Finally I made it to the Belfast area

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: alison
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 06:51 PM

Derrymacash your description of "the majestic vista of Craigavon's balancing lakes" brought a tear to my eye.....

I think (having seen your songwriting talents) you should add another verse to "the boys from the county Armagh" adding some of the places you mentioned.......

lol

ah c'mon Seamie... Antrim is very pretty (I did live up there for a while on the Derry side of the Bann.... does that mean I can vote for 3 counties?????)..... but it doesn't have the Mournes, or decent pastie suppers.... or Robinsons!!!!!...... *grin*

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 11:55 AM

Fibula ...

Hadn't come across it before ... thanks for the link. (Sadly there's probably more truth in here than in any of the local serious rags!)

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 11:33 AM

Aye, my Other Half is from Newry. Well, actually, he claims that since it's actually 7 miles outside the town he's not a Nyuck. To be fair to him, the town brings him out in a cold sweat too...
Ahhhhh, Newry bashing!
By the way, do you ever read The Portadown News - the funniest thing on the web, no doubt.

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 11:16 AM

Oops ... lot of traffic on this thread. Was answering Fibula's post.

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 11:15 AM

Only just, but you're right ... there's a blemish for you!

I went to school for a thankfully brief period to Newry. Even yet the mention of the name brings me out in a cold sweat and the sight of Violet Hill as you approach the town by car, brooding malevolently in its wee demonic glen, nearly causes spontaneous colonic evacuation. I have a few mates from Newry and have heard a few stories that make Lurgan and Portadown sound as tame as Bessbrook in comparison ...

Still ... up the Nyucks!!

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: GUEST,Coyote Breath
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 11:11 AM

You guys sound like a bunch of Minnesotans in a bar in Wisconsin!

"It's the same the whole world over"

This sunday I'm sitting down to watch the playoffs with a bunch of Rams' fans and me a Greenbay Packer backer. Local rivalries rage on.

From what my mother's aunt (great aunt Lyda) used to say, Antrim is both blest and charming.

I'll have to see for myself.

**BG**

CB

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 11:08 AM

my dad's bigger than your dad...

:-)

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 11:01 AM

...or Buckfast on optics, true.
But we've got Newry - aha!

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 10:40 AM

But yous don't have the awesome Aldervale flats, the majestic vista of Craigavon's balancing lakes, the stunning spectacle of the morning sun as it exposes the crystalline soul of a myriad shards of broken bottles in Lurgan's Castle Lane car park ...

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 10:18 AM

Ach now, we have drumlins, coastal drives, mountains, Strangford Lough, trying-to-think-of-a-drink-one - aye, George Best - and twice as much craic. And our mountains are bigger than yours, so nah!

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Jimmy C
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 10:11 AM

Derrymacash, There are 32 fair counties in Ireland, all of them beautiful and all have lots to be proud of, it's just that Antrim has that much more (Glens, Coastal Drives, Mountains, Causeway, Bushmills and a whole heap of craic)

Saffrons for ever.

Waiting to hewar from someone from the Kingdom ?

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 06:47 AM

Aye, and Bumcree as well, that wee place of renoun near dorty Portydown, may they be up to their banners in Cow`s Clap. Lurgan Spade.

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 03:52 AM

Sorry one and all ... but as the (crappy) song says "There's one fair county in Ireland". That's right, ONE!

(And we don't need grandstanding gimmicks like Carrick-a-Rede when we can get the same effect walking across a few yards of moving bog in Ballinacor Moss!)

Keepin' 'er lit!

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 15 Jan 02 - 03:46 AM

Alison, my sweet, Den, O wise One, Fibula, O brightest of the bright, BITE ME!! Antrim outranks Down every which way. Scenery, Music, Culture, History, etc., etc. I'm not trying to start anything here, but Jimmy C will back me up, I'm sure...AMTRIM RULES!

Not that I'm biased or anything.... Love and kisse to all.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Jimmy C
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 10:18 PM

I'm with Seamus , now it's 3 against 2 - (3 Down = 2 Antrim) just about equal (GRIN)

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: alison
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 09:52 PM

3 against 1 Seamus.....lol!!!!!

I don't agree with that bit about not eating before the "rope bridge"... they have made it a lot steadier than it used to be....

but what I will advise is "DON'T do the Bushmills Whiskey tour before crossing it"....... 3 of us went through Bushmills... complete with free whiskey at the end of the tour at 9.30am...... then onto the bridge..... fun fun fun!!!! ... *grin*

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 11:19 AM

I'll second that (it was also my school motto)!

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: GUEST,Den at work
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 08:42 AM

UP DOWN!!!

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 04:59 AM

Hey.. Hallo Claymore,

I'd noticed you'd not been around for some time.

Nice to hear from you. Yep plans are already afoot for a trip to the fleadh again, and Moore's tours are gathering the vital passenger's lists again. Accomodation already sorted!

Will definately look forward to meeting up with you at the fleadh again, and definately something more than a drum thump!

Take care

Regards...

Ella a.k.a... you know who.

:)

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: GUEST,Claymore
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 03:55 PM

Ella, lovely to see you again. And to hear from your partner in crime, Fib. I started a thread about the Shepherdstown crowd making their way across Ireland and my trip through the North, when 9/11 and my emergency planner job went tilt-a-whirl. Now I've switched to the Vocational Managers job at the Harpers Ferry Job Corps Center (and scads more $) with some time to myself.

I loved the North, the Glens, the Causeway, Carrick a rede (do not eat anything before attempting to cross the rope bridge or you WILL feed the fish) etc. The same crowd is looking to repeat sometime in late August, a landing in Dublin, a side trip to Scotland, a ferry back to Larne, a fling at the Fleadh, and then slip out from Shannon. As you might remember, we are a danger to only ourselves (and some slow Irishmen) but I expect some twenty on the trip, with the usual mix of musicians and cloggers (and a couple of Scottish Country dancers). We Moore's must plan to get together, with something more than a drum thump.

Duty calls and I must away...

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 03:26 PM

Ach, Alison, Ah'm gettin' awful homesick, so Ah am. A'm gonna get out the words of "Ulster Fry And Champ" and start singin' it, so Ah am. By the way, as an Antrim man/supporter/lover, Ah just wanta say to guest Den "G'way and take yer oul' County Down stuff over til some other thread, an' lave us 'n's alone wi' our Antrim memories!" "Antrim Memories?" There's a Cd title if ever I heard one.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 04:37 AM

I think your daughter Coyote will enjoy Belfast, the university area is lovely, some really nice housing around there to be found. My friend tells me that she has just managed to find a house to rent out in the country a bit, towards Moira, which is still only 15 miles away from Belfast centre.

We managed to miss the snow, which I'm kind of relieved about - as I'm only just getting over last years snow injury I obtained from sledging. (A close call, and a full years of osteopath and physio treatments - means I won't be rushing out in the snow for some time).

Only the dirty tired snow was left when we got there.

Queens University old building was absolutely gorgeous too.

Alison I didn't make it to the spud place, I can't remember eating much - the drink yes... oh and cheesy chips was my downfall.

Coyote, if when you come over here from Belfast, and GO are still running perhaps you could take advantage of the cheap flights. They go to Glasgow, London, Edingburgh, alicante, faro, barcelona, Bristol, Newcastle, Nice etc.

But getting from St. Louis is going to be the BIGGIE!

All the best...

Ella

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 11:58 AM

LOL Coyote... home for me is Wales, and I can fly that cheap from Bristol to Belfast with... GO Airlines. They do cheap deals from most major airports...

got to go, more in the morning... I'm legging it from work!

E

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 10:44 AM

Oh what a lovely thread!

How good to know there's much to attract the eye and heart in "the North". My daughter just returned from Belfast, she and granddaughter had a snow fall! Now they live in California, you see. Molly (daughter) and Serena (granddaughter) couldn't get over the even and Molly took many photos which I will try to get from her so I can see them and if anyone else wants a look I'll make them available. Molly is a rather accomplished photog, had a one woman show in Santa Cruz last year.

My mother's people originated in Antrim. Her name was Moyle as the river and the district, etc. I just found a song about the river which I need to hear non-midi music for if anyone can point me in that direction I will be grateful.

When daughter Molly emmigrates to Belfast in 2003 to attend Queens for her grad work I'm supposed to come and stay with her. I'm looking forward to it and hops to find all the places you all have mentioned still viable and no "Giant's Causeway World" theme park. I understand that the formation is one of the oldest geological formations on the planet.

Where is "Home" that the trip is only 35 pounds? I'm sure it is much more from St. Louis

CB

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: alison
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 09:43 AM

geez.... at this rate we're all going to have to pop home for a while before we start to blub.........

I agree Den ...... I've sat at the top of Big Binian.... admittedly my hubby duped me into thinking I was climbing Wee Binian or I wouldn't have even attempted it........

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: GUEST,Den
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 09:40 AM

Ah you can keep your Giant's Causeway. For me you can't beat sittin' near the top of wee Bingian, just down from the windy gap and take in the breath taking view of the Irish sea, and the vista from Kilkeel past Martin's Hill to Annalong and Newcastle. ahhhh!!!!

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: alison
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 08:19 AM

did it disappear for a while????.... I'm sure it wasn't there when I was home in 2000.... meybe my eyes are going!!!! lol

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 08:06 AM

Oh, Spuds is still there - bean and cheese one - mmm.

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: alison
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 07:51 AM

lol........... sounds nice..... personally I used to roll out of Lavery's and go to Spuds, (but it disappeared years ago)... for a spud with chile con carne..... or Speranzas for a pizza..... then wander back up to the nurses home at the city....lol

must try it next time I'm back

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 07:38 AM

Aha! Perhaps it is peculiar to Bishop's on Bradbury Place. When leaving Lavery's or whatever other pub in the district we had been frequenting, we would always stop in Bishop's for a mushroom chip. It's basically chips with Campbell's condensed mushroom soup and some chopped up mushrooms poured over it. Mmmmmmmmmmm. They stopped doing them for a while, but it was then brought back by popular demand. Heavenly! But a bugger to get off your coat if you eat it while pished.

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: alison
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 07:21 AM

OK.. I give up... what is a mushroom chip?

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 07:04 AM

Achhh, no. A mushroom chip from Bishop's. That's the biz!

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: alison
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 07:18 PM

lol.... fair enough Fib.... I'll have the pastie supper and you can have chips in gravy!!

well Seamus you've put a wee notion in my head again.... champ for tea tonight!!!! mmmmmmmmm

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 06:01 AM

Dammit! Caught out!! Can't stomach pasties though.

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 04:26 AM

LOL at Seamus... I did have half an Ulster fry... couldn't manage a whole one that day.

But I'm used to them already - used to babysit for a neighbour who did great Ulster frys the morning after! Soda farls, eggy bread THE WORKS!

Will tell my friends of course, but wouldn't want to spoil those areas too much. I was impressed anyways.

LOL at Fib... (I know your're a bacon fiend really) :)

Ella

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 08 Jan 02 - 07:32 PM

Oh God, Ella, you went to Belfast and didn't have an Ulster fry or Champ? How could you? Oh well, sounds like the music and the Guinness and the Glens made up for it. Please tell all your friends how great Belfast and the Glens are. In fact, I'm taking a group of American tourists over in July for some music and craic.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: alison
Date: 08 Jan 02 - 06:39 PM

aww come on Fib.... I don't think there's much more than spud and onion in a pastie..... *grin*...

you can eat Tayto cheese'n'onion......

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 08 Jan 02 - 11:08 AM

ugh. Pastie suppers. Boke! (I'm a bit of a Veggie!)

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jan 02 - 09:05 AM

In Belfast, you get preponderance of flute players in the sessions. In Donegal, it's fiddle players. In Dublin, it's guitars and bodhrans!

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: alison
Date: 08 Jan 02 - 06:54 AM

thanks Jimmy.... have a pastie supper for me too please..... heaps of vinegar.......... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 08 Jan 02 - 04:59 AM

Jim... I didn't see any pub at the causeway being built, there was just the old hotel there, and the national trust buildings on the land. Still fairly unspoilt as far as I can see. What was best was that there were not many people there at all, most people being sensible and staying in during the cold. The waves were huge and it was a wee bit nippy but beautiful. Didn't walk around all the walk as had the wrong shoes on for that (last minute, traveling light meant only one pair o shoes!).

Saw the area where the Carrick a rede rope bridge should be and I reckon they should leave it up during the winter - would be even more interesting then!

The sessions were great, the first one we went to was in Cushendall, a tiny small back room with roasting fire in, musicians crammed into the small off room, and people lined up against the corridors sitting on benches listening. Stayed with a lovely couple that night. Swapped a couple of tunes and I sang them a Welsh song - but have to admit I made up the last few verses as I forgot the lyrics - Hem hem... :) But I think I got away with it!

Back in the Belfast session in The John Hewitt bar there were about 5 flute players, one piano accordion, one guitar, one whistle, one button box, two bodhrans. THe lads there were very welcoming, played so many tunes I can't name them all. We played them some of our sets that we had put together and they did likewise. Sat and talked about a couple of tunes we'd got from a Kerry man and they had never heard them played that fast before.

Guinness flowed very freely, but in my case I was on the Bulmers (LOVELY MAD APPLES) so for me that flowed far far too freely indeed. And 3 pints of cider lately I was very merry and being guided out of that pub, on to another session.

The second session was in the Hercules bar, this time more musicians around my age, and all very welcoming too. One of the lads from the other bar had taken us around to introduce us to the company there, which was lovely of him. I sang two songs there I'd learnt from a Fermanagh singer last year - The Girl with the Bonny brown hair - and then The Noblemans Wedding. ONce again MORE drinks flowed though this time I struggled with a half pint of cider - I had a flight to catch home some time on the Sunday and couldn't stand hangover AND flying.

We rolled out of that bar at some point on the Sat eve - or was it Sunday I can't remember. My friend managed to pack me back into the car and off we went home. Me with my silly inane 'oh look I'm drunk again grin'.

Yes the Glens of Antrim are fantastic, so is the coastline, and I agree probably best left uncommercialised. Can't wait to go back, and with air flights so cheap over to Belfast from home (£35 return) I don't suppose it will be too far away.

OH well, back to the real world!

SULK!

ELLA

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Jimmy C
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 11:17 PM

Ella,

Glad you enjoyed my beloved city, You are right about the glens - probably one of the world's most beautiful spots. I would not want the area to get too commercialized, just keep it as it is. I hear they are starting to build a pub at the Causeway, have they made any headway ?. I hope they don't, the area does not need anything that may attract a rowdy element. Plenty of opubs in Ireland they don't nee done there.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed yourself.

Alison

I will be there in may, will have a drink for you. Maybe a soda farl or two.

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: alison
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 10:02 PM

glad you enjoyed yourself Ella......

wouldn't mind a wee trip back myself to get out of this heat for a bit...

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 03:17 PM

So tell us more about the music sessions, eh? What did you hear/play/sing? How much Guiness went down the gullet? Inquiring minds want to know! **BG** Good for you, sounds as though you had a good time!

kat

Subject: Finally I made it to the Belfast area
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 11:00 AM

Well, I'm just back from a few days in Belfast.

Had such a good time. Thanks to those on Mudcat who recommended sessions and (gave me some tips) to me. I found so much music that I couldn't do it all!

Met some wonderful people, and very friendly people. Can recommend John Hewitt bar in Belfast for it's great atmosphere and friendly inclusive bunch of musicians. Was then taken on a tour of the other music bars in the area.

Found some other small great pubs for sessions out in the country, and toured round the Glens of Antrim.

Alison - you're dead right - a lovely area - much underated in my books. Went to Giants Causeway and tootled around the stones with a hangover, which was soon blown out of my head. Bushmills was shut so no hair o the dog - BOOOO! but Sat night in Belfast more than made up for it!

Came home last night, pretty worn out, back to work for the first time in the new year.... SULK!

C