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Select city: Derry/Londonderry
Bushmills
Co Antrim
Northern Ireland
Phone: 011-44-28-2073-1855
No other natural phenomenon in Ireland competes with the Giant’s Causeway when it comes to physical presence. The causeway consists of 40,000 hexagonal stone columns spread out along the seafront in a bizarre marine highway. The impression (and the legend) is that a giant began building a shortcut to Scotland and ran out of either materials or energy. The place started life as an attraction during the eighteenth century. Since then, distinctive blocks have been given their own names; The Wishing Chair is one. Many thousands of curious tourists go to the causeway each year; pictures show them clambering precariously but enthusiastically over the rocks. Admissions vary from £1 for a child to £12 for a family group.
Water Street
Derry/Londonderry
BT48 6LJ
Phone: 011-44-28-7130-9297
Projecting a Latin-American theme, this attractive café-bar has been a consistent winner with locals and visitors. The customer base includes professionals, musicians, journalists and various boho types. Huge authentic posters and pictures of L-A rebels (Sandino was one) and native craftwork establish the bar’s image. The venue acts as a magnet for roots-acoustic live music. Traditional Irish or jazz features most Sunday afternoons and impromptu sessions featuring veterans and amateurs are frequent. Imported beers, fresh coffee and cappuccino are the mainstays, with soup and sandwiches also available. Each mid-November the café hosts the week-long Reel Film Festival, which screens little-seen movies that have international music as their central subject.
Festival House
Main Street
Limavady
County Derry
BT49 0EP
Phone: 011-44-28-7776-2319
Web: www.limavadyjazzandblues.com
This really is a unique cultural-entertainment event – a jazz-blues festival in a small town in Northern Ireland. If this seems somewhat incongrous, it has been a great success story. The townspeople have given the idea their full support, and many others come from all over the province. The three-day fest showcases a mix of colourful American performers drawn from not only the two key styles but also out of cajun and zydeco influences. A plus is that the gigs take place in well-liked hotels and bars, with no makeshift artificial venues; so intimacy and fun are assured. The annual dates are chosen specifically to guarantee that most locals will be around and that the curious, welcome visitors lend the event a global dimension. For another example of this community spirit in action, see the Roe Valley Folk Festival.
36 Lower Main Street
Letterkenny
County Donegal
Phone: 00353-74-24133
One of the most recent wave of new restaurants in Letterkenny, this has become extremely popular in its four years of business. Visitors love The Yellow Pepper because of its unhurried pace and Irish-Donegal character. The interior has a down-to-earth inviting look and feel, partly due to the wood-centred design and partly to the glowing lighting. A small bar fronts on to the open-plan eating area; and a pleasant touch is the owner’s presence: she often surfs the tables talking to customers and getting their opinions. The starter menu is more than adequate in scope; the main dishes are appealing in style. Monkfish and real lasagne are two standouts, as is the medallions of beef. The wine list offers some rich reds at non-rich prices. Visitors will also appreciate that they are not hustled through their meal early.
Average cost: €20 per person. Booking is advisable.