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Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 2010-06 > 1277182127


From: "John Polk" <>
Subject: Re: [S-I] New CD Rom Londonderry databases
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:50:06 -0400
References: <380-22010622204449593@earthlink.net>


I ordered the CD from UHF last Thursday (17 June) along with two books.
Postage and handling for the lot to US is £6.70 (about $10). I will let
everyone know when they arrive, as a test case. I have ordered a few other
items in the past from Northern Ireland and never thought they took that
long.

I just got back two weeks ago from a week traveling through Ulster, mostly
Antrim, Derry/Londonderry and Donegal, by car, and never had a more relaxed
vacation. Super places, super people, super scenery, even super food.
Stayed at B&B's every night. Didn't plan ahead, just worked it out a day at
a time, which I had been advised (by folks from this list) would work fine,
and it did. There were four of us - my wife, son, daughter and myself - and
it wasn't a genealogy trek; just taking in the sights. We quickly got into a
pretty standard routine - the usual great B&B breakfast, then a couple
sightseeing/tour objectives but no hard schedule. We just took our time with
whatever we felt like doing. At some point we would pick a B&B from our tour
guidebooks, call ahead to make reservations and aim at arriving there about
6:00 - 7:00 in evening. After checking in we would get a recommendation from
the B&B keeper about where to go for dinner and always got good advice. My
son and I would usually end the day by walking to the nearest pub for a pint
after we got back from dinner. (They have gotten very strict about drinking
and driving.) We found that the Guinness is just as good in the north as it
is in the south. There was never a problem and all the places we stayed
were, clean, comfortable and run by warm, friendly, helpful people. The only
negative was the car I got (Opel Zafira) which was a bit large for some of
the back roads we took and had a manuel shift that took a long time getting
the hang of.

What was really nice is that nowhere did it feel rushed, crowded or
touristy.We saw some of the most gorgeous places I have seen anywhere in the
world and they were always very uncrowded and unspoiled. A good example is
the iron age ring fort, the Grianan of Aileach, about 7 miles west of
Londonderry. This is one of the most spectacular vistas you will find
anywhere and also a very historic site, being the ceremonial seat of the
O'Neill family. Amazingly it is hardly advertised at all. We couldn't find
any road signs saying where to turn off the main road and had to ask about
it at a local hotel. The access road is a fun ride - it keeps climbing
upwards forever, and mostly has to be done in 1st gear. When we got to the
top, there was no one else there at all, no other visitors, no guides, no
entrance fees. Just a cattle gate to go through and walk the rest of the way
into the fort, a massive circular rock structure from which you can see
Lough Swilly, Lough Foyle, Inish Owen, Errigal Mountains and much of
Donegal, Tyrone, and Londonderry. The view just takes your breath away,
worth the price of the trip all by itself, especially if you are there on a
good day. You can't really capture it with a photo but there are some good
ones here -
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=250809364137&v=photos

Another thing that really struck me was the absence of any signs indicating
when you cross the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. None at
all. The only tell-tale is that the distances and speed limits suddenly
switch from miles and mi/hr to kms and km/hr, or vice versa. I think this is
very symbolic of how far things have come in the last decade. There may be
two different countries, but it is only one island.

A great place to visit - hope everyone has the chance to go there.

John Polk
Maryland USA



----- Original Message -----
From: "Carolyn Hughes" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, June 21, 2010 20:44
Subject: Re: [S-I] New CD Rom Londonderry databases


> Linda
> Thanks for always explaining things so well : why receiving orders takes
> so
> long and costs so much and why my husband and i could never find a tour
> that included Northern Ireland--not that he minded --he was sure we'd be
> shot dead and I was sure we'd crash and burn with him driving on wrong
> side
> of road. Sad to say we'll never go now -he's been dead almost 6 years now.
> Carolyn
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: <>
>> To: <>
>> Date: 6/21/2010 3:31:32 PM
>> Subject: Re: [S-I] New CD Rom Londonderry databases
>>
>> Hi Robert (again),
>>
>> It's always been very difficult for us to get materials here outside of
> Northern Ireland. It's extremely frustrating. I am not sure why, though I
> have personally studied the matter (having worked in marketing <grin>) and
> discussed it with people like Martin McCausland when meeting with him (He
> was running the Ulster Scots Agency at the time.). It had produced some
> wonderful Christmas cards with Ulster Scots greetings. Very nice, very
> tasteful...I wanted to steal a few boxes from him! I adored them. Making
> them globally available was somewhere on his to do list, but far down. Of
> course he like everyone else complained about how isolated they were and
> 'ignored' and so on...well, gee....yeh! Still no cards, that I've seen.
> And
> usually I hear about these things fast. If I haven't, there's no marketing
> being done.
>>
>> I know the Ulster Historical Foundation regularly sends people over to
> speak at various genealogy groups on their services, but frankly, they
> still got no visibility. And there is no easy way to get their books,
> unlike Eneclann.
>>
>> I once tried to hire them to do some work for me for a client. They
> didn't respond to my email for 2 months (I had hired someone else who sent
> results). The response, from a clerk, consisted of an email of their
> webpage. I was furious. They can't hire people who can respond effectively
> to email queries. I gave up on them.
>>
>> However, getting back to my original rant, I don't know what the problem
> exactly is but it has proven to be very difficult to get money back to the
> Homeland for goods. Apparently all the Ferengii left in 1777..... A world
> market awaits you for about anything. I recall with delight some portraits
> of goats and chickens executed on shovels that I saw in
> Ballymoney....reminded me of my grandfather. Much nicer than the shamrock
> jewelry you can get anywhere (including here in Pittsburgh at the Irish
> export shop).
>>
>> I think someone asked what it was we wanted to buy during one of the
> trips and I said "everything." It seemed to my jaundiced eyes that about
> anything you liked I'd like. Our tastes are very very similar. You could
> make a fortune off of us. This is not something our Irish cuzzins can do.
> they've been trying forever, but much of the Irish trinkets are foreign --
> they are not us. It's a different culture, but you, my boy, you are us.
>>
>> And we want the CD but not for close to twice the price after a long long
> wait....
>>
>> Northern Ireland is such a strange place. I recall the ranting from a B&B
> owner in Ballymena. The local tourist agency didn't even have a phone
> number. It was impossible to book a room through them. It had been this
> way
> for years. No one seemed to be able to make it work. Kind of like the
> tourist agency in total -- foisted off due to politics on the South, which
> ignored it for years and didn't book tours there at all.
>>
>> Once I was flying over and thought I'd see if Aer Lingus had a flight. Of
> course they never flew to Northern Ireland and tried to talk me into
> landing at Shannon and taking a BUS to Belfast. I gotta tell you, after a
> trans oceanic flight, I do not feel like getting on a bus and rolling
> through the hills of Ireland (or anywhere else). With hourly flights from
> Heathrow to Belfast, that's how I go, and not on Aer Lingus. Now this is
> turning into a long rant, so I better stop....... Avoiding Shannon airport
> is important....I recall a flight to France (ex husband is French) via Aer
> Lingus (ex husband booked it ....maybe one reason he's an ex <grin>) ....5
> stops. 5 breakfasts (all bad that day) before we got to Paris.....Boston,
> Shannon, Dublin, London, Paris. Arrrg!!! Every one serving a bad
> breakfast.
> I should try it now: probably get no food at all......Then I've have
> something to complain about.....
>>
>> Cheers!
>>
>> Linda Merle
>>
>>
>>
>>
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