McNasty’s

My apology for the format of yesterday’s post.  Open Live Writer developed a fault and despite my best efforts it wouldn’t publish the post throwing up an error message instead.  Today I uninstalled the original program and then re-installed it.  This appears to have resolved the problem.

It would appear I’ve managed to offend the Geordies, Scots & Irish during my recent travels.  How I missed offending the Welsh during the trip up the Llangollen Canal I don’t know! 

It was an almost straight run up the motorway from Dublin to Belfast.  Again there was no formal border crossing so taking my passport on the trip proved to be a waste of time.  On the way north I stopped at the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre.  The battle was fought in 1690 between the forces of the English King James II, and the Dutch Prince William of Orange.  William had been invited by the Protestant English to be their King after they suspected him of being pro-French and pro-Catholic and of having designs on becoming an absolute monarch.  James had the support of King Louis XIV of France.  James arrived in southern Ireland with a force of French, Scottish and Irish soldiers.  Meanwhile William landed in the north collecting Irish troops as he moved south.  The two forces met at the River Boyne where William out manoeuvred and defeated James.  You may recall I also mentioned the siege of Londonderry in an earlier post.

There isn’t much to see at the battlefield.  The village of Oldbridge has disappeared and the site now has a few small sheds to replicate the location.

The Visitor Centre is in a large Georgian Mansion which I didn’t photograph because it was constructed some 50 years after the battle.  I suspect even the artefacts in the courtyard are replicas.

The site of the battle is in the Republic of Ireland and as it has a strong association with the Orange Order I actually hadn’t expected to find much at the centre.  I was pleasantly surprised!

My accommodation in Belfast was a room in an eTap hotel.  It was clean but basic.  I’d describe it as an upmarket hostel.  However it was the building next door which really interested me.

I’d love to live at Filthy McNasty’s

It’s even located on Filthy St in the Filthy Quarter!

There wasn’t much time to look around Belfast.  I picked this next building as the Town Hall because I knew the Northern Ireland Assembly meets in Stormont and that is on a hill surrounded by grounds.

I’m not sure what street I was on but I happened to notice the line of slightly arched vertical columns on one side.

Then I realised there was a ship name on each of the columns.

Laurentic

All the names ended in “ic” and the name on the last column was “Titanic”.  My assumption is these commemorate many of the ships built in the Belfast shipyard.

It was then a quick journey to George Best airport to catch my FlyBe flight to Manchester.

Back to boating