Distance 7 miles (11km)
16 miles (26km) including Cuilcagh
Minimum time 3 hours (7 hours)
OS ref 149341 sheet 26
Boots and warm clothing advised if you are tackling Cuilcagh summit. Start at gated forest track heading east. After crossing 2 streams, at a major junction go up grassy path between young trees towards grey rocks ahead. Beyond stile join gravelly UW path along to big beech trees at the wood's end .(Decision time: route to Cuilcagh summit (2,188 ft, 665 m) is waymarked (yellow painted posts). Our walk suggests an alternative initial approach for circularity. Be ready to turn back if the weather deteriorates. Return same way past ancient burial cairns of Myalla, soon rejoining shorter walk.) Go L along leafy track. Look out for orchids, yellow flag iris, ferns. On down past tiny fields hedged with thorn and briar, reaching the gate on to Marble Arch Road. Recommended side visits: Marble Arch Caves and National Trust mansion of Florence Court.
14. LOUGH NAVAR FOREST
Distance 8 miles (13km)
Minimum time 3 hours
OS ref 062583 sheet 17
From carpark on A46 if s an abrupt 600ft (183 m) climb up the wooded scarp from the road to wonderful views of Atlantic, Donegal and the Sperrins. The official UW route heads west briefly, then waltzes off south, unmarked, through deep heather and grass for l/4 mile (0.4 km). See map for less boggy alternative. Follow the UW round the loughs. Look out for hen harrier and russet coloured Irish hares. A sharp descent brings you to natural hardwoods, birch and rowan, at the Sillees river bridge. Continue to the sweathouse. Return to bridge and turn R up scenic drive route to complete circuit.
One of Ulster's most famous dishes embracing the best of local produce - bacon, sausages, eggs and breads. Primarily a breakfast dish but popular at any time of day with a few additions like chops, steak, kidneys, liver, tomatoes and mushrooms. (Serves 1):
Ingredients:
2 sausages
2 bacon rashers
2 slices black or white pudding
1/2 farl soda bread
potato cake
1-2 large eggs
oil for frying
The secret of a good fry is to cook the food in the right order, cooking that which takes the longest first.
Fry the sausages in a little oil until cooked, remove from the pan and keep warm. Fry the bacon until crisp, drain and keep warm. Fry the pudding for a few minutes to warm through, remove from the pan and keep warm. Slice the farl and potato cake and lightly brown in the remaining hot oil. Drain and keep warm.
Wipe the pan, add a little fresh oil and when hot crack in the eggs and cook until the white begins to set, spooning the oil over the yolk for an attractive milky appearance.
Arrange the fried ingredients on a hot plate and serve immediately with strong tea and wheaten bread. (Clare Connery 1994)
Vegetarians, no need to panic! Plenty of good fresh vegetables, seafood and vegetarian dishes also available.
As if the breathtaking scenery, the great golf and fishing, and the warm hospitality were not enough, N Ireland also has some of the finest, freshest food available in these islands. Renowned for its seafood generally and its salmon in particular, wonderful vegetables and prime beef and lamb, eating out in N Ireland is indeed one of the greater pleasures in life.
A taste of Ulster is an eating out initiative supported by NITB. Where you see the distinctive basalt hexagon you can be assured of quality traditional and modern recipes, using the finest local ingredients.
"I met my love by the gasworks wall
Dreamed a dream by the oul canal
I kissed my love by the factory wall
Dirty ole town, dirty ole town." Northern Ireland's industrial heritage is perhaps the most underestimated factor in the shaping of the province's history, political as well as social. Anyone who has read Leon Uris' "Trinity", which is well researched and historically accurate, will have gained a valuable insight into the strange days and ways which determined the lives of so many, and whose mark, for better or worse, endures.
The province's contribution to the Industrial Revolution, which began over 250 years ago, was tremendous. Although Ireland was on the periphery of industrial development, by 1900 the North was one of Europe's greatest manufacturing regions. It led the world in linen production and shipbuilding, (the ill-fated Titanic was built at Belfast) and fostered a huge variety of small-scale industries in rural areas.
Visitors to Northern Ireland will observe a wealth of industrial heritage sites scattered throughout the landscape. Some, such as old linen mills, corn mills and railways are well preserved and open to the public. Others, such as bridges, reservoirs and the famous Antrim Coast Road built in 1834, are a vital part of Northern Ireland's everyday life.
Factory visits
The following factories and workshops offer guided tours of their works, many of which are free of charge. Some businesses are run solely by the craftsman and the tour is given as an extra to normal business. In all cases it is advisable to check tour availability before setting out.
Linen and linen products
Ferguson Linen Centre, 54 Scarva Road, Banbridge BT32 3AU. Tel (082 06) 23491
William Clark and Sons Ltd., Upperlands, Maghera BT46 5RZ. Tel (0648) 42214
Worth a visit also, from an architectural as well as industrial/historical viewpoint, is the model linen village at Sion Mills, (south on the A5 from Strabane).
Breweries and distilleries
Bass Ireland, Ulster Brewery, Glen Road, Belfast BT11. Written applications only to PRO Brian Houston.
Millions of Irish people emigrated to North America, Australia and New Zealand in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The ancestral farmsteads and cottages of some of those Ulstermen who rose to positions of power in the new state have been preserved. Places open to the public include the family homes of four American presidents. Two other important ancestral homes in the province - the birthplace of Judge Thomas Mellon and the boyhood home of the first Archbishop of New York - are at the Folk Park near Omagh. Northern Ireland's historical areas are the perfect starting points for those tracing their Irish lineage. In fact, US President Bill Clinton has himself paid a visit to Northern Ireland--the first US President to do so while in office.
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