A Day Trip to Belfast - Teresa Duffy

Wednesday 22nd June was the History Links day trip to The Ulster Museum, Open Top Bus and Belfast City Hall.

We the Raphoe gang gathered in the Diamond at 9.15 in anticipation of our journey to Belfast, we were like school children all talking and excited about "Our Day Away". The yellow bus arrived just after 9.15, we then had to wait on one of our friends to arrive, Kathleen the coordinator gave us our name tags and asked Paddy Joe Coyle if he had pins in the shop, so up Paddy Joe got out of his seat and headed over to the shop, he eventually came back with the pins. We attached our name tag, pins and all to our cardigans, jumpers or whatever was handiest! Kathleen by the way had her cardigan on inside out, so she had to change it and was quite embarrassed NOT!

The journey there seemed to fly by, the weather when we got to Belfast was lovely, we arrived at the Ulster Museum and had tea/coffee and a jumbo scone with butter and jam.

We looked around the museum, then went to the Wellington Park Hotel for soup and sandwiches. After the food we were asked to fill in a survey, pencils were handed out with the surveys, and after some chatting and exchanging views the surveys were handed back to Stephen, Ronan and Kathleen.

The open top bus arrived, but it was a closed double Decker bus, thank goodness as the rain started but was not heavy. The bus tour guide was great craic and very interesting indeed. We went up the Shankill Road and down it again and also the Falls Road very interesting to see the different cultures and colours.

We finished the open top bus tour at Belfast City Hall where a few went in around it and others went shopping, mind you one hour did not give enough time to see everything.

We boarded our own bus and headed down the M2 next stop was the Oak-leaf Restaurant, food was served and the craic was mighty. There was not a dull moment with Kathleen she was the life and soul at our table.

Back in Raphoe at 22.30 hours a great day was had by all... Thanks to Stephen, Ronan and Kathleen.


Photos: The History Links Group outside The Ulster Museum. The three men busy filling out the surveys in the Wellington Park Hotel. lf-rg Harry Wallace, John Patterson and Hugh Doherty.