northern ireland

Why wouldn't it be?

Thanks for the reply, i was informed wrong i guess

If safety is your goal, leave for Northern Ireland--or any other European country--as soon as possible. As far as I know, there is no private ownership of guns in Northern Ireland and as a result, it's safe.

The North is very safe of course, but just one quick response in relation to Jim's suggestion that there are no weapons held by private citizens in Northern Ireland.
It actually has a huge rate of private gun ownership. Just an FYI

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/when-it-comes-to-owning-guns-ulster-still-says-yes-28572495.html

Le meas/with respect
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steves Ireland tour-guide
Dingle, Derry & Dublin (the 3 D's)

Funny story, I was in Belfast almost 15 years ago, in April. I took a guided tour of the town with a small group in a van, and when we got to a location that had been a known trouble spot in the past I jumped out to take photos of the murals. Two women from Scotland were too frightened to get out of the van, thinking someone was going to shoot them or something, but they happily encouraged me to do so! It's not just North Americans who hear bad stories I guess. In any city or country there will be places where the tourists shouldn't go, or go with caution, but overall I think I felt safer in Belfast on my own than I did in Dublin with all the drunks that are running around downtown in the evening where I was accosted by a group of screaming drunk youths on my way back to my hotel one evening. If you do your research in advance, and know where you should or shouldn't go, you will not have a problem no matter where you travel.