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| No world trip would be complete without a visit to Northern Ireland (or 'Norn Iron' as we locals like to call it). A great chance to catch up with family and friends, shoot-the-breeze and generally relax.
Here we are visiting Mathew and Emily O'Hare in the centre of the universe, Magherafelt.
We have some impressive architecture in Belfast - this is the City Hall in the centre of the city.
And this is my old Alma Mater, The Queen's University, built in the late 19th century.
We even have our own version of Table Mountain, Cave Hill. It is known locally as Napoleon's Nose due to the profile on the right hand side.
Tucked in under Cave Hill is Belfast Castle, now a visitor's center and restaurant.
Of course, not all our buildings are quite so majestic. We have local artists who use the gable walls of buildings and open areas to mark territories and make political statements.
This is on both sides of the community and shows how strong sentiments still run - even after the peace accords have been in place for almost seven years. Beyond the political implications, the murals are actually very good in some instances.
After Belfast, we spent some time in Orla's home territory of Enniskillen (Irish for the Island of Kathleen). There is a wonderful series of lakes and islands which make it a great tourist area for fishing and relaxation. Many European visitors have been coming here for years. Orla fits right back in....
We had a chance to call in and see a friend of ours, Patrick O'Donaghue. Here he is with his friend Brendan McGovern as they gave us a tour of their new facilities. |
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