To ask if you would visit Northern Ireland?

[BlueFlamingoes]

Would you visit NI? Why/why not? I always find it interesting how marmite of a place my home is - keen to hear some opinions and maybe dispel a rumour or two :)

Yes, of course. Why not? I had a fabulous holiday there years ago, and the people were lovely. 😊

Well, I was there a couple of hours ago picking up a parcel from OOHPod.. but I guess that's not what you mean :)

I've been to the Giant's causeway, and to the fantastic fun inflatable park and indoor skydiving, I've been shopping, and I really want to go as far north as I can and get a chance to see the northern lights.

When the kids are a bit older, I also fully intend to go axe-throwing at a place that I follow on Facebook.

I'm not going to deny, the weather sucks (but then it's not a huge amount better in the UK/the rest of Ireland) but the scenery is fantastic (as it is for all of the wilder bits of the UK - the Scottish coast is also beautiful).

If I was coming from the UK, I would defo go via Dublin though - the duty free prices make it very worth the short extra drive.

Born and raised in England to an Irish mother and English father. I'm a practising Catholic. Honestly I wouldn't ever feel comfortable in Northern Ireland. I know people will say times have changed but I wouldn't go!

And yet hundreds of thousands of practising Catholics live there quite happily now.

'Lived there for a few years. As an English person (with Irish roots), I was always othered'

There does seem to still be rampant othering. Lots of flags everywhere not just republicans or loyalist but flags for other conflicts too. Where I live I've never seen a flag anywhere.

Yes. Maybe Belfast but the coast and countryside interest me far more. My DD went to Belfast and did a “troubles” tour. She wasn’t keen. So I think it very much depends on what you want to see.

This is a very strange thing to say considering a large proportion of the population are catholic!

I think that is a "you" problem not a NI one

I visited NI a few years ago from ROI and was warned by friends (from NI themselves) that the town I was visiting was a very Protestant one so to be careful where we parked the car with our southern reg. This was about 9 or 10 years ago now though.

I live an hour away from the border with NI. If I'm honest, I find NI quite underwhelming. I've been up quite a lot. The roads are crap.

Was at a wedding in Cookstown in 2008 but didn't get a proper chance to sightsee. Would love to go over for a week and explore.

Grandad on my mum's side is originally from Newtonards.

There's still plenty of places in northern Ireland that Catholics wouldn't be welcome.

Where are they? And how would anyone know? I haven’t heard my Catholic family members (who are in mixed marriages) mention no go zones.

It would be a me problem if I wanted to go. I don't.

I suppose the places with lots of union jacks and kerbs painted red, white, blue wouldn’t feel particularly welcome to some?

I really like NI, specially Belfast.

@Cilliana Are they towns where tourists would go? Near the Giants Causeway or Loch Erne? Just so I know.

Yes! It’s on my list to go back. I had a few days there for a wedding years ago and really wished I’d had a bit more time to explore.

Just like there are places that protestants wouldn’t feel welcomed. In reality nobody living in those divided areas (nowadays thankfully few and far between) would really care which side of the fence you are from as long as you are minding your own business and not actively looking to cause trouble.

Yes I would love to visit Northern Ireland one day. My friend went there on holiday a few years ago and said it was beautiful. I'm in the east of England so would probably need to fly, even though I'd prefer to take a ferry.

Sorry, I don’t know the areas well enough to comment on specific towns @TizerorFizz

They aren't

Love NI and love London.
My bestie lives in Belfast.

one of the best holidays we had was to N. Ireland. Belfast itself was so interesting and the surrounding landscape/coastline etc was beautiful. We went just after lockdown when everything was a bit odd (limited numbers, eat out to help out etc) and people could not have been more welcoming.

I had completely the opposite experience - really safe and everyone was very friendly when I was there.