On Saturday morning Krystle and Stephen left at 7:45 to take the tube to Heathrow and catch their flight back to America. I left at 8:30 and made it to my 10:50 flight in plenty of time to fly into Belfast. Tommy and his friends met me at the gate in Belfast – I was a little shocked to see all of them because everyone except Cathaoir (pronounced Ka-her, but Car for short) was supposed to have just flown out to Glasgow, Scotland for a football (soccer) match that was happening the next day. Well, as it turns out, the guys (Paul, Nate, and Adam) missed their flight by about 3 minutes, so after they said hi to me, they went and booked tickets for a ferry to the Scotland mainland then a train from there. Car and Tommy then took me to their BMW rental car and Tommy drove us back to Car’s house in Dunloy (about 30 min away). Car would’ve driven if he hadn’t been so hung over, but despite driving on the left side of the road, Tommy did a really good job. When we got to the house I met Jan (the woman who is letting Tommy stay in her uptown condo in Charlotte until he closes on a place) and another Irish friend named Francis. Car’s parents weren’t there at the time, so I didn’t get to meet them until later, but their house reminded me of my grandfather’s house in Miami, which struck me as funny. The bathroom was all tiled and there was one long hallway with all the rooms off of it. It had 4 or 5 bedrooms, and a kitchen, dining room, living room and family room. It was nice to be in a real house instead of a flat.
After I met Jan and Francis, Tommy and I left the three of them in Dunloy (all of which were recovering from the night before) and drove the half hour to the northern coast. The drive was just beautiful, with tiny little roads lined with fields of sheep and small mountains all around. It was so exciting to see mountains! If we put the windows down we could hear the sheep baaing and there were many lambs, so it must be the season for them. They were so cute, running about chasing each other. 
When we got to the coast we drove along the Giant’s Causeway Coastline and the view was phenomenal. I saw this castle on the side of the road and we stopped there. It was only £2 per person, and it was right on the edge of a coastal cliff. Dunluce Castle (located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim, Northern Ireland) was more like the shell of a castle, being so very old (built around 1200). I had a great time climbing all over the castle ruins and gazing out at the breathtaking view. While it had been overcast all day, the sun started shining through breaks in the clouds in glorious rays, illuminating a little island off shore and showing off the waves’ lovely green color. The wind whipped about ferociously, but after walking about it didn’t feel so cold, and the dessert given to the eyes made up for the wind’s cruelty.
There was a little path near the castle that led down to a cave which was hard climbing into (the floor was covered in slippery smooth rocks) but the back of the cave opened onto the ocean and standing inside you could watch the waves rushing up onto the rocks and retreating again. It was so cool.
After exploring that area we drove to Giant’s Causeway (the site, not the road). It is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption and is considered the 4th greatest wonder of the UK. That was £5 for both of us, and because it was later, we didn’t have to pay for parking. First we walked along the upper path that led along the cliff line, looking down on the Giant’s Causeway, then we took the lower path and climbed on the rocks. It is amazing to think they are naturally built. From atop the rock columns, we looked west and watched as the sun set over the ocean, and it was magnificently beautiful. We didn’t get to walk the whole path because it was getting dark, but we thought it was worth the money nonetheless. By this point we were nearly starving, weren’t quite sure how to get back to Car’s, and it was getting dark. We drove over to a nearby town called Portrush and decided to just stay there for the night so we could see more sights in the morning and get back to Car’s in the daylight. After dropping our stuff at a Ramada, we walked over to a “wee little place” to a get a bite to eat. (This was what the Irish receptionist said when we inquired about where to eat – the Irish use “wee” a lot).
There were three main restaurants in Portrush, all in the same building, but the lines were so long, thus we went to a place called The Blue Duck across the street. While there was no line, it took them forever to serve us. I got lasagna with a side salad and Tommy got a steak burger (a real steak on a bun), and we split. The lasagna was strange (not really bad, just not like US lasagna) but the steak burger was fabulous. All of it was £12, so not bad for a real restaurant.
The Ramada came with a full Irish buffet breakfast, so in the morning we ate very well. Eggs, croissants, toast, French toast, juice, and yogurt – all in all, I ate far too much. Lol When we left the hotel we went to where we had parked the car and it was right by the water, and the view was beautiful. I climbed down some rocks to the water and smelled the salt water and enjoyed the fabulous sunshine. We then drove to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge which is a suspension bridge that links the mainland to the tiny Carrick Island. It wasn’t nearly as high or long as the suspension bridge at Grandfather Mountain, but it was really cool and the water was absolutely beautiful! It looked very much like the water in the Cinque Terra (Italy) that I saw with Mom and Dad junior year of high school – turquoise green.
I haven’t mentioned the grass yet – all of it was soft and a luscious green – long, but blown over by the wind in a kind of carpet. It felt so amazing to sit or stand on, and I found myself often reaching over and running my hand along some of it.
From the Carrick-a-Rede bridge, we drove to Ballycastle. We were looking for the actual castle,
but only found the lovely little coastal town. They had a sandy beach that was quite beautiful, so we parked and walked on the beach, looking at all the pretty stones (I carried two back). They don’t have shells – just perfectly smooth stones – most beaches in England only have stones and no sand at all. The dunes were also covered in the long, lush grass, so it made a nice spot to sit and people watch. We left about 1:30 pm in order to buy a map and then make it back to Car’s before the Manchester United football game at 3 pm. We were going to watch it in Dunloy’s local pub with Car and Jan (and watch to see if we could see the boys in the stands on TV lol). The whole group of them are HUGE Manchester United fans, and if the tickets weren’t so expensive, I’m sure they all would have gone to Glasgow to watch the game.
When we arrived at Car’s house, no one was home, so Tommy let me drive us to the pub (a mile away) – it was the first time I’d driven since I’ve been here, and the first time I’d driven on the left side of the road. I ran the left side of the car off the road into a muddy ditch right off the bat (didn’t get stuck or anything, just scared Tommy to death), spraying the BMW in mud, but after that I got the hang of it. However, Jan and Car weren’t at the pub either, so after figuring out how to call them from my cell phone, we found out that they had just arrived back at the house from being out. Tommy wouldn’t let me drive back. Haha
Francis, who still hadn’t gone home yet, drove us to the pub and dropped us off before heading back to whatever part of Ireland he lived in, then Jan, Car, Tommy and I watched the game, chatted, and ate at the
pub. Since we didn’t have a vehicle with us, Car’s dad picked us up after the game finished (Manchester won). We got back and I was officially introduced to his parents before Car said we’d have a “wee” tour around his town. I drove (despite Tommy’s chagrin) since they’d all been drinking a bit, but I did very well, though at one point Car said, “Hey Lauren, see that pedal to your right there? Use it.” They drive VERY fast in Ireland – according to Car it’s 60 km everywhere (not really). But I ignored him considering his town is all of about 3 streets anyway and there were no cars behind me – I didn’t want to speed up and risk hitting any more ditches.
Car directed me first to what he refers to as a “mini Stonehenge.” Basically, Dooey’s Cairn, a Neolithic tomb dating from around 2000-4000BC, is a burial mound surrounded by rocks that stick up. When excavated in 1935 they found remnants of an axe head and other tools. That was pretty neat. Next he directed me to a graveyard where several things make it important. First off, the first victim of the potato famine is said to have been buried there. Secondly, some years ago a boy was going to the graveyard to visit his grandmother’s tomb when he saw a pile of guns (laid there by the British). The British were hiding nearby and thought that if someone saw the guns and returned to collect them, then the person was involved with the IRA. The boy ran to get his grandfather, and appearing back in the graveyard before the old man, the SAS (the Brits) shot him to death.
Incidentally, he had absolutely nothing to do with the IRA, and the SAS were not held accountable when the grandfather came running in after hearing the shots. In more recent years the IRA’s goal is to join Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland in the south (i.e. – to be independent from England), but back then the IRA’s goal was to gain equal rights for Catholics. If it were not for their efforts, Car said he would not have even been allowed to go to university. The population of N. Ireland is almost 50/50 Catholic and Protestant, and the Republic of Ireland is mostly Catholic. Because with King Henry VIII’s split from the Catholic Church, the Catholics in Ireland have been egregiously mistreated. I’m telling you, everything in the UK has something to do with Henry VIII!
After that grave yard Car directed me toward one more spot where some IRA guys were killed by some SAS guys. I think some SAS may have been killed as well. This was before the peace agreement in the 80s when the IRA and SAS decided there would be no more killing of potentially innocent people, and equality strides would be made in other ways (though I believe the IRA didn’t officially declare cease-fire until much later). The radical IRA men who recently shot two British soldiers in Belfast and the two innocent pizza delivery guys were looked down upon by everyone, even Car and other Catholics who essentially support the goals of the IRA. Their actions were “totally not cool or supported” according to Car. Thus, they should not be seen as examples of the IRA as a whole today.
It is amazing though, that today if you have a Catholic name and you go into a Protestant bar, there is definitely potential for physical danger (bar brawls) or they can refuse to serve you. It is probably the same the other way around. For the most part, even if no one knows your name, they can tell by your accent where you are from. Most little towns (like Dunloy) are mostly Catholic or mostly Protestant. Dunloy only has 1,071 people, and 97% are Catholic.
After that last shooting location, I drove us back to Car’s place, and we sat around with his parents, and they told us some stories about the history of their area during the potato famine and during the intense tensions between the IRA and the SAS. Back then, if you were stopped by the SAS driving somewhere, they could choose to detain you, etc. if you were Catholic. Even a couple days ago, after the recent Belfast shootings, 
Car’s parents were stopped and asked to see their licenses and asked where they were going (though they didn’t have to fear for their lives like they had a few times in the past). So different from America where you have to have a reason to stop someone!
The next morning (Monday), the four of us got up and ate breakfast (Car’s wonderful mother set out cereal, milk, juice, jam, and butter and made tons of toast). She said if she’d known we weren’t in a rush to get to Dublin she would’ve made us a hot Irish breakfast. I guess mothers are the same everywhere – always trying to feed people. Haha
Tommy drove us to the airport (Car is too fast a driver and would scare the crap out of Tommy, Jan, and me) 
where we were to meet the boys (back from Glasgow) and drop off the rental car. Car didn't seem real concerned about picking up the guys on time, so he directed Tommy to the site where the SAS were recently shot in Belfast by the two IRA radicals. The site (right at the entrance of the British military base) was covered in flowers. It was crazy that we could park across the street and walk right up to it. (Tommy and I stayed in the car, but Jan and Car walked over and even asked the guard how many rounds had been fired - 60 by the way). They saw the bullet holes and everything. In America, after something like that had happened, you'd not be able to get anywhere near it! When they got back in the car Tommy and I were like "Do you know how many guns were probably just aimed at you two?" Car just laughed and said, "And the guy knew I was Catholic too." I asked him how and he said, "Well, besides my accent, probably the way I asked how many rounds had been fired at them."
When we finally got to the airport, Paul, Nate, and Adam all looked absolutely exhausted (having gotten two hours of sleep the night before), and after we got on the bus to go to Dublin, they all fell asleep. I slept part of the way, but the trip was 3 hours long, and I woke up 45 minutes before we arrived really wishing the bus had a bathroom so I could pee. Car and Tommy were the only ones who stayed awake the whole time, but they still had a lot of catching up to do (as they were best friends when Car was in Charlotte last summer). Car really liked Charlotte and hopes to come back again this summer to work at Connolly’s Irish Pub. Car is almost 23 and plays Gaelic football very seriously, but doesn’t have a real job yet in Ireland. He went to “uni” (university) for exercise and sports science and wants to be a physical education teacher eventually (probably teaching Gaelic and soccer).
When we got to Dublin air port, we found toilets then switched buses to a bus that took us into the center city. After dropping our stuff at the hotel (there were 7 of us staying in two 3-person rooms – bet the hotel staff wouldn’t have been real happy about that), we walked around Dublin, looking at the beautiful buildings (the architect who designed them also designed many in D.C. and thus they had a similar feel). Finally we decided to find somewhere to eat, but everything was very expensive (I was having Paris flashbacks). Tommy and I thought it was because we were in the Temple Bar district (which is touristy) and so we decided to go elsewhere while the rest of them ate at some greasy looking fast food joint. Car gave me his phone to call them when we were done since Tommy’s phone wasn’t working in Ireland and mine only had thee pounds left on it. Tommy and I walked for what seemed like forever before we found a nice Irish pub that wasn’t too ridiculously priced. I had shepherd’s pie (a combination of mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, and mostly – mincemeat…yeah, well, it was authentic!), and Tommy had a curry chicken sandwich. They are famous for their curry in Ireland, but it is nothing like the spicy curry we have in the US. And of course there were ch
ips (French fries) because there are chips with any and every meal in Ireland.
We left and walked back toward the Temple Bar District and tried calling Jan, but she didn’t pick up, so we stopped in an ice cream shop to wait for her. The streets were getting really crazy at this point (with TONS of loud, obnoxious, drunk Americans). Everyone was reared up to bring in St. Patrick ’s Day at midnight. Finally Jan called back and told us what pub they were settled in, but the directions we got from the ice cream shop lady were wrong, and it took us forever to walk there. When we’d finally given up and got into a cab to take us there he said “Uh…Flannery’s is that red door right there.” He was very nice, as he could’ve easily driven us 
around and dropped us off in front of the place and we would’ve never been the wiser. He wouldn’t even take a tip.
However, when we got out and walked to Flannery’s, the line to get in the door was about 500 people long! We were like “you’ve GOT to be kidding me!” So, we turned around and started walking back in the direction of the hotel (or so we thought…until I recognized the tall space needle thing that is near our hotel in the completely opposite direction). All in all, we probably walked about five miles. Haha I’m glad we went back when we did though, because by the time we got there it was already 11:30 and the rest of the them didn’t get back in until about 3 am and were completely wrecked.
On St. Patrick’s’ day Tommy and I woke up before all the guys but Jan, (who apparently doesn’t sleep) got up at 9 to meet some Irish girlfriends who also were in Charlotte last summer. I went to the pub in the lobby to get a scone (or as Car would say, it’s not a scone, it’s a “scon” – with the ‘o’ pronounced like ‘aw’), and when Tommy was ready we walked down to Subway. The St. Paddy’s day parade started at noon, and it was only about 10:30, but the streets were already packed. Everyone had on crazy green hats and beards, were blowing whistles, screaming – basically, it was mayhem.
Once we got our foot long subs (my tuna sub was on special so it was 
only 4.99 Euros for a foot long, otherwise I would’ve gotten a 6” which, as it turns out, I should have), we walked back to the hotel and ate in the room until the guys were ready. Then we met Jan and the two Irish girls downstairs and all of us sat around in the pub as the parade went by, listening and watching it on TV. This may sound crazy since it was literally going right by the front of our hotel, but it was so crowded, we couldn’t even walk out the door of our hotel. It was nice chatting with everyone, but I started feeling sick, especially when Tommy made me eat another half of a “scon” he couldn’t finish.
After the parade was over they were all going to walk over to Croke Park where there was a hurling match and a Gaelic football match that Car especially wanted to see. Tommy wasn’t sure if he wanted to see the Gaelic match or not (for 25 Euros a ticket), and I was so full that I couldn’t even conceive of walking all the way there. Thus, I let them go and went to the room where I read some Bleak House and took a two hour nap. By the time I woke up I was feeling much better and Tommy and Adam got back about 5 pm. They had all walked down to the park, where the hurling match was already over, then sat around at a pub to have a couple pints. The Gaelic match started at 4:30, and since Adam and Tommy opted out, they walked back, but got a bit lost on the way. Adam wasn’t feeling well either, so we all just sort of hung around until Car, Jan, Nate, and Paul returned.
After they got ready we went to a fish a chips place for dinner (which was not very good – I had a hamburger and it looked scarier than the mincemeat from the night before and I couldn’t even bring myself to try the chips). We started walking to the Temple Bar District again, and I picked up some yogurt with granola from a newsagent along the way.
First we stopped in a club called The Living Room where we met Neive (that’s not spelled right, but it’s pronounced like Eve with an ‘n’) and Stephanie, who were two other Irish girls who lived in Charlotte last summer. Stephanie and Car used to date, so he wasn’t real keen on seeing her again, but we essentially picked them up and all walked to Temple Bar (the actual bar, not the district) which was really crowded, but a good place. It played mostly American music, but really good sing-along kind of songs like American Pie. We basically formed our own little party and danced and talked (and everyone else drank). After Neive and I 
danced to “Hot Potato” which was in Dirty Dancing, she
said “Why haven’t I met you before?” It was said in a way that made me feel good like – ‘you’re cool, why aren’t we friends?’ It was a really fun night and I just love all those people. Some of them may be bits of lushes, but they are great people with hearts of gold. Car was just hysterical and we had a constant teasing banter the whole trip – we seemed to fall into a brother/sister dynamic right off, and I hope he is able to come back to Charlotte, because he really is amusing and a good kid. I don’t know why any girl would ever date him (he’s a total player with little responsibility and drinks too much), but I can see why Tommy is such good friends with him. Jan is so incredibly generous and sweet as can be, Nate struck me as so young (though he’s 2 years older than me), but he was also very sweet. Basically, everyone was lovely and I had a great time with them.
Tommy and I left the bar at midnight since I’d have to get up at 9 to fly back to London this morning. Again, the rest of them didn’t come back in until after 2 (and Jan had to get up at 6 am to catch her flight back to America!). The next morning I realized we not only had
the 7 of us in two rooms, but Stephanie and Neive ended up there as well. Haha Tommy came with me to the airport where we had breakfast before I caught my flight. He and the rest of the group were going back to Belfast today, then on to Car’s today or tomorrow.
On Friday Nate and Tommy will take a ferry from Belfast to Scotland, then the train from Scotland to London. Nate has friends he wants to see here and Tommy wants to see London as well, so I’ll get to see them in two days. Then they fly out Monday back to the US.
My flight back on Ryanair was really good (great weather), and the guy sitting next to me was from South Africa and we chatted the whole way. He told me all about Cape Town (he’s been mugged there 10 times!) and how he’s trying to get his British visa right now (which he’ll get after he lives here for five years since
his grandmother was British). He told me about him and his friend’s troubles with their flight over and how they had missed the flight they’d tried to get on earlier in the morning. It was nice to have someone to talk to the whole time, and it made me less conscious of my motion sick tendencies and my slight fear of takeoff and landing.
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