Belfast and the Antrim Coast of Northern Ireland make for good times both urban and rural no matter what the weather.
Gay and Irish. Imagine the deliciously humorous remarks resulting from THAT genetic combination. Self-effacing as always, the locals would probably say they are merely normal. If that’s the case, there’s no hope for the rest of us would-be comedians.
If Ireland remains one of the most under-appreciated of gay holiday destinations, Northern Ireland is even more so. Those of us who enjoy the intimacy of Dublin’s gay venues, the friendliness of Irish LGBT associations, or the ubiquitous smiles on the faces of friendly locals may not want the rest of the world to know that Dublin is as kinky as you want it to be. What other city’s sauna can claim having had to call an ambulance to take a customer to the hospital, that customer being a priest? Patron saint, indeed. No wonder his confessions lasted three times longer than usual. Belfast? The scene is smaller, which only means the locals are that much more appreciative.
Progressive and surprisingly multicultural, the Ireland of today is populated by more than a handful of handsome lad often underdressed in rugby gear to show off their thick thighs, much to the delight of thigh connoisseurs the world over. Chest men need not despair; the hard nipples insisting they show through a well-pressed Van Laack dress shirt worn by an up and cumming banker are no less in residence. Northern Ireland has never been hotter.
After decades of bad news, the good news is that Belfast is growing steadily and Northern Ireland is again an appealing travel destination attracting a growing number of visitors–and we know where money goes, homosexuals follow. In recent years, Belfast has seen entire districts rebuilt in 21st-century style; this is purportedly due to the one hundredth anniversary of the sailing of the Titanic (on 2 April 2012), which was built in Belfast and, as the saying goes, was just fine when it left.
Gay life in Northern Ireland has followed the same trajectory as the economy. There is a number of surprisingly stylish venues in which to socialise; they include Mynt, The Nest, and for ladies, The GloryBox. For more intimate socialising, there is The Pipeworks sauna—undoubtedly packed to the rafters on St. Patrick’s Day. For gay entertainment with your clothes on, Belfast hosts both a Queer Arts Festival and the Belfast Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Even the straight festivals in Belfast are gay; the Festival At Queen’s last November had Julian Clary dishing the filth to an audience composed almost entirely of senior citizens an audience that understood every joke, every innuendo, every sideways glance and responded uproariously.
A stay at The Merchant, formerly the Bank of Ulster, is alone worth a visit to Belfast. The magnificence of the public rooms in this former bank headquarters is matched by the opulence of the bedrooms as well as the Bentley that can take you around town in style with the stylish Hamilton Lowe of Spectrum Cars as your guide. The rooms are spacious, the decor grand and the location outstanding. Don’t forgo at least one dinner under the cupola of what was the Bank Of Ulster headquarters.
It would be difficult to speak of Northern Ireland without mentioning The Troubles, a politely understated euphemism that belies the intensity of a conflict that existed for decades and was heavily covered by the world’s media, however slanted or inaccurate the reports. Not unexpectedly, today’s curious travelers seeking to learn as they travel have made the stunningly moving and colourful political murals of Belfast’s Shankill neighbourhood a major tourist attraction. Not undeservedly. The many murals cover entire sides of buildings and artistically convey a deep sense of commitment, power, and loss. It is best to visit accompanied by a knowledgeable guide who can give the background information necessary to fully appreciate what you are seeing, as the rich symbolism may be undervalued by visitors unfamiliar with their meanings.
Some of Ireland’s most beautiful landscapes are found in Northern Ireland, making Belfast a great base for a day trip to the Causeway Coast in County Antrim. The Giant’s Causeway, a World Heritage Site, is an enigmatic formation of thousands of geometric rocks resembling a road into the sea, a road which mysteriously emerges on the other side of the water, in Scotland. Don’t let rain put you off; the fickleness of Irish weather may see you in a downpour one minute, sunshine the next, but that is part of the Irish experience and makes for dramatic photography. At the other end of the coast is Derry, Northern Ireland’s second-largest city, where the recently opened Museum Of Free Derry recounts the events of a grim day in 1971 when life in this part of the world changed forever.
The Irish Tourist Board has a wealth of information to assist visitors planning their travels to one of the most welcoming destinations in the world. Belfast is only two hours’ drive north from Dublin and it’s never been easier or faster to fly to Ireland thanks to Etihad Airways’ services from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane to Dublin via Abu Dhabi, capital of the very rich United Arab Emirates and well worth a stopover to or from Europe.
MORE INFORMATION
www.discoverireland.com
www.themerchanthotel.com
www.spectrum-cars.com
www.gotobelfast.com
www.belfasttours.com
www.gaybelfast.net
Etihad Airways
www.visitabudhabi.ae
Robert La Bua
Update: 25-06-14 web Addresses updated, formatting errors corrected.
