Or longer tours of 3 days up to….well as long as you want really.

Ireland Luxury Tours….making it happen !!!!!

The MacDonnells are an offshoot of the Scottish clan MacDonald, Lords of the Isles, that part of Scotland closest to the Antrim coast.  Several of them married into the important families of the north: Colla married Eveleen MacQuillan, Sorely Boy married Mary O’Neill.  The family fought with and against their neighbours and frequently fought against English raids throughout the 16th century.  Sorely Boy MacDonnell was the first to live his whole life in Ulster, a wild, violent existence.  He was captured by brother-in-law Shane O’Neill at the Battle of Glentaisie in May 1565 and held prisoner for two years after Dunseverick and Dunluce Castles had been taken.  At a banquet near Cushendun, when peace seemed possible, the MacDonnells turned on their hosts, set Sorely Boy free and killed Shane.  In 1584, Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir John Perrot, took an immense army to Dunluce Castle.  He took the castle however not because of his vast army but because he had three cannon.  In 1586 Queen Elizabeth granted the castle back to Sorely Boy and in 1588, when the Spanish Armada ship Girona crashed onto nearby rocks, he was able to salvage (among other things) three cannon to defend the castle.  The following year he died.

James MacDonnell, Sorely Boy’s son, was well known and liked by James VI of Scotland and knighted by him.  He restored the castle after Perrot’s attack in the latest Scottish fashion, including the Gatehouse and the Garden with the classical loggia.  In 1597, Sir James fought and killed Sir John Chichester, Governor of Carrickfergus, but in 1601 he died of poison, perhaps in revenge for Chichester.

When James VI of Scotland became James I of England, the MacDonnells were transformed into loyal kinsmen.  Thet were granted the whole of the Glens and the Route, in effect the coast of Antrim from the River Bann to Larne.  In 1620, Sir Randall was created Earl of Antrim in recognition of his good standing with the king.  He was required to build a castle in each of his baronies, but appears to have built little at Dunluce Castle, although he established a new small town around the castle.

In 1635 the first earl’s son, also called Randal, married Catherine Manners, the widow of the Earl of Buckingham and used to great riches and London society.  He built her the new Manor-House between 1636 and 1638, and the extensive ranges of kitchens and accommodation to suit lavish entertainment in Dunluce.

The Duchess hated the sound of the sea and indeed her prejudice was confirmed when the kitchen fell into the sea one night in 1639 during dinner.  Three years later, another unhappy dinner resulted in in General Munro, Governor of Carrickfergus, arresting his host.  Catherine salvaged their possessions from Dunluce Castle and a new house nearby and shipped them to Chester where they were stored until 1651 when they were seized by Cromwell’s agents and sold off.  An inventory of this cache, made on 9th March 1645, tells us how magnificent their household had been with tapestries, Persian carpets, an Irish harp, damask curtains, dozens of chairs, mostly upholstered in silk, damask, velvet and satin.  The favourite colour was red, but blue and green fabrics are also referred to.  Randal spent the Cromwell years in exile, returning after the restoration in 1660.  However Dunluce Castle was no longer the favourite of the MacDonnells who moved on, first to Ballymagarry House and then to Glenarm Castle.

One of the most spectacular castles in Ireland ….. a must see on any tour of Ireland.

Ireland Luxury Tours also include the castle in their day tours of the North Coast. If you are in Belfast on a cruise ship in 2010 make sure you see it.

Unfortunately due to a technical problem we were  not receiving all of these enquiries and therefore a small number were not actioned.

If you have an enquiry about visiting Ireland , one of our tours of Ireland , or our Belfast tours , please submit your requirements again.

If you have enqired about a day tour when your cruise ship is in Belfast in 2010 please contact us again.

Once again I can only apologise for this technical problem and assure you that it is now completely resolved.

Regards , Maurice Dowle , Director , Ireland Luxury Tours.

Ireland Luxury Tours are the local experts in providing bespoke day tours and Belfast tours. Contact us for information.

The following cruise ships are confirmed to visit Belfast….Ocean Nova , MV Funchal , Mein Schiff , Braemar , Seven Seas Voyager , Deutschland , Vistimar , Saga Pearl 2 , Crystal Symphony , MV Discovery , Crown Princess , MV Oriana , MV Regatta , Funchal , Crown Princess , Prince Albert 2 ,Queen Victoria , Mona Lisa , Astor , Wessterdam , Crown Princess , Princess Danae , MV Regatta , Delphin , Saga Ruby ,  Le Diamant , Marco Polo , Prinsendam , Jewel of the Seas , MS Deutschland , Norwegian Sun.

Some of these cruise ships visit more than once making up the total of 37 visits.

Ireland Luxury Tours are the specialists in day tours for the cruise ship passenger…

It cost 7.5 million dollars to build the Titanic

Price of a single first class ticket was 4,700 dollars…or 50,000 dollars in todays money

1503 lost their lives

The Titanic was rediscovered in 1986….74 years after it sank

If you visit the Titanic Dry Dock you could also visit Titanic exhibition at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum…it is not far away ! If your cruise ship is in Belfast in 2010 contact us regarding our day tours.

Ireland Luxury Tours is proud of the history of the Titanic in Belfast and as many here say….”She was okay when she left here”

Lava flowed into a depression in the ground. It cooled, hardened, shrunk and cracked to form the hexagonal columns we see today.

The Giant’s Causeway is made up of layers of rock. The bottom layer is known as ‘Lower Basalt’.

During 2 Million years of warm, wet climate the lower basalt weathered to form a deep red rock called ‘Laterite’.

More volcanic eruptions occurred and lava poured onto the red rock. It cooled and hardened forming the ‘Causeway’ or ‘Middle Basalts’. ‘Upper Basalts’ formed during a third period of volcanic eruptions. Most of this layer was lost to erosion during the last ice age, 15,000 years ago.

The Mythology is perhaps a little more interseting ?…..It is certainly more “Irish”…

As the two giants had never met, Finn decided to invite Benandonner to Ireland, to engage in a decisive battle. There was no boat large enough to carry giants, so Finn built a causeway of huge stones across the water so that the Scottish giant could travel on dry land; thus he would have no excuse to avoid the confrontation.

However, as big Ben approached, Finn realised to his horror that his opponent was a larger and more fearsome rival than he anticipated. He fled to his home in the nearby hills, and like any sensible man, asked his wife for advice. Oonagh, a practical woman, disguised Finn as a baby, complete with large nightgown and bonnet. She placed him in a huge, hastily made cradle, telling him to keep quiet and pretend to sleep, as Benandonner’s great shadow darkened the door. Oonagh brought the Scottish giant in for tea, pleading with him not to waken Finn’s child, Looking at the massive ‘baby’ lying in the cradle, Benandonner took fright, saying that if this was the child, he had no wish to meet the father. He fled back to Scotland, ripping up the Causeway behind him, terrified that the awful Finn might follow him home.

If you are taking a tour of Ireland please visit this remarkable site.

If you are on a cruise ship in Belfast during 2010 our Belfast tours and beyond can incorporate the causeway and so much more…..Ireland Luxury Tours are commited to making your visit very special….check out our day tours…