You will feel like a native in Ireland instead of a visitor.  My family rated the trip a 20 on a scale of 1 to 10 and I had two teenagers and an 85 year old man who had trouble walking.  We laughed and saw the most magnificent sites, ate fabulous food, sang, shopped and just had the best time.

Ireland Luxury Tours treats you like a member of their family.  I would insist that anyone even thinking about going to Ireland give them a call.  You will see the difference immediately.   Contact Maurice Dowle at www.Irelandluxurytours.com

We looked after Kathy and her family on a tour of Ireland from 14th May 2010 to 21st May 2010.

We saw Galway and the West ,  Fermanagh and Devenish Island ,Belfast and the North coast , and of course Dublin.

Our tours of Belfast , the North Coast , and so much more are great value for money and really let you see so much more than on a coach.

You will actually feel the atmosphere and enjoy a real taste of Ireland rather than simply look at the countryside through a window.

Con tact us for more details.

Often in the background, giving the appearance that they are part of Islay are 2-3 large conical mountain peaks.  They are the famous Paps of the island of Jura another large Hebridean island just north and east of Islay.  On most days the large and foredoding south-west facing buttress of the equally famous Mull of Kintyre can be seen looming over the background of ourown Rathlin Island.  Check out some of the interpreted viewpoints along the north Antrim coast, for example Magheracross at Dunluce and Portaneevy at Ballintoy.

To the west and stretching north is Donegal’s beautiful Innishowen peninsula.  Visible are Innishowen Head and Balbane Head as well as Gengad on better days.  In certain conditions you can pick up on the distant nort western horizon the low lying island of Innistrahull with its blinking lighthouse just off Malin Head (Ireland’s most northerly point).  Innishowen is accessible by car and passenger ferry from Magilligan Point.

Just off Ramore Head at Portrush is a little chain of minor islands known as the Skerries (taken from the Scottish Gaelic meaning sea rocks).  Off Ballintoy are two lesser islands called Sheep Island and the famous Carrick-a-rede Island (accessible by rope bridge May – September).

So a tour of Ireland….or a tour out of Belfast…… lets you see a wee bit of Scotland !!!!!!

Lady Isobella’s ghost is reputed to be a “friendly” spirit who walks the corridors of the old castle. Over the years many guests have reported strange experiences and have felt a presence in their rooms! There are also endless stories of unexplained noises in the night, and an eerie green mist over the castle! The hotel is so fiercely proud of their permanent resident they have even given her her own bedroom, ‘The Ghost Room’ in one of the towers in the oldest part of the castle.

See the castle on your North Coast tour with Ireland Luxury Tours

Cushendun stands on an elevated beach at the outflow of the Glendun and Glencorp valleys. The name in Irish is Cois an Duine, meaning Foot of the Dun, identifying the village’s location at the mouth of the River Dun. The pretty village was designed by Clough William Ellis in 1912 at the request of Ronald John McNeill, Baron Cushendun. The picturesque Cornish appearance was deliberate, to please the Baron’s Penzance-born wife, Maud. Ellis designed a village square with seven houses which are today run as craft shops and tea rooms. After Maud’s death in 1925, Ellis designed a row of whitewashed, quaint cottages in her memory. Baron Cushendun also commissioned neo-Georgian Glenmona House with all the mock pomposity of eighteenth century architecture.

Centuries before this genteel village was built, Cushendun was a safe landing place and harbour for the frequent travellers between Ireland and Scotland. Rival Irish clans often landed on the beach near Carra Castle. Built in the fourteenth century over a Mesolithic flint site, the ruins of the castle remain today. Close to the ruins, lie several Bronze Age standing stones. The poets Moira O’Neill and John Masefield lived in Cushendun and found the landscapes and settings inspirational.

We left their hotel at 10.00 a.m. and travelled out of Belfast and through Carrickfergus. We talked about the magnificent castle but did not stop as we hoped to travel the coast road right up to Portrush.

As we passed through Carnlough a quick pitstop was in order. The Londonderry Arms Hotel looked very inviting and as we sat in the Winston Churchil lounge , enjoying our coffe and home made scones , the open fire blazing , it seemed a good decision.

The spectacular coastline was beautiful and we looked across to our left at the faint outline of Scotland , as we continued , stopping at various viewpoints to take photographs and videos.

We decided to come inland off the coast and travel through the Glens of Antrim to enjoy the wild scenery. A stop at a beautiful forest offered a chance to stretch our legs and take in the scenery.

Leaving the Glens we travelled through Ballycastle and back to the coast road and  a well earned lunch stop at a fantastic local restaurant.

After a stop at the quaint harbour of Ballintoy and a stroll we journeyed onwards to the Giants Causeway.

Marvelling at the causeway and a quick stop for some souvenirs and the it was on through the village of Bushmills , famous for its whiskey , to the magnificent Dunluce Castle.

After visiting the castle we took in Portrush and Portstewart stopping to enjoy the local shops.

Then a return to Belfast on the main road brought us back to the hotel for 5.00 p.m.

A fantastic day tour out of Belfast , lasting 7 hours , and taking in the most beautiful stretch of coastline in Ireland.

If you are on a tour of Ireland this journey is a must.

If you are in Belfast on a cruise ship then the journey can be altered to suit your time in port.

Ireland Luxury Tours are here to make your visit very special……..