Barbara Walls chose Ireland and Northern Ireland for a mother-daughter holiday — and what a good choice they were

'Why are you going to Bel-fast?" someone asked when I described my itinerary.Most people planning a trip to Ireland favour the republic in the south, and don't think of Northern Ireland, due mainly to the years of Troubles suffered there.However, due to a motorbike rally in the south as well as a delay with my daughter's SA passport (she is a permanent UK resident), we chose to travel by ferry to Belfast, rather than fly to Dublin.story_article_left1We took the overnight Stena Line ferry from Liverpool and, after a pleasant eight-hour crossing, we arrived in an overcast Belfast."Oh dear", I thought, "here we go with dull weather for seven days." How wrong I was. Apart from that first day, we had blue skies every day. This, coupled with the amazing scenery and the friendliest people you could wish to meet, resulted in one of the most superb holidays I have had.We used the hop-on hop-off bus in Belfast which, rather than those pesky earphones, had a "live" guide. She was interesting, amusing and knowledgeable and we learnt so much about the history and Troubles of Northern Ireland, especially the murals in the Falls and Shankill roads.The Titanic Experience was great and really gave us an insight into the construction of the great ship and the story of her demise.It was very moving to see a record of the radio messages received from the stricken vessel and then, finally, silence.We ended our afternoon at the modern Victoria Square shopping centre before strolling back to our hotel, the Premier Inn, for a break before dinner.To eat, we headed for The Dirty Onion around the corner from our hotel. Housed in one of the oldest buildings in Belfast, it has an interesting eatery above the bar called Yardbird. Here one can get a quarter roast chicken for £4.50 (about R85) - tasty and definitely the cheapest meal we had.We finished the evening sitting by the glowing fire, nursing a half pint of Guinness and listening to a traditional Irish band. Heaven.Our second overnight stop was the harbour town of Portrush. Situated on the north coast, it is a popular resort known for beautiful beaches and seafood restaurants. On arrival, we sat in the bay window of our guesthouse room enjoying a cup of tea and the fabulous beach view.That afternoon, we drove down the coast to some nearby villages and were blown away by the scenery. It was all green hills dotted with sheep against the blue Irish Sea. A walk on the almost deserted beach before dinner and a great seafood meal completed our second day.block_quotes_start We had crossed the border into the Republic of Ireland several miles before and only knew that because all the road signs were suddenly in English and Gaelic block_quotes_endNext, we headed west for the Atlantic coast. We skirted the walled city of Londonderry and, after a short excursion to Killybegs Harbour, we arrived at our overnight destination, the small southern Irish town of Tubbercurry, known for its annual musical festival. We had crossed the border into the Republic of Ireland several miles before and only knew that because all the road signs were suddenly in English and Gaelic.After a superb Irish breakfast at Coill Dara House, we set off for Oughterard, the countryside changing dramatically as we entered the Connemara district. The mountain vistas, gorse-covered hills, winding roads and overcast skies gave it all quite a mystical feel.Our B&B on Lough Corrib, a lake in the west of Ireland, was in a perfect position with a wonderful view and just a short drive into town.During our two warm and sunny days there, we rode Connemara ponies, visited the busy town of Galway, paid an evening visit to Aughnanure Castle and enjoyed two great meals at bars in the village.We also sat on the deck of The Waterfront House Country Home enjoying the glorious lake and delightful birdsong.After an uneventful drive back on the motorway, we spent a second, very good evening in Belfast, where we found another great bar playing traditional Irish music.story_article_right2Kelly's Cellars provided us with a real slice of Irish life, with the locals arguing over their pints and a youngster being escorted out because he had had four too many. The musicians sat in one corner and, during their session, more arrived and just joined in. It was great fun.Our last day in Ireland dawned bright and sunny. After a good breakfast, we made our way to Donegal Square, where we joined our Game of Thrones tour.My daughter is a huge fan of the series and, though, I have not watched one episode, it made no difference. The scenery was superb and our guide was not only an expert on the TV drama but also gave us insight into the turbulent history of her country.Apart from the GoT locations of Glenarm, Ballintoy & the Dark Hedges, a tunnel-like avenue of intertwined beech trees in Ballymoney, the tour included a visit to the Giant's Causeway as well as Carrick-a-Rede, a rope bridge attaching the mainland to Carrick-a-Rede Island, where the scenery can only be described as spectacular.Our tour ended back in Belfast at 6pm. We collected our luggage from our hotel and drove to the ferry terminal with heavy hearts, sad to be leaving this wonderful land.I now know these famous lines are true: The Irish, Be they kings, or poets, or farmers, They're a people of great worth, They keep company with the angels, And bring a bit of heaven here to earth.• Share your travel experiences with us in 'Readers' World'. Send your photos - at least 500KB - and a story of no more than 800 words. ALL winners receive R1000. Only winning entrants will be contacted. E-mail travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za..