The Six to the North
Wednesday, December 13th, 2006A new report suggests more North Americans are visting Northern Ireland than ever before. Statistics released by the NI Tourism Board shows a 14 percent jump in U.S. and Canadian tourists. That’s excellent news for the country, especially as the same data finds Britons — the NI’s main market – are starting to stay away.
To be honest, I don’t know much about Six Northern Counties — except that I’ve never contemplated going there. The Troubles, the religious intolerance and the British pound kept my interest at bay. I admit I also have a prejudice because my gram, like any good Irish grandmother from the lower 36, often invoked Northern Ireland when wanted to scare her grandchildren. Misbehave at dinner or act sassy during Mass and she would threaten to sell you to the “Tinkers in Northern Ireland.” Make a sour face and she would accuse you of having “the look of the North.”
She wanted us to believe that the North was a bag of rotten potatoes and so we did. Nevermind that she grew up in County Leitrim, where only small two-lane road separates her beloved Ireland from the North. Nevermind that her NI-produced Belleek teapot was the most prized piece in her china cabinet. (In regards to the latter, she insisted the delicate china had an Irish soul and an unfortunate UK address.)
But with relative peace in the country and enough Aadvantage miles in my account, I’m thinking about visiting Northern Ireland for the first time. Any travel suggestions, tips and advice are welcomed.