My political tour of the two Irelands

A visit to Derry would certainly be worth it if you can work it into your itinerary. It's a beautiful city in its own right, and seeing the way it has recovered and rebuilt in the wake of The Troubles would seem to fit right into your "political tour". Not to mention its role in the English "plantation" of Ulster starting in the 1500's that set the stage for the centuries of discontent that followed.
Also, if your heritage traces to NI I'd recommend a day trip down to the Ulster-American Folk Park near Omagh.

Robert:

Thanks for your comments. I will be sure to squeeze Derry/Londonderry in my schedule. One of my co-workers visited Northern Ireland last year and she preferred this city over Belfast.

Since my heritage is Chinese I will pass on the trip to the Ulster American folk park.

Let me say as a side issue I am intrigued by the migration of the Irish to American during the famine and am looking for monuments to this major part of Irish history.

Geor(ge)

Since my heritage is Chinese....

I would be interested in your post-trip report.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/16/opinion/some-irish-need-not-apply.html?_r=0
Some Irish Need Not Apply By DAVID CONRADOCT. 15, 2013

DUBLIN — In Ireland, ancestry means everything. Yet to an increasing
number of Irish people — immigrants and the children of immigrants —
Irish ancestry remains painfully elusive. In May this harsh fact
confronted Una-Minh Kavanagh on the streets of Dublin. A 22-year-old
woman who was adopted by an Irish woman from her native Vietnam when
she was just six weeks old, Ms. Kavanagh is thoroughly Irish, down to
her thick County Kerry accent and her mastery of the Irish language,
which only 10 percent of the country speaks fluently.

But the group of Irish teenagers who accosted her that afternoon only
saw her Asian features. In the middle of her capital city, they
grabbed her and shook her head, called her a “chink” and spat on her
face. Bystanders gathered, but no one stepped in to help.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-27616319

Anna Lo of the Alliance Party has said she will not seek re-election
to the Northern Ireland Assembly because she is disillusioned with
politics. Ms Lo told the Guardian newspaper that continual racist
abuse directed at her by loyalists influenced her decision.
Ms Lo, who was the UK's first ever parliamentarian from the Chinese
community, said she was "very angry" at the support given to Mr
McConnell. She said: "I do not feel safe here and I know many people
who feel the same."

Geor,

Here are some ideas:

1. The Rebel Tour of Dublin (http://www.sinnfeinbookshop.com/rebel-walking-tour-of-dublin/) leaves from the Sinn Fein Bookstore. Click on the Tours button.
2. The National Museum of Ireland (http://www.museum.ie/Home) in Dublin had a exhibit, which I believe was permanent, on the 1916 uprising and related independence movements in the 19th Century. I saw that exhibit years ago, so I am not certain it is permanent. If so, it's worth seeing.
3. The Dublin Writers Museum (http://www.visitdublin.com/see-do/details/dublin-writers-museum/31258/#53.354366|-6.263985|16) is worth visiting to uncover the attitudes of great Irish writers toward independence. Some were all out in their support (poet Padraig Pearse), most somewhere in between (William Yeats, Lady Gregory) and a few hard to tell (John Millington Synge.) Aside from political issues, it's a great museum to visit. It and a literary museum in Edinburgh, Scotland, are among the two best of their type.
4. The Writers Museum is near the Garden of Remembrance (http://builtdublin.com/garden-of-remembrance-parnell-square-dublin-1/), which commemorates the 1916 uprising. Also nearby is the Sinn Fein Bookstore.
5. Here is an idea a bit off the beaten path, but it's something to do if you want to see some of the beautiful Wicklow Hills to the south of the city. There is an old British Army barracks now called the Glencree Center for Peace and Reconciliation (http://curiousireland.ie/the-glencree-centre-for-peace-and-reconciliation-glencree-co-wicklow-1806/). I saw it in 1999, when I walked a 100-mile-long trail called the Wicklow Way (http://www.wicklowway.com/). Maybe you could walk part of the trail. Not far from the Glencree Center is an early Christian monastic site called Glendalough (http://www.glendalough.ie/) with fascinating antiquities.

You asked if a visit to Derry/Londonderry is worth it. I once passed through Derry, but didn't stop because of time constraints. I wish I could have stopped because it struck me as very pleasant. Derry is where the Bloody Sunday shootings, which are commemorated in the U2 song, took place in 1972. There must be something in Derry to commemorate them.

It sounds like a fascinating visit. Cheers.

Take a second look at the Ulster American Folk Park: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186484-d214706-Reviews-Ulster_American_Folk_Park-Omagh_County_Tyrone_Northern_Ireland.html

It's near Omagh, which was the location of a terrible bombing during the Troubles: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/omagh_bomb

When I visited the park, we stopped, I think for lunch, in Omagh.

Hi

Whilst in Dublin, if you cross the road outside Collins Barracks you will find 'The Croppies Acre', a memorial ground that marks the site of executions from a previous Irish uprising. Five or 10 minutes walk from Kilmainham Gaol is the alternate face of Irish early 20th Century history, Lutyen's famous War Memorial Gardens, remembering the 49000 Irishmen who died fighting for the British Empire in WW1 - it makes an interesting counterpoint to the Garden of Remembrance up O'Connell St. If you venture out to South Dublin/Wicklow (near Enniskerry), there is also a fascinating German Military Cemetery, tucked away in the hills close to the Glencree Peace CEntre already mentioned.

Do try to get to Derry. The murals are truly evocative, moving and very much should be seen. Please publish a trip report? I know many of us with and without Irish heritage would be interested in reading it. Have a wonderful time; it sounds like an amazing trip! You will enjoy the Irish!

I'd be interested in a trip report after you get back. It sounds like a fascinating trip to a wonderful country.

I would suggest being very sensitive in any conversations. I think you'll find that most people don't view that period as "history." Three of my grandparents ended up in this country because of British religious or economic/political repression, and I can tell you that the sensitivities are very real and very current, and the stories/feelings are passed on from generation to generation.

Get to Kilmainham Gaol first thing in the morning. They only sell same-day tickets and they do sell out often (always?).

Given your specific interests and limited time you might consider booking a private tour with a knowledgeable guide in either Dublin or Derry (or both).
As I recall Derry is the home of Stephen McPhilemy - a long-time RS tour guide and frequent contributor to this forum. Can't imagine anyone better to help you explore the city and delve into its complicated history.

Thanks to everyone who who responded to my posting. You have provided many more things to add to my plate, and I will have to do careful planning before departing in order to schedule as many of the sites as possible. I might have to skip some of the more popular tourist attractions (eg Guinness storehouse) and see them on another trip to the British Isles (should happen within the next three years).

To reply to some specific comments:

Emma - yes, I will be visiting Dublin during the Easter weekend. I would normally plan on visiting any place in Europe later in the year when the weather is more predictable and warmer and sunnier but how could I miss the 100 year anniversary of the Easter Rising? And yes, I have booked my flights and hotel rooms in both Dublin and Belfast.

Mark G - thanks for bringing up the matter of World War I memorials. I visited London in 2014 for 18 days and probably spent more time looking up sites related to that conflict than what would be expected from an American tourist (eg, viewing the roll call of the dead outside of the Tower of London and chatting with a fellow who traveled over two hours to hear the name of his great grandfather - who was killed in 1915 - being read, photo display of WWI battle grounds in St Jameses park, visiting the Cenotaph, reading the names of maritime war dead at a memorial near the Tower, paid to hear a lecture on the origin of WWI at a major university, spent a lot of time at the WWI exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.....). I was planning to visit London in November of '15 partly to participate in the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph but had to stay in the States for work reasons. I do want to make that trip before November 11, 2018. The Irish cemetery will be a welcome site to visit.

Edgar - thanks for the warning about anti-Asian sentiment in Ireland. If someone wants to call me "chink" be my guest. I am thick skinned about this type of racist behavior which, frankly, rarely rarely rarely happens to me in the States. "Sticks and stones......words will never hurt me". If this happens to me I will be sure to mention it in my blog/trip report (see next paragraph)

Andi and Sherry: Yes, I plan to write about this trip though I haven't decided whether to do this as a blog or as a post trip report. During my trips to London in 2012 for the Olympics and in 2014 to see everything I didn't see two years earlier I wrote a blog for www.travelpod.com under the name GeorgeLondon. However, on both of these trips I had sufficient down time to write and post a report every few days. The upcoming trip will be fast paced so I might not have time to post blogs in which case there will be trip report. In case you are interested here is the link to my 2014 trip during which time I attended two performances of the Royal Military Tattoo in Edinburgh and had a rare behind the scenes tour of the staging area which included the warm up area for the pipe and drum bands, kayaked the Thames through central London, and attended tank driving school where I drove a 55 ton Chieftain tank among other armored vehicles:

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/georgelondon/2/tpod.html

I will post a link to my blog on the Rick Steves Ireland forum if I decide to do that.

Again, thanks for everyone for their comments.

Geor(ge)

George,

I'm an American living in Ireland, now. In Waterville on the Ring of Kerry.

The most important thing I can tell you is know about www.dfa.ie - the Department of Foreign Affairs website. and Ireland.ie - the centenary website. There is so much info on the Ireland 2016 celebrations/parades/lectures all over the country! Here in the Iveragh peninsula area (Ring of Kerry) we have a week of lectures next month. There are art exhibits in Dublin, now. There are plays in Galway in the Spring!

There is so much going on, all over, and not all are HUGE events..... the hashtag #Ireland2016 is being used for many, so maybe a search on Twitter using that plus the dates of your trip might help!

Have fun!

Susan

The trip to Derry is definitely worth the time. I have been in both Belfast and Derry and have done most of what you have outlined. I found walking the neighborhoods to view the murals in Derry, and the Museum of Free Derry, to be absolute musts when visiting the city.

The one thing I would suggest skipping in Dublin is the Guinness Storehouse. Yeah, seeing the advertising/posters for Guinness was interesting, and having a beer in their rooftop bar offers a nice view of Dublin, but it's just not worth the effort when you are short on time and there are many other things you could do in Dublin with those hours.

With regards to the pursuit of Guinness-a noble pursuit at that-there are plenty of discussions online where one can find the "best" pint in Dublin. It has a lot to do with how much beer they move, distance from keg to taps, delivery method and proper cleaning of the lines on a regular basis, not to mention technique on the part of the bartender. Plus, you'd be in a pub.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g186605-i90-k8292092-o20-Best_pint_of_Guinness-Dublin_County_Dublin.html

By all means, drink as much Guinness as you can while there, but that one "free" pint that they give you at the end of your tour of Guinness Storehouse will cost you 20 Euro for admission. 20 Euro can get you a lot of pints of Guinness in a regular pub elsewhere.

Hi all:

The time has finally arrived. I will be flying to Dublin on Tuesday, March 22, to pursue my political tour of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. My itinerary is as follows:
Day 1 (March 24) Dub: 1916 Rebel Walking Tour (led by historian) and tour of Kilmainham gaol, War Memorial Garden, National Gallery
Day 2 Dub: Sinn Fein Rebel Walking Tour, [famine ship museum]
Day 3 Dub: Easter Saturday Sinn Fein People's parade (a counter to the official government parade the next day), 1916 Revolution exhibition at the Ambassador theater, [literary pub walk]
Day 4 Dub: Easter Sunday parade (I will be linking up with a photography meetup group which will be in the area of the post office from 10:30 to about 4:30 to record the events of this important day), Government Post Office visitor's center, Parnell Square and Garden of Remembrance, National Library
Day 5 Dub: [Trinity College, Book of Kells], [Dublin Castle - garda exhibit]
Day 6 Dub: National Museum of Ireland, on to Belfast
Day 7 Bel: I have hired Ken Harper, a guide who is recommended in RS's book on Ireland, to provide a black taxi tour of the Falls Road (Catholic) and Shankill Road (Protestant) murals and the Peace Wall, Crumlin Road gaol, [Titanic Museum]
Day 8 Bel: Coiste Irish Political Tour (Falls Road)
Day 9 (L)Der: day trip to (London)Derry; hire a guide at the Free Derry Museum to view the murals and the Bloody Sunday monument in Bog Side.

During my three days in Belfast I will be staying at the Europa Hotel which is famous because it has been bombed 30+ times by the Irish Republican Army.

I am open to suggestions on what to do in the late afternoon/evening of Days 2 and 8, and what to do in (London)Derry after taking the Bog Side tour.

In past trips to Europe I have written a blog on travelpod.com under the name "GeorgeLondon". I will try repeat this for this trip. Check there from time to time to see if I have posted anything.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
Geor(ge)

Greetings from Ireland George, Galway today en route to Derry to be precise.
Your itinerary is close to perfection. It'll be fascinating.
Ken Harper is a fantastic guide in Belfast, I have known him for many years. After you finish your boogied tour in Derry, call into First Derry Presbyterian Church on the walls and ask for my friend Rev. Lattimer. Has some fascinating insights from his days as a British Army Chaplain in Iraq and Afghanistan, ask of his great peace-work with Sinn Fein and Martin McGuinness and of the time he brought Martin Luther King the third to Derry!
For a pint, call into Peadar O'Donnells on Waterloo street. Don't be put off by the real pigs head dangling from the ceiling as you walk in :)
Enjoy
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steves Ireland Tour-Guide
Dingle & Derry

Ps George, couldn't let it go without a comment on your post title - there is only one Ireland, not two.
Ireland is an Island with two political jurisdictions on it. But I know what you mean :)

Hi all:

Thanks for your interest in my political tour of Ireland which took place around the time of the celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the Easter Rising. This is what I ended up doing:

March 24: 1916 rebel walking tour of central Dublin; Kilmainham gaol and saw the execution spots for the 1916 Rising leaders

March 25: major 1916 exhibition at the Ambassador Theater; Jeanie Johnson famine ship and nearby memorial to the Great Famine of the 1840s-50s; political street theater with persons outfitted in 1916 clothing

March 26: viewed the Peoples Parade organized by Sinn Fein; attended a very moving commemoration at the Arbour Hill cemetery where 14 of the executed Rising leaders are buried in a single mass grave; visited the major 1916 exhibition at the Collins Barracks

March 27: viewed the Easter Sunday parade from 10:00 am to about 2:30 pm (saw the second half twice because additional units joined the parade along the route) (a half million people viewed the parade - at some places the crowd was only one person deep while at other locations such as near Trinity College the crowd was maybe 15 people deep - impossible to see anything). in the evening took the literary pub crawl which ended at the pub that urban guerrilla leader Michael Collins used as his headquarters.

March 28: Book of Kells, Trinity College library

March 29: 1916 rebel bus tour of central Dublin; attempted to see a major 1916 exhibition at the General Post Office but this was the opening day of the exhibition and and line was long(!) and my bus to Belfast was leaving that afternoon; I did buy commemorative stamps at the post office

March 30: took a black taxi tour of the Falls Road (Catholic) and Shankill Road (Protestant) areas of Belfast and also saw the Peace Wall; visited the Crumlin Road Gaol; visited the new Titanic museum

March 31: took a walking tour of the Falls Road neighborhood lead by a former IRA member who was imprisoned for twelve years; saw more murals, memorials, Irish museums of the 20th century, and the Milltown cemetery where rebels from the 1700s to today are buried

April 1: traveled to Derry to walk the route taken by the Bogside residents who were fired upon on Bloody Sunday; the tour leader's father was one of those killed.

I have written a detailed blog that contains over 100 photographs and a video at the following site:

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/georgelondon/3/tpod.html

Again, thank you for your interest in this tour which is different from those usually described in this forum.

Geor(ge)

Do you have a link for the walking tour with Robert in Belfast. I would like to do that. I have done the Black Cab tour.

Hi Pat:

Thanks for your posting. The tour was offered by coiste.ie, here is their website:

http://coiste.ie/

Robert said that he was one of about twenty ex-prisoners who are on a list of tour guides and they rotate through the list; it seems that getting him specifically will be hit or miss. If you want to contact him directly you might be able to do so through the Sinn Fein political organization in Belfast where he works about 50% time. He is a great tour guide, and as I said he seems to have a lot of street cred.

Note: the Rick Steves book on Ireland says that the coiste tours through Falls Road are two hours long while the one that Robert lead was nearly 4.5 hours mainly because of the visit to Milltown Cemetery.

Best wishes.

Geor(ge)