First can I say to Alison that your post was the most sectarian statement I have heard, you should be ashamed. Avoid red white and blue, your a sectarian joke, get of the backs of people in N.Ireland and try to let them live a normal life.

Not to put people off but to show how blatently sectarian you are Alison I'll offer this example of Nat/rep or green white and gold area treat visitors - a group of people kicked the living daylight out of Austrialian tourist- they thought they were protestants going home after a night out. I drove through an area in the Mourne's with English number plates in a RV and got peltted with stones and eggs, I went back in my own car an hour later saw the same people and nothing happened,trouble comes from the minority of neanderthals on both sides.

So you see alison its from thugs on both sides and both set of colours people should be wary off.

slainte

To put things into perspective you are more likely to get your car stolen in Dublin, Irish number plates or not,than on the Sandy Row or Portadown. But then people who visit certain parts of America take greater risks, it is a sad part of life.

There are many honest good hearted genuine music loving,people loving people than there are terrorist thugs.There will be a friendly welcome for visitors to N.Ireland, I can be included with them. I live in a "red white blue" area do not riot I keep to the law of the land have many friends who are catholic and like me want nothing to do with the image protrayed by the ignorance of others. There is a lot more people that get along with each other than those who don't so do not be worried about coming to N.Ireland.

The problem with visiting Ireland is the lack of knowledge people have but still offer it, since you are going to visit after the 12 July most of the parades are over and many people are on holiday,so N.Ireland can be a pretty empty place in some areas, that would be the best time to come up north. Do not be afraid or put off just use common sense as you would visiting any part of the world.

The north coast is one of the most beautiful drives on earth and should not be missed, the Ulster Folk and Transport museum hold folk nights and the Ulster American Folk park is popular with most Americans, well worth a visit.

Try emailing the B+B's in the area you want to go to my wife does that, they return a wealth of information from what goes on locally and which are the best tourist sites etc. More importantly they will point you in the right directions for music nights and help you avoid the bad ones.

Do not let the political rhetoric put you off as I said tourists get a friendly welcome and if you do run into naughty loyalists the most harm you will come to is more than likely a big hug you may see N.Ireland for what it is a beautiful place with terrific people, even if that includes sectarian bigots aswell, there is enough good people to cancel them out.

No sense in saying have a good time as I know those who come to the island of Ireland usually do and you will be no exception to the rule.