hire Taxis blocking both sides of the road, including the cycle lane, one has to move to allow a private hire tax to pass, whilst the other donut muncher forces me to head into oncoming traffic.
Belfast Day Tour From Dublin
Join Irish day tours on this fantastic day trip to the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast. Take in the best that Belfast has to offer, explore the Titanic centre, this is spread over 5 floors and is a fantastic interactive experience. Discover West belfast with the knowledge of a local guide who has lived through the troubles on a political taxi tour. Finish off with some free time in Belfast and visit some of its famous locations.
The peace lines or peace walls Full Wall Video
The peace lines or peace walls
Are a series of separation barriers in Northern Ireland
that separate predominantly Republican and Nationalist Catholic neighbourhoods
from predominantly Loyalist and Unionist Protestant neighbourhoods
They have been built at urban interface areas
in Belfast, Derry, Portadown and elsewhere.
The stated purpose of the peace lines is to minimise inter-communal violence between Catholics.
Most of whom are nationalists who self-identify as Irish) and Protestants
Most of whom are unionists who self-identify as British).
The peace lines range in length from a few hundred yards to over three miles (5 km).
They may be made of iron, brick, and/or steel and are up to 25 feet (7.6 m) high.
Some have gates in them (sometimes staffed by police) that allow passage during daylight
but are closed at night.
The first peace lines were built in 1969, following the outbreak of the 1969 Northern Ireland riots and the Troubles. They were built as temporary structures meant to last only six months, but due to their effective nature they have become wider, longer and more permanent. Originally few in number, they have multiplied over the years, from 18 in the early 1990s to 48 today; in total they stretch over 21 miles (34 km), with most located in Belfast. They have been increased in both height and number since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.[2]
In recent years, they have even become locations for tourism. Black taxis now take groups of tourists around Belfast's peace lines, trouble spots and famous murals.
The most prominent peace lines in the past few years separate the nationalist Falls Road and unionist Shankill Road areas of West Belfast; the Catholic Short Strand from the Protestant Cluan Place areas of East Belfast, the Protestant Corcrain road and the Catholic Orbins drive in Portadown and the Protestant Fountain estate and Catholic Bishop Street area of Derry.
In 2008, a public discussion began about how and when the peace lines could be removed.[3] While, on 1 September 2011, Belfast City Council agreed to develop a strategy regarding the removal of peace walls,a study was released in 2012 indicating that 69% of residents believe that the peace walls are still necessary because of potential violence.[At the end of 2011, several local community initiatives resulted in the opening of a number of interface structures for a trial period.
In January 2012, the International Fund for Ireland launched a Peace Walls funding programme to support local communities who want to work towards beginning to remove the peace walls. In May 2013, the Northern Ireland Executive committed to the removal of all peace lines by mutual consent by 2023.
In September 2017, the Northern Ireland Department of Justice published its 'Interface Programme' established to deliver the commitment made by the Northern Ireland Executive to remove all Interface structures by 2023 under the Together: Building a United Community Strategy.
Belfast reflects on 20 years since first IRA ceasefire
Northern Ireland will reflect on a long spell of relative peace this weekend, marking 20 years since the IRA announced it would cease all military operations.
Shortly after 11am on Wednesday 31 August 1994, the Irish Republican Army called a ceasefire that paved the way for the Northern Irish peace process.
Two decades have passed since the IRA ceasefire of 1994 (August 31, 1994) and the peace dividend has revitalised Belfast's city centre.
The Titanic museum and Titanic film studios are some of the must-see sights on any trip to the capital of Northern Ireland.
But not far from the city centre, so-called peace lines - walls of brick, steel and barbed wire - divide Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods.
The largest barrier dates back to 1970, after the British territory's sectarian conflict began with major Catholic-Protestant street battles.
Despite relative peace, the walls have kept growing in number and size during the past two decades.
The Falls Road is a Catholic heartland, a thriving community rich with heritage and culture.
Running almost parallel, only a few hundred meters away, is the Shankill Road.
It's a Protestant area� rich in heritage and also proud of its culture.
Brian McFaul, reflects on how life has changed since the start of the peace process.
Waking up every morning and hearing news reports of who has been killed and wondering who was next. Getting stopped by the army everywhere you went and the police everywhere you went. Things seem a lot calmer now but we are still a long way off getting Peace, but it's a lot better now than what it was twenty years ago, he says.
Stephen Morrow lives in nearby Lisburn, a suburb of Belfast.
I grew up in the trouble's and I remember the barricades and the soldiers on the streets, people not being able to go into town and being restricted to their own areas, and just staying within their own areas, he recalls.
These abandoned homes of formerly protestant residents face Catholic homes with reinforced protected glass face just feet away. The communities are kept apart by a fence, which is part of the peace line.
Claire Harris is youth worker with the Belfast Interface Project, which aims to improve cross-commuity relations in districts close to the peace lines.
She says: Really, what we find is that the young people are there because it's a bit of craic (fun) and something to do, it's the adrenalin of being in a riot is something that's unparalleled in terms of the excitement that that brings.
Tourism in Northern Ireland has grown significantly in the past decade and dozens of new hotels have opened to cater from the growing number of visitors.
Sporadic intercommunal clashes have occurred in recent years, but this July's annual parades by Protestant hard-liners, passed off relatively peacefully.
Aiden McCormick, Director of Belfast City Sight Seeing buses, says that his industry relies on peace and stability.
A business like ours relies on political stability and peace and more importantly the perception of peace and stability. If you look at other regions in the world that have conflict or instability, visitor numbers drop immediately. Thankfully this year we have had a peaceful summer and visitor numbers are growing every single year.
in 2013, there 1.8 million visitors and the local unity government hopes to increase that to over 2 million annually by 2016.
The main faction of the Irish Republican Army, the Provisional IRA, killed nearly 1,800 people during a failed 1970-1994 campaign to force Northern Ireland out of the United Kingdom.
However the ceasefire resumed in 1997.
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Belfast, Northern Ireland Murals and Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly checks out the Political murals in Belfast - A travel guide to Belfast and Northern Ireland.
Black Taxi Council Tribute
Belfast City Council pass a Sinn Fein motion recognising and paying tribute to the important contribution that the drivers of black taxis in West Belfast and Shankill have made to the life of the City of Belfast.
NORTHERN IRELAND: TOURISTS RETURNING TO BELFAST
English/Nat
Three decades of sectarian violence in Belfast had traditionally served to keep the tourists away.
But now it seems the legacy of those very troubles may in fact be Northern Ireland's main attraction.
Tour guides are catering to tourist demands to see the sites that for so long dominated television news.
And some residents are even turning their homes into bed & breakfasts to cash in on the new tourist boom.
Shankhill Road - Belfast's Protestant area and domain of the Ulster Loyalist paramilitaries.
For nearly three decades, sectarian killings and violence deterred even the most adventurous tourist.
But since the ceasefire, the number of visitors venturing to Northern Ireland has increased.
Many seem to be keen to witness the scenes where much of the trouble that kept them away for so long took place.
Northern Ireland is renowned for its spectacular coastline, but some tourists are looking for something that only Belfast can offer.
George Grimley is one bus driver who operates tours to bring tourists to some of the city's infamous hot spots.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
Well, Belfast unfortunately, having the history that it has, you'll find a lot of the tourists want to go into the areas that they've seen on their televisions over the years. So our aim is to bring the tourists into that area and give an unbiased view of both sides.
SUPER CAPTION: George Grimley, bus driver and tour operator
The twice-weekly bus tours of the Catholic and Protestant areas have become a must-see and are even recommended in travel guide books.
The tourists seem to enjoy the drive through some of Belfast's notorious areas.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
To actually drive down there and see the way these people live, it's just crazy living behind barbed wire and bricks.
SUPER CAPTION: David Edwards, Australian tourist
VOXPOP: (English)
It's just chilling to think of all the people who have died here because of this conflict.
SUPER CAPTION: Jean Stewart, tourist from Denver, Colorado, U-S
Taxi drivers have also been cashing in, offering more individualised tours.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
You can tell it's a Protestant area. You'll see all the pavements are painted red, white and blue.
SUPER CAPTION: Michael Johnston, taxi driver and tour guide
The murals around Belfast are becoming something of an art form.
Even so, the tours are not for the faint hearted since the sites mark the scenes of atrocities still very real to local residents.
On the site of this wallpaper shop in the Shankhill Road stood a fish shop which was bombed by the I-R-A in 1993.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
That was one of the worst bomb attacks on the Shankhill Road, a lot of women and kids were killed. An I-R-A man left the bomb on the floor.
SUPER CAPTION: Michael Johnston, taxi driver and tour guide
The Catholic-Republican area is only a stone's throw from the Shankhill Road.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
These are the famous peace gates between the Falls and the Shankhill and they separate both sides from rioting and fighting.
SUPER CAPTION: Michael Johnston, taxi driver and tour guide
Milltown Cemetery gained notoriety when it was the scene of a deadly shooting in 1988.
Loyalist paramilitary Michael Stone attacked and killed three mourners attending the funerals of three I-R-A members shot by the British military in Gibraltar.
Within the cemetery are plots dedicated to fallen Republicans, including those killed in Gibraltar.
There is also a plaque commemorating the death of Bobby Sands and other inmates of the Maze Prison who died while on hunger strike protesting for political rights.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Michael Johnston, taxi driver and tour guide
SOUNDBITE: (English)
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Taxi Tour of the Belfast Peace Wall (Northern Ireland)
Charles & Cavey's Black Taxi Tour
Darren Cave recently took new signing Charles Piutau on a black taxi tour of Belfast, showing him some of the city's famous sites and filling him in on some of it's renowned history.
Of course, the boys had a bit of a laugh along the way too...
Belfast Best Bits!
there's no place like home
N. Ireland Day 5: Streets of Belfast
Thought it would be a good idea to search for the famous Belfast murals that speak more than words about the political climate in Northern Ireland. The murals are symbols of the past and present, so the streets still stand divided. The violence may have stopped, but the emotions that have driven The Troubles are very much alive. Peace has been made, but walls still stand. I found most of the nationalist murals (pro-Ireland), depicting political prisoners, heroes who've died fighting for their cause, and global icons of a campaign against oppression. For them, there are no calls for peace if peace means giving up. On the unionist side (pro-England), murals depict peace, and a call for cooperation. To this day, Northern Ireland belongs to the U.K.
Belfast trip
A trip to Larrybane & Giants Causeway
Unionist and loyalist in Northern Ireland Murals
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Belfast Troubles Return
Belfast bus tour operator Benn Allen talks about his fear that the recent murders in Northern Ireland will destroy the city's burgeoning tourist trade. Film by Alastair Good