Day 16 already... wow!! The day started out gorgeous - almost completely blue skies! It was a bit chilly but still nice. Of course, we ended up getting rain showers in the late afternoon.
We stayed at the White Horse Hotel in Derry City in Northern Ireland last night. Here is the hotel - it was quite modern!
We first visited the Walled City of Derry (similar to Old Jersusalem in Israel). It was very cool! You are able to walk around the entire city on top of the wall. So that is what we did, stopping to take pictures along the way and doing a little bit of shopping.
Derry is the only remaining completely intact walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe. The walls constitute the largest monument in State care in Northern Ireland and, as the last walled city to be built in Europe, stands as the most complete and spectacular. The Walls were built during the period 1613-1619 as defenses for early 17th century settlers from England and Scotland. The Walls, which are approximately 1 mile in circumference and which vary in height and width between 12 and 35 feet, are completely intact and form a walkway around the inner city. (Wikipedia)
Ferryquay Gate: was built in 1865 on the site of one of the original gates. It originally had a drawbridge.
St. Columb's Cathedral was completed in 1633 by William Parrot, in the Planter's Gothic style. It is dedicated to Saint Columba, the Irish monk who established a Christian settlement in the area before being exiled from Ireland and introducing Christianity to Scotland and northern England.
The Wall:
Bishop's Gate: current gate built in 1789.
Heritage Tower: this is the last remaining turret of the former gaol, demolished in the 1970s and is now used as a heritage centre exhibiting artifacts and memorabilia dating from World War I to the present day.
The gaol was originally built in 1791 though the Tower was a 19th Century addition(1824) and built as a hanging tower, it was here that Wolf Tone (a leader of the United Irishmen) was held after his capture at Rathmullan, Co. Donegal in 1798.
They have some very neat homes in Ireland...
The Bishop Street Courthouse in Derry was built in 1817 in the Greek Revival style. The facade features a portico that was modeled after the Erectheum on the acropolis in Athens. It was largely destroyed by an IRA bomb in the late 1980's but has been extensively renovated since.
Bishop Street in Derry...
Derry outside the walled city - lots and lots of row homes...
Old cannons along the top of the wall
It was quite nice walking along the top of the wall- we had a gorgeous morning for it.
St Eugene's Cathedral is the Roman Catholic Cathedral located in Derry. Work began on the construction of the cathedral in 1849.
St. Augustine's Church is a neo-Gothic church of 1872. It is a very ancient church and is the site of St. Columba's/Colmcille monastery, founded 546 AD. In 1164 the ancient church was surrounded by a cashel and the new cathedral of Temple Mor was built outside the walls at the present site of Long Tower Chapel. From thenceforth, the little abbey on the site of St. Augustine's Church was called Dubh Regles (Black Church). In 1613, the Church, then named the Church of God in the Cittie of Derry, was used by the first settlers from England, Wales and Scotland and the cannonball containing the terms for surrender during the Siege 1688/1689 fell in the church graveyard. The present building dates from 1872 and was concecrated by Bishop William Alexander, husband of the famous hymn writer, Frances Cecil Alexander. (http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/)
Another beautiful building in the Walled City of Derry...
Butcher Gate was one of the original gates of 1617. It was named after the nearby meat market and slaughterhouse. The gate was nearly destroyed by cannon fire in the 1689 siege. The present gate, built in the 1800's, is nearly twice as high as the original.
Castle Gate was constructed in 1803 and was the second of the three new gates into the city.
Thatched roofed shop in the walled city
Shopping area in the walled city
The Guildhall in Derry is a building in which the elected members of Derry City Council meet. It was built in 1890. The Guildhall houses a large hall where many events of social and political nature have been held. It has been home to the Derry Feis – an event which celebrates Irish culture. (Wikipedia) It is one of the coolest buildings in Derry and of course, is undergoing restoration so we couldn't get a good photo.
Magazine Gate, built in 1865, was one of the "new" gates added to the wall.
Guildhall is in the background.
More cannons along the top of the wall...
Modern bridge in Derry... quite a contrast from the old Walled City.
Another cool building in Derry
Driving along the coast in Northern Ireland... beautiful!!
Our next stop was Barcanna Castle. You had to walk across this cool old bridge to reach the castle ruins.
We took a nice stroll up to Glenevin Waterfall in County Donegal. It was a nice day for a small hike. It was about 1 km each way. Glenevin Waterfall is wedge shaped and cascades fresh mountain water over black rock from a height of 30ft.
Views from Doagh Peninsula in County Donegal.
Carrickabraghy Castle was last inhabited in 1665. The structure of the castle included an oval bawn and towers seven circular towers.
We found Doagh Peninsula to be absolutely gorgeous!! We even got to see a rainbow...
Views from Malin Head, Ireland's most northerly point.
It took us forever to find the Bocan Stone Circle. There were no signs, no parking... nothing. It is just a stone circle out in a pasture. Some of the stones are 6 feet high. It is not clear why people built this structure but dates of its construction have been suggested as somewhere between 1500 - 3000 BC. We had to view it from a distance but it was still kind of neat!
Of course, when we saw this sign, we just HAD to stop and take a photo with Tracy in it...
We took a ferry across the inlet so we didn't have to drive all the way back around. We got there 90 minutes before the last ferry of the day. We met some nice people who were in the car ahead of us. They live in Portrush where we are going to spend the night. After crossing the inlet on the ferry, we followed them and they led us to our hotel - made it very easy! We ended up eating dinner with them in the hotel dining room. Tracy met them later at a nearby bar to visit for awhile. I was there for a few minutes but I had woke up sick that morning and just really wanted to go to bed!! Tracy had a lovely time visiting with Sean and his wife. They were a very nice couple. We stayed the night at the Ramada Inn in Portrush in Northern Ireland. Only 3 more days of touring... bummer!!!
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