Ireland the North 2. Belfast

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Ireland the North 2. Belfast

Short run today from Larne to Belfast. Cycled past the roundabout in Larne with a large golden crown as a centrepiece. A very sharp and not so short hill out of Glynn made us breath a bit heavily, and someone behind me sounding as if it was their very last breath ever. A bit of undulation in cow country lead us to a very welcome long descent to the A2 at ’Eden’ by the Kilroot power station. A brew was taken at the clock tower cafe in Carrickfergus before moving on to Belfast. Bill made a visit to the recently refurbished Norman Carrickfergus Castle which has been besieged by the Scots, English, Irish and French over the centuries.
Belfast was approached using a very pleasant cycleway for several miles to the city centre from Whiteabbey. The city bus tour is a great way to see the city and also to see the many murals around many streets. The Titanic museum is well worth a visit with displays of the movement of people to Belfast from the country from the mid 1800’s. Initially they were employed in the conversion of flax to linen cloth and then making the spinning and weaving machines. Mass migration following the famine of 1850’S lead to the ship building industry flourishing and creating a large workforce. The Titanic, and it’s sister ship Olympic,were built by Harland and Wolf for the White Star Line in Belfast only for it to sink in 1912 in its way to America after hitting an iceberg. The museum takes you through the manufacture of the vessel, it’s history and the final hours of the voyage where over 1,500 people lost their lives and 705 miraculously survived. The grand piano was also lost to the deep along with everything on that dreadful, cold February evening in 1912.

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Photos

Seaview Guest House
Larne

Castle
Carrickfergus

Wind chime
Belfast

Titanic museum
Belfast