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Northern Ireland
The Land of Castles, Legends & Myths Beverly Cohn – Abroad Part 2
DAY 3
The next historic castle on our tour was Hillsborough Castle, located in County Down. Nestled on 96 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, this Georgian mansion was originally built in the 1770s and was renovated in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The castle boasts several elegantly appointed State Rooms, available for receptions and dinners – with a seating capacity ranging from 50 to 400.
Queens, princes, princesses, and heads of government have walked these luscious grounds. One special area is the Granville Garden, the site of the largest rhododendron collection in Europe. It was created by Queen Elizabeth II's aunt, who was married to the Earl of Granville. Hillsborough Castle also has the distinction of being designated the official Northern Ireland residence of the Royal Family, as well as the Secretary of State of Northern Ireland, who is appointed by the British monarch and reports to the Parliament of the United Kingdom. There is an elegantly appointed Throne Room with an imposing throne. However, the Queen prefers to sit in a chair directly in front of the throne to receive guests. A guest book is placed on a nearby table and we all took the opportunity to leave a note for the Queen.
Still on a high from our visit to this historic castle, we piled back into the van and headed for Castle Ward, a National Trust* property. This is the castle in which the opening series of "Game of Thrones" was filmed. We actually stood in the courtyard where the young prince was tossed out of the window by that nasty queen in one of the earliest episodes.
In looking at this 18th century house, situated on 820 acres, overlooking the iconic Strangford Lough, it is evident that there are two distinctly different the styles of architecture. As the legend goes, it seems that the Ward men married women of great wealth. One such couple could not agree on the style; she wanted Gothic, he wanted Classical. Hence, they compromised and the home was constructed and furnished to accommodate their specific preferences. A word about Strangford Lough: With its over 120 islands rich in wildfowl and marine life, it is considered Europe's most significant wildlife sanctuaries. As was mentioned in Part 1, gardening is in the DNA of the Irish people as evidenced once again by Castle Ward's sprawling magnificent gardens. One particularly enchanting section is Temple Water, which is said to be the largest ornamental garden in Ireland, spanning from the early 18th century. Its beauty and tranquility is something to behold.
One ancestor of note is the extraordinary Mary Ward, who lived in the 19th century. She was a naturalist, astronomer, scientific pioneer, artist, and mother of eight children. Encouraged by her parents, she was the first woman to use the giant telescope owned by her cousin, the Earl of Rosse, at Birr Castle.** As a teenager, she possessed an advanced microscope, which she used with slides she made herself from slivers of ivory, as glass was difficult to access. A very accomplished woman, she earned respect from other scientists. Her book, "The World of Wonders," contains drawings of microscopic organisms as uncovered through the microscope. It became a coveted reference book, as did her multiple articles. Sadly, in what is thought to be the world's first traffic accident, while visiting her cousin, Mary fell out of a steam engine car and was crushed by the wheels. Under the terms of National Trust ownership, Castle Ward is a hotbed of events open to the public including: Mother's Day; St. Patrick's Day; Spring Guided Walk; Craft Demonstrations; Pet Nose Day; Historical Cream Tea; Dog Agility; Jazz in the Gardens; Summer Garden Fete; and Pirates Picnic. There is also Clear Sky Kids Summer Activity Camp, and the Full Moon Twilight Boat Trip. By the way, in case you ever wondered about the origin of the phrase "upper crust," our guide explained that when bread was toasted, servants scraped off the bottom burnt part, with the unburned portion reserved for the royals. So from now on when you hear the phrase "upper crust," think bread.
No trip to Northern Ireland would be complete without a visit to the very imposing Titanic Exhibit, which houses the world's largest collection of everything Titanic.
It is located in the exact slipway where she was built in Belfast at the Harland & Wolf Shipyard from 1909-1912. The company employed over 3,000 men to build the ship, which was hailed as "the new wonder of the world." With a crowd of 100,000 people watching, this mighty, but doomed vessel set sail on April 10, 1912 from the Thompson Graving Dock – the largest in the world. The launch took only 62 seconds.
The Titanic Exhibit is an emotional retelling of the most profound sea disaster in history. Its story is told through the Exhibit's nine galleries, which contain photos, talking heads of people from that time, films, re-creations of the different staterooms, and interactive touch screens that take you to the bottom of the ocean. You can hear a voice say: "We are stopped and surrounded by ice." The massive ship hit the iceberg at 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912. Approximately 11 stories high, 882 feet, 8 inches in length, and weighing over 45,000 tons, Titanic disappeared into the freezing sea in 2 hours and 40 minutes. Each gallery will give you a visceral, emotional experience related to specific events. The nine galleries are: Boomtown Belfast; The Shipyard Ride; The Launch of Titanic; The Fit-Out; Maiden Voyage; The Sinking; The Aftermath; Myths & Realty; Visit & Explore the Wreck. The Titanic Exhibit is a moving experience; so do allow lots of time to explore each of the galleries. DAY 4
Fortified with a traditional Irish breakfast served in the restaurant of the Malmaison Hotel, we once more climbed into our comfortable van. Since we are creatures of habit, it's no surprise that each journalist sat in the same seat every day. After the haunting Titantic experience, we were especially looking forward to being hosted for lunch by Lord and Lady Dunleath (Vibse) in their extraordinary Ballywalter Park home. We were warmly greeted by the royal couple and were immediately treated to a welcoming glass of champagne, after which they gave us a walking tour of their stately home. With twelve bedrooms and bathrooms, the castle also serves as a hotel and is used for conferences as well. The fees range from 280£ for a double room, to 150£ for a single, while a five-course dinner costs 140£. However, they are not set up for weddings at the moment. As in Hillsborough Castle, famous people have visited this beautifully restored mansion including: the British Royal Family, the Danish Crown Prince, and Jeremy Irons. The Dunleaths have one live-in housekeeper, and hire additional help as needed. The major source of their income, which sustains the home, comes from their dairy farm, which houses 450 cows.
As we were being shown around the castle, I had the opportunity to talk to Lady Dunleath who was "not to the manor born." I asked her how they met. It seems that she was a food historian specializing in the evolution of food, specifically as it pertained to the history of bread, starting with medieval times. Lord Dunleah's home was being used to film her television series so the Danish-born Vibse was at the castle over a long period of time. I asked her if it was love at first sight and she answered: "It was business at first sight." Lord Dunleath was leaving on a trip and asked her if she would look after the estate while he travelled. She answered, "Yes." "The rest is history," said Lady Dunleath with a smile. Both were married once before so the wonderful song by Frank Sinatra "The Second Time Around" seems quite appropriate. At the conclusion of our castle tour, where we saw lavishly furnished rooms filled with historic treasures and paintings going back generations, we entered the glorious dining room. For a brief moment, I felt that I could very easily become "Lady of Something." The lunch was delicious, with the tomatoes fresh from the Ballywalter garden comprising the Dunleath Vitello Tomato with Walled Garden Salad. The lunch was crowned with a sinfully delicious chocolate fudge brownie and homemade coffee ice cream. Life doesn't get much better than this or, maybe it does. As much as we hated to tear ourselves away from this magical setting, it was time to move on to our next stop, which was Mount Stewart.
Restored and also owned by the National Trust, this splendid property, family home of the Marquesses of Londonderry, is a dreamland of meandering paths leading to a mosaic of exquisite gardens originally planted by Edith, Lady Londonderry. Today these enchanting gardens rank as one of the Top 10 Gardens in the World.
Neil Porteous, head gardener of this sprawling property, guided us through a few of the 18 distinctly unique gardens recreated from the diaries of Edith, Lady of Londonderry. Some of these iconic gardens include: Sunken Gardens; Lily Wood; Italian Garden; Peace Garden; Fountain Walk; Lake Walk; Walled Garden; Ladies Walk; Temple of the Woods; and Shamrock Garden. By the way, in case you're wondering about the origin of the shamrock being an Irish symbol, it seems that St. Patrick actually created the name and it represents the Holy Trinity – The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost. Fun activities take place all year long at Mount Stewart, some of which include: a Rhododendron Ramble and Roast, Spring Guided Walk, Easter Egg Trail, Greyabbey Bay Walk, Pet Nose Day, and Jazz in the Gardens. Consult their website for dates and times. What better way to end the final leg of our Northern Ireland experience than to have an exquisite dinner in The Great Room, one of the most beautiful restaurants in Belfast. Located in the Merchant Hotel, this stunning venue is said to be one of Northern Ireland's most extraordinary restaurants. With its original Victorian design, its glass cupola is Ireland's largest chandelier and the food matches the elegance in every way. In closing, it should be noted that Belfast has suffered from its former reputation of being violent and dangerous because of "The Troubles," which spanned decades. However, today it is stable and a very safe, exciting tourist destination.
*The National Trust is a UK conservation charity that protects historic places, such as castles, houses, gardens, mills, farmland, islands, nature preserves, etc. They hold leases on about 5,000 properties, which they rent out at a reduced price with the understanding that the tenant makes the property available to the public on a regular basis. **An exclusive interview coming up with the 7th Earl of Rosse at Birr Castle (Brendan Parsons) who gave me private tour of his sprawling estate, followed by lunch with him and the Countess. Also coming up is an interview with the designer of Prince Charles' garden at Highgrove, a visit to the National Stud Farm, and my stay at two of the most exclusive hotels in the Republic – Ballyfin and The K Club – The Kildare Hotel, Spa & Country Club. Hillsborough
Castle Castle
Ward Titanic
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