#travel #vlog Ireland Lonely Planet
[Music] [Applause] [Music] the land of the thousand of welcomes and a million shades of green often rains but it's rarely dull and has been ripped apart by political conflict the people here are united by the enjoyment of something known over here as the crack this is [Music] Ireland Island's 32 counties are divided into the 26 in the Republic and six in the north under British rule I'm starting my journey in the north before crossing the border and heading for the capital of the Republic Dublin traveling south by train I'll cycle through cor and Kerry before sailing to inishmore in the Aaron Islands finally I'll hike in Kor Mara and Donna Gul before ending my journey on the Wild and remote Tor Island [Music] 200 mil of rugged remoteness the spectacular antrum Coast in Northern Island reaches a geological climax at one of islands Central landmarks the Giants Causeway [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] there's two theories about how this was built the best one is a giant lived here called Finn mcco and he fancied the Scottish giant over the water so he built a Causeway over there ran to get her she didn't want to know and kicked him out back here the second one was that he built the cause way at Scotland cuz he wanted a bit of a rumble with the Scottish Giants went over that was a bit too big for him so he ran ran away but they chased him and he hid in a cck dressed as a baby and when they came over they saw him thought he was a baby and thought Oh if that's the size of the babies the Giants must be out here and they ran back again now scientists think that these 37,000 black basal polygons were formed 60 million years ago when there was an explosion underwater and it forced them all to the top personally I reckon about 3 million leprechauns shinned it up here and gave it a bit of that in between the rocks Island's world famous for its Landscapes but some of the most striking scenery is to be found in the less visited Northern counties like antrum where the rolling views of the nine Glenns go on forever [Music] [Music] sadly Northern Ireland is more famous for its political troubles and here is where it was felt the most [Music] Belfast while the conflict between the largely Catholic Republicans and mainly protestant loyalists continues 1998 Good Friday peace agreement ought a ceasefire between them and the bustle back to the city center and if you're looking for some refreshments you can't do better than one of Belfast fine 19th century pubs this is actually one of the oldest it's about 150 years old and it's even got the original Gas Lamp that's what I like about it but this is the best thing look at this service Beauty look at them lovely thanks look at this oysters and Guinness first one of the trick look in the height of the troubles there were hundreds of checkpoints like this all over the city and if you lived here you'd have to pass one every day but since the ceasefire all the checkpoints have been closed down and the really weird thing some of the areas that saw the most violence are now towards the attractions and one particular R the British army have said that they fired one ,500 canisters of Cs gas in the course of that ride the local population beli that theed many more during the troubles the Protestant shank Hill and Catholic Falls Road were Battlegrounds devoid public transport president of shen today the taxi companies that serve the divided area will give you a guided tour for about $15 I ventured into Republican Heartland of West Belfast but was it quite dangerous when you started off the cab service well it was yeah eight of our drivers have been killed really while working I couldn't take use on the Shankle road because uh as a member of this Association I would be a legitimate Target for the Loyalists now while the bulk of them are on ceas fire at the minute would still be dangerous I just give us t and the Army control the top two floors we're now on the Falls Road at the start of troubles in' 69 there was streets running from the Falls Road on the Shankle Road and in 1969 the uh R and the be specials came along those streets and uh they dri people from their homes and the loyalist mobs coming along behind them bur the homes down consequently youve uh a pace wall which is between the Falls Road and the Shankle road now why do they call it the peace wall well it keeps the two factions apart so it's uh it's more peaceful than having them ratting with each other this is the more permanent face of the the pace wall as you can see yeah before this one was built it was just corrugated sheating so this is just like the Berlin Wall on the other side is another housing station [Music] yeah they don't think that it's time to bring it down then well it doesn't look like it because as you will see it's uh a very permanent structure it'll take a long time for both sides to to trust each other [Music] [Applause] [Music] my journey South is taking me through Amar an area known during the troubles as Bandit country it's always done things its own [Music] way there Hur wow third shot another great shot perfectly again yes if he gets the band you'll hear the cheer going up shortly all right yes he has got the band that's a sign once once you hear the cheer you know he's bolded around the far Corner wow what's this guy called then this game is called Road balls Road Road balls Road balls the ball is called a bowl right and it's a 28 o steel ball yeah and it's played on the same basis as golf you cover the course in the least number of shots is this guy like a marker or something yeah the person standing on the road is a marker and the player is trying to play the ball through the marker's legs W and on that occasion he play it perfectly right to the m the road yeah really it played it all over Ireland or it's played in other parts of Ireland but mainly in Amar and cork some people train with the Press UPS some people train with the paints right but the I think I've spotted who does what actually this you think it's easy recognize I mean I don't want going to say anything but I take two for the corkman were down and we played make to against the best in Cork and it was played for 6,000 aside 6 six grand aide and there would have been as much again better on the road among the crowd you no getting a few pound on really well even halfway through the game halfway through the game yeah much you wanted for tenner Tak a shot for tenner here all right yeah on on the h a toy man yeah you're on the toy man you're on high tole so why do you give me a t because you're holding the bat you bet him a 10 or so you're holding the bat now if you lose you're going to have to give him 20 you're unless I just get in the car and go to have way you can do that as [Music] well yes we're okay we're okay know I'm going to hit that you need to be Shen acoss yes the finishing Lan's just a few yards there already told the man you back has scored the line right Conor McAn is playing to beat the mark oh oh oh oh oh no no what happened your man Won Won well done your man won so you collect your money can't be back that is a that was a bit of shw gambling on your behalf meet you again yeah bye-bye [Music] I was still heading south but the laws of Hitchin sent me slightly off course to bur Island in fir [Music] Mana well it is I've taken a little detour off the main road cuz I love all the Celtic myths and legends that scattered around the country and what I'm looking for is a little statue called Janus I think it is 2,000 years old and it's a fertility statue what's interesting about this site is it's like one of the first Christian burial sites and it's nice cuz it's got a lot of old Pagan Celtic sort of designs on the stones as well and this is what I've come to look for this top bit apparently is where they used to do blood sacrifices wow and people even now put in little offerings this is a side with a face and I think this is the fertility side wow look at the size of that that is I don't think you should see that actually that's disgustingly that's obscene I think people in them days must have been like a bit more verile you [Music] know all roads in the Republic lead to Dublin eventually the home of James Joyce Trinity College and the river liy his post office remains a shrine to Irish nationalism after being the scene of bloody fighting during the Easter [Music] Rising this is the Temple Bar District the center of entertainment of Dublin and hopefully good for cheap accommodation hi there hi how are you not too bad looking for a room uh yeah we just got beds left in a 10 person room for tonight so well like dorm will say yeah that's right okay yeah that's cool okay how much is it 11 £ M just need you to fill that one out and are they mixed or they no they're mixed they all have on sweet mhm okay so this is your key for your room just need to slide it in and out you can get a bed in Dublin for about $15 if you're prepared to share free Bank in it yeah go there yeah that one there oh good J go oh like on German prison camp you go out and enjoy yourselves don't worry about me yeah see you later see L Cheers you're great no mates yeah have a good time even before the international success of youw Island was a hot bed of musical Talent today everyone struck on becoming the next big thing and the Dublin Music Center is a place to catch him you I could be in love with [Music] you I know I know I know I [Music] [Applause] [Music] know this is an and she's heavily in live music and doubling then why do you think there's such an explosion of like Irish bands coming out what's helped that I don't think it's there's always been more virus F like the minute you grow up when you either grab a hurle or or grab a guitar and it's you know it's brilliant that way but I think lately you know with the cranberries and you to and people like David Holmes and and Johnny Moy in the dancing everyone's confident enough to say yeah yeah I'm going to be huge and you know I love doing it and this is going to be my job people are taking it like seriously but in Ireland there's just that extra confidence I don't know if it's because it's smaller or it's just there's an extra comp everyone's convinced they're going to be Superstars and that's that makes it brilliant to go to the gig cuz the gig is always exciting is there sort of like up and coming Dublin bands that are making it big now absolutely I mean the two bands tonight like Nina and turn are like both of them are literally on the brink of like breaking it internationally and they they following it's a brilliant feeling in in Ireland like it's everyone's into music there just this is a turn they' just signed a deal and uh they're working out a publishing deal at the minute and they're brilliant they top tip they are going to be [Music] huge I'm watching you silence silence R by my side my [Music] side and hi I'm your friend your friend victim victim I don't need your help your help I'm F now I'll lace your shoes for you for [Music] darling just call me [Music] [Applause] lover the oldest surviving stick and ball game hurling is faster than hockey and more violent than rugby I caught an all Island semi-final between kill cany and court at the sports Shrine C Park this is my first haing game I love it it's such a fast game you got be so fit you know one minute at that end then it's at that end K Kenny they're they're underdogs yeah yeah Ken are The Underdogs hey Kenny how come you're not in your strip well I'm a neutral I'm must get around from as well saf are you like to run with it in your hand no if you run for three PES within your hand it's a foul on theend the tip it up and down on the wow kick it as well then they break their feet if you Ki it what and instead of a corner you get what's called a 65 right which is the ball is brought out 65 Ys and you hit it back and you can score oh you can score yeah whoa so if that had have gone in the net how many points with that well a point a goal is three points right K keny fres in them a they they really are yeah wow this game they call it stick fighting all right yeah there's a famous uh story when John Wayne was over uh filming the The Quiet Man who's brought to a game you know cuz he's kind of just turning around give him a culture experienced the problem this turning match you know at a half time this fell to John Wayne and said well John would you like stick yourself and John Wayne said in a John Wayne way he said uh well I'd sure as hell not like to be out there without [Applause] one it's all over K can the chance [Applause] [Music] I got me back at the Spade I got me swimmers on want to get a bit of Sea Air so I'm heading to Cove down south hopefully this is my train [Music] whoa the ra network is not extensive in Ireland and Dublin is the main terminal for TR to other parts of the [Music] [Applause] [Music] country I'm traveling south to the seaside town of Cove in County Cork about 3 hours away [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] now Cove is a small Seaside town but before it used to be one of the most important shiping ports in the whole of Ireland and it was from this key that millions of Irish immigrants left to go to America you see that Jetty there it's the last protocol that the Titanic made before it went on its doomed Maiden Voyage in addition to being the departure point for 1 and A2 million immigrants during the famine years Cove also is a final rest in place for victims of the Lucitania sunk by a German submarine in the first world war this event helped bring America into the conflict [Applause] [Music] I'm cycling West to county Cary and the Dingle Peninsula before sailing to the Aaron island of inishmore but before leaving carry I had to make a detour to Island's most visited tourist spot Lani Castle thousands of people come here every year just to kiss the blindy stone cuz they believe it gives you the gift of the gab oh what do we doe down lie down hold the bar hold the bars that bit down the bottom there yeah yeah oh yeah oh how was that gift of the gab I was lost for words [Music] oh yes we have a changing landscape of Island oh don't you just love it come and Sample it for yourself oh firsthand you see the Ever Changing landscape in Island I'll show you West Coast's miles of golden sand are a favorite with local Stables drive on here Tommy drive on come on way are these all your horses there all my horses out there wow what are they doing down on the beach training them for race yeah is that where you teach them then we teach them yeah mostly in the winter time three miles together them 3 miles along the beach yeah three miles along the beach does that give him a bit extra then bit extra Fitness and stuff oh yeah give him as fit as the feet out to the water as well water some of the best hes in the world is it for race and then for show jumping yeah why is that they reckon that the land in Ireland is suitable for breeding the horses also about your horses how they get not very good yet couple the winners Yeah couple the winners and we have a very good s the big black oh right yeah yeah well that's the winner you could have your shirt on it you could have your shirt on it and my shirt yeah I get sh it's a bit wet yeah won be beat promising rejuvenating properties since 1926 Daily's hot sea water and seaweed baths are a BAL bunion institution the form afterwards is after you've had your bath yeah is down to the Sea for a swim and then back in again to to warm up in your dreams I ain't got out that it's freezing in there it's fine I've been out already today o this is so slimy it's all all on my skin in there oh look at this like gloopy like a horse is blowing its nose on my skin but after you've been sing for a week supposed to be good for Saddles saw oh oh that was a relaxing bit now comes the nightmare no more no more no more Bill Clinton played golf at one of Bal banan's many courses but I was heading in land to listol in search of some traditional Irish [Music] entertainment Pub sessions are a part of Irish life and if you're lucky you'll find one going on just by [Music] chance love it check these cheeks out it's brilliant I just put me bik up the be and half hour two points of gness Music everyone friendly and young and old is brilliant it's like being in your own front [Music] [Applause] room I'm just taking a trip over the water cuz that's where the Aaron islands is just out there [Music] 30 Mi off the coast of gway I was heading for the largest of the three Aaron Islands in ismore prairies run six times a day and an hourong Journey costs about [Music] $24 isolated in the Atlantic Ocean in ishm More's Limestone landscape with Baron until the earliest inhabitants Mi seaweed and sand to make [Music] soil rich in pre-christian remains it is one of the finest archaological sites in Europe dun [Music] Angus although people have been living on the is since 2000 BC this fort was actually built in the Bronze Age It's called Dune Angus after the chief that ruled in the area and it's perfect location you got a big wall looking down the hill and no enemies going to come up [Music] here if you can time your visit for the yearly [Music] Festival celebration of traditional Island life it's a perfect opportunity to experience some folk music maybe pick up an Aaron sweater or just enjoy the Guinness race this is Tom and volunteered me to help him out with a boat race they're one short and I think he spot my muscles as I got off the boat there so these are the boats yeah yeah we have number six right okay what kind of boats are they they're CS now they're built for we used to used years ago for uh for living making living out of the sea and but they're now used for for rowing right what are they called huh what are they called cor means unsteady unsteady indeed the current right is a fiercely fought competition and with teams coming from other islands is a matter of Aon Pride what's hard to believe is that these flimsy vessels were used for hunting whales until early this [Music] Century gone [Music] this is where it all happens after the festival everyone comes down here have a bit of a knees up it's called a Kaye I've got my best hgs on so I'm going to give it a go is there any drink in there no no drink teas and coffees and minerals and what minerals minerals okay thanks minerals Queen of the festival was being announced and the whole island had turned out for the event one of those lucky girls could dance with me tonight [Music] [Applause] [Music] back on the mainland I'm hiking through Conor Mara and Donny ghoul before sailing to the remotest part of Island Tori [Music] [Music] konara is one of the last wildernesses in the country Farmers eat out a living on Century old Peete boogs cutting the turf for [Music] fuel a bit of a dangerous Implement is it well this is what they call a slain a SL SL yes yeah and uh it's basically a a One-Winged sort of a spear you know because if I'll show you in there you know and we we hear stories of men having three sads in the air at the one time in other words the first side would go out so far you see they'd be down for the second one and the first one wouldn't have hit the ground and then they'd be down for the third one before the first one hit the ground no oh yeah yeah wow that's serious Sal action is it they were considered Great Men you know and um yeah there were great Port of drinkers as well you know so yeah to to get rid of the the excess energy of the B they cut this T you know and they're full of steam you know it's not so simple you know you have to push it down and then leave her gently forward without breaking the Implement leave it like that that's a museum piece now is it it's like soggy wheat bits yeah yeah don't that's it don't keep pushing it's a kind of one sharp movement you know yeah it's just I just ain't got the arms like oh yeah yeah it all takes it all takes practice oh you you're you're you're like an expert our great grand parents and all the people that went before us they depended on the turf to um to heat their little houses and uh to cook the food the coating off the turf is one aspect of it but was there was also the searching for uh the the timber in the bogs that would have came from our forest off the pass and also people uh digging out the turf and former days used to find uh stuff hidden by our ancestors all right yeah what sort of stuff for instance um bag buter was the most famous B butter yes it was one one of the ways of um of of preserving things in the past you see they had no fridges or deep freezers recently in East call where there was a huge lump of butter found hundreds of years old still the the the center section was editable really yeah after all those years yeah amazing you must know lots of stories just in the that you well that was part that was part again of a ways of life the ability to cast the time to storytelling you know in former days the whole family would go to the B you know and if it was a nice pleasant Summer's evening they stay in the B quite late you know they dring the tea with them and uh they bring the the bread and quite often they bring a full cake you know and there's many stories about a lake monster in that particular Lake there coming up in the evening you know wandering around in the swampy areas by the lake shore and the families used to run at that stage and go home I've seen the monster myself in that Lake three times in my lifetime we're Gathering the sheep for the shearing and uh suddenly I was attracted to the lake and uh the the sun was glistening is the best ways I I I could describe it of this object in the center out there and um sparkling and there was this very large round object you know maybe about a meter say a meter in diameter uh you had to say it was swimming or floating or but was moving and the sun was shining off it and it swam into the reads by the lake shore there and as it swam into the reads you could see the uh the the reads uh moving parting so that you knew there was a very very large object under the water right Tom I better go before the weather closes in again thanks for that that's the joy of a bog you know you don't know who you're going to run into and uh when you're walking over the hill there be careful [Music] look at that just filled it up the farm over there cup of tea I can stay here for weeks the typical thing about the landscape is that it changes every 5 Seconds like you know I've got all the clouds coming down there now it's all cleared and over there is sunny over here is quite dark and over there is raining and the color Chang as well that was green now it's gray now it's going blue I give up I give up how can I can't how can I work like this how can I work like this with a break in the weather I've enlisted local fisherman Paddy to take me out in his boat [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] for I love it look at this yes this is the first light hot day I've had for about a week oh I love it we're fishing in the shadow of the sleeve Le Cliffs at nearly 1,000 ft the highest in [Music] Europe what are we going for mael mael is that all how you are they down there hopefully so have you always been a fisherman all your life pad yeah yeah yeah what's the biggest one you caught out here blue shark blue shark yeah yeah wow how big was that uh 2 m 2 m wow you c one that was mine [Music] Rob oh yes come here come come here I'm going to this one's called Roger hey first fish come back look at the 's on there Patty is often charted by Deep Sea Anglers fishing for Sharp but I was quite happy with my Mac Oh boyy get back here a look one just one 2 4 another one goes in W look at all that was just like afternoon's fishing there oh I think that's enough M back on dry land I was going to climb Crow Patrick in 441 Island's Patron Saint Patrick spent the 40 days of Lent on this mountain fighting demons and banishing in serpents from the land his vigil made the 2,513 Ft quartz Peak a sacred pilgrimage site for [Music] Catholics no look at that it's so unnecessary oh [Music] every year in the last week of July about 40 to 50,000 pilgrims Trek up this mountain to the top following the footsteps of St Patrick and apparently some of them even do it in their bare feet can't even do it in [Music] Boots kill sure they're killing you have you not got your shoes with you no because we know we R and we probably wouldn't do it where are they you left your shoes back there yeah at the bottom you're not even halfway yeah have you done it before done it about 67 years ago right well wasn't quite as chubby then is bit harder now God man good luck all right cheers all [Music] right this the top yeah how long did it take you to get up here an hour and a half here an hour and a half yeah man did you run half the way no no no no those boys here they done it in an hour and 15 minutes getting all the energy back the last bit a killer huh yeah that's very tough yeah I think this will be my last time ridiculous [Music] for my final Journey I'm making the 8 Mile Crossing to Tory Island pounded Day and Night by the Atlantic Ocean the island was almost abandoned in 1974 after it cut off by storms for two [Music] months apart from its inaccessibility and its Baron remoteness Tory island is actually famous cuz it's got a king hi there are you the king that's right oh what privilege ofari welcome ah thank you what's what's that is there a reply what can I say well to kid you say G mahag goody mahag what's that is that gaic yeah thank you do most people speak GIC here oh yes of course that's our Force to language as a king have you got any special duties or special closed that is that the crown no not at all not at all because if that was the case people would have uh people would have been thinking that I would be a very rich King as a matter of fact I'm one of the poorest Kings on Earth are you that's rough rough and happy thank God and uh and are willing to uh welcome all visitors off the boat do you have like a big coronation a big party when somebody gets yeah as a matter of fact when the when the Son and the daughter of the last king gave me the honor uh we had a big party a big Irish till 6:00 in the morning yes really oh that sounds good King P's island is only 2 and a half miles long and less than a mile wide but despite a population of 125 Tori is thriving [Music] [Music] the island has even managed to put itself on the artistic map with a school of painters some of whose work recently sold in the states for $3,000 [Music] I met up with artist Anton minan at the islands gallery and I suppose I I get my ideas you know from mythology you know mythology is very much alive and well in Anton's work and on Tor itself which is rich in a culture vanished from the mainland stories of the mythical Cyclops ballor of the evil eye the Celtic god of Darkness are as alive today as they were 2,000 years [Music] BC Anton took me across the island to ballor 4 on the east coast and over here is T Moore where B's daughter was in prison and she was guarded by five women right and this is the famous uh the wishing Stone it's famous for visitors coming you know and you have a choice but you can get the three stones and throw Three Stones onto it yeah or you have the choice of going out and turning around three times the choice is yours you know right I'm going to go for the stones I've got to get three stones to land on it that's right from here yeah be careful you know one two yeah last one last one yeah woo look at this this is madness we're out going to be but in Ireland standing on the most dangerous Cliff force8 Gale Throne Stones wishing Stone one two yeah yay [Music] n
2024-08-12 01:46
