Northern Ireland

A Troubled Past with a Hopeful Future

NOrthern ireland checklist

 

So looking forward to traveling with you at the end of the July! I know emails can get lost, so I’m compiling all the necessary information here so you have it in one place.

One note on cost: your tour cost covers hotels, charter bus, driver/guide, some meals, and group/speaker honorariums. It does not cover most meals, entry fees for optional sites, or tips for the guide/driver. Why is this? Two reasons:

  1. There were requests to keep the tour cost under $3,000, and this was the only way to accomplish that.

  2. Because of certain dietary restrictions and varying interest in sites, I decided to allow people to order what you like at the restaurants rather than operate on a pre-selected, pre-paid menu. And I know that not everyone will want to visit all the heritage sites. Since we have not prepaid for those sites, you’ll have the option to choose which sites you visit.

Please be sure you’ve read and completed all the below!

  1. Passport
    Make sure your passport does not expire within six months of returning to the U.S.!

  2. Flight information
    Input your flight info here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWc9CdrEgY0a7-sg02ZJH08OCBHHZ7KCaw1TiKT8Fax9XVZg/viewform

  3. Get your visa for the UK (Northern Ireland is part of the UK)

    Each person needs to have an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) as it is a requirement for entry to Northern Ireland for travelers entering directly or via the Republic of Ireland. As we are going from Dublin to Derry/Belfast, we are required to have one.

    It costs £10 (British Pounds) and will be linked to each traveler’s passport. It will last for two years or until your passport expires – whichever comes first.

    Below is the link to the official government application website:

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

  4. Join the WhatsApp Group
    I’ll communicate with you all via text when we’re traveling. Please download WhatsApp and join this group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IHc2LNwYIpg8I2EmNFzyqt

  5. Submit a story idea for Tenx9 in Belfast (OPTIONAL)

    On Friday night in Belfast, we have the great privilege of getting to attend Tenx9, a 15-year public storytelling event where 9 people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their lives. Paul, the cofounder and host, is running a special Tenx9 for us. Typically, there are around 200 people who come, so it may well be a packed house. The theme is “America.” Any story you have from your life that has something to do with America (think less patriotic story and more about the particularities and peculiarities of being American), you are welcome to submit.

    You’ll send your idea here.

  6. Download Add-On Itineraries (OPTIONAL)
    These itineraries are totally optional, and not ones you’d do with me. They are just a free offering to you should you want to plan additional travel in Dublin or the rest of Ireland on your own. They are just my recommendations—take what you like.

 

Tentative itinerary

Monday, July 28 — Arrival & Transfer to Derry

  • 13:30 – Pick-up from Dublin Airport

    • Scenic drive north with lunch & a short stop in Armagh

  • 18:30 – Dinner reservation at hotel


    Accommodation:     Roe Hotel, Derry

Tuesday, July 29 — North Coast ExploratioN

  • Breakfast at hotel

  • 11:00 – Private visit to Corrymeela, Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation community

  • 13:00 – Lunch on-site at Corrymeela

  • 14:00 – Tour & tasting at the world-famous Bushmills Distillery

  • 16:00 – Walk the iconic Giant’s Causeway coastline

  • Evening: Return to Limavady for dinner on your own

    Accommodation: Roe Hotel, Derry

Wednesday, July 30 — Derry to Belfast

  • Breakfast & check-out

  • Morning walking tour of Derry City’s rich and complex history, with a focus on the events of Bloody Sunday, led by a man who survived it

  • 13:30 – Lunch stop at historic Friels Pub (see the famous Famine Pot)

  • Afternoon transfer to Belfast & hotel check-in

  • 18:30 – Group dinner at the hotel

  • Head to the pubs for traditional Irish music


    Accommodation:     Ten Square Hotel, Belfast

Thursday, July 31 — Belfast

  • Breakfast at hotel

  • 09:30–10:30 – Visit to Wave Trauma Centre to hear about working with traumatized people due to the conflict

  • 11:00 – Guided Belfast Walking Tour (Peace Walls, murals, history of The Troubles)

  • Lunch on your own in city center

  • 4:00–6:00 – Special conversation with Jo Berry (daughter of British politician killed in Brighton IRA bombing) — a rare and powerful dialogue on reconcilitation & peacebuilding

  • 17:30 – Group dinner at hotel

  • Head to pubs for traditional Irish music


    Accommodation:     Ten Square Hotel, Belfast

Friday, August 1 — Day Trip: Downpatrick & Newcastle

  • Breakfast

  • 10:30 – Visit to St. Patrick’s Centre, Downpatrick

  • Afternoon scenic drive to Newcastle: explore Tollymore Forest & Murlough Beach

  • Late lunch in Newcastle

  • Evening free for dinner on your own near Cathedral Quarter

  • 19:00 – Attend Tenx9 Storytelling event at The Black Box (a local favorite!)


    Accommodation:     Ten Square Hotel, Belfast

Saturday, August 2 — Belfast Culture

  • Breakfast

  • 10:30 – Visit to Cultúrlann (Irish language and cultural center)

  • 11:30 – Lunch at Cultúrlann café

  • Afternoon: Choose your museum adventure: Titanic Museum, the Ulster Museum of History, the Botanic Gardens

  • 18:30 – Group dinner at Millars Seafood and Grill in Belfast’s city center

  • Trad music in the pubs again if you like


    Accommodation:     Ten Square Hotel, Belfast

Sunday, August 3 — Reflection & Farewell

  • Breakfast

  • Free Morning for relfection (optional Mass at Clonard Monastery or St. Malachy’s)

  • Visit St. George’s Market for great food and local crafts and fares

  • Afternoon: Free time for last-minute exploration & relaxation

  • 18:30 – Farewell dinner — private dining in the Flax Suite at hotel


    Accommodation:     Ten Square Hotel, Belfast

Monday, August 4 — Departure Day

  • 08:00 – Group transfer to Dublin Airport

  • Return flights to the U.S.

Where We’ll Stay

Ten Square Hotel*

Gorgeous spot in the heart of Belfast. Perfect for what we need.

*Subject to availability

Some of the organizations we will meet…

  • The Corrymeela Community

    Ireland's oldest peace and reconciliation center. Sits on the cliffs of the north coast. Hosts 11,000 people a year for its peace programs.

  • Jo Berry

    Jo Berry's father was killed by an IRA bomb. Her story of befriending the man who killed her father is extraordinary.

  • Cultúrlann

    Cultúrlann is a vibrant Irish language and cultural arts center, dedicated to promoting Irish heritage through arts, language, and community programs.

  • The Wave Trauma Center

    A leading organization in Northern Ireland that provides counseling, advocacy, and support to individuals affected by the Troubles and other conflicts. It plays a crucial role in promoting healing and reconciliation through inclusive services and community education.

  • Clonard Unity Pilgrims

    A group of Catholic parishioners who regularly attend Protestant churches on Sunday mornings to shorten the religious distance between each other.

  • Tenx9 Storytelling

    A long running community storytelling event where 9 people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their lives.

MEET YOUR LEADER—MICHAEL

Michael McRay first traveled to Northern Ireland in 2012 for his grad program in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation. Now, he’ll make his 5th trip.

Michael heads the Istoria Institute, a Global Center for Narrative Intelligence, and is the founder of Becoming Restoried, an experiential coaching practice for people seeking to reconcile with their life stories. He’s a Certified Experiential Coach (ISEP), holds a masters in conflict resolution and reconciliation from Trinity College Dublin in Belfast, and a B.A. in History from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. He has taught courses on storytelling and international conflict resolution at Lipscomb University.

He is the author of numerous books, including I Am Not Your Enemy: Stories to Transform a Divided World, which won the 2020 Best Book Award in Social Change from the American Book Fest. This book features two chapters of stories about Northern Ireland.

Michael is a dad to a 4-year-old and lives in Nashville, TN.

Michael in 2012 in grad school in Belfast. 2012. Pictured with Alistair Little (former UVF paramilitary) and Wilhelm Verwoerd (grandson of South Africa’s ‘architect of apartheid’)

Michael in 2015 with his friend Pádraig Ó Tuama, whom we will connect with on Zoom before the trip.