Have you ever been to Northern Ireland?

SharpshooterTom

I'm just curious what percentage of people from the Republic have actually ever crossed the border up here into the north?

I was just thinking from my 16 years of living in NI, I've never actually been further south than Dublin. Infact the only time I have been further south than that was as a 10 year old (still living in England at the time) visiting my aunt in Tipperary, and other than that time I've never been that far south. Never been to Cork, Kerry, Clare and at least 10 other counties in the ROI. Pretty pathetic given I'm pretty well travelled globally (25 countries).

Now come to think of it, I don't hear that many southern accents up here in the north, it is pretty rare, its more common to hear an English accent or even a Scottish accent at times, even at my time at queens Belfast there were very few students from the south (a few from Monaghan and Donegal maybe).

Since I've a habit of starting completely pointless (possibly even inaccurate?) polls I thought I've do another one , and I haven't seen a poll on this before so I thought I'd try it here.

Oh btw, for the purpose of the poll, just driving through it/not staying a night, counts.

Lady Spangles

I'm from England originally, but I live in Northern Ireland. Before settling in Belfast I travelled the whole country from coast to coast (this would be late 90s). During that trip I visited all 32 counties. Even back then, when the North was still a little turbulent on the political front, it stood out to me. Just loved the place.

Birneybau

Aye.

Reputable Rog

I've only 1 county left to visit on the whole island and it's proved very elusive. The 31st was elusive but I eventually cracked it.

Didas

Reputable Rog wrote: »

I've only 1 county left to visit on the whole island and it's proved very elusive. The 31st was elusive but I eventually cracked it.

Is it Leitrim?, because we're still debating whether that place actually exists

Birneybau

Reputable Rog wrote: »

I've only 1 county left to visit on the whole island and it's proved very elusive. The 31st was elusive but I eventually cracked it.

Brigadoon?

Skommando

It's only a hour up the road, but it might as well be a million miles away for all the real knowledge people in the republic have about it.

Widdershins

I have been to Northern Ireland. I met too many suspicious, nosy people to bother going back. There's a totally different atmosphere up there. It's understandable considering the history, and I also met great people. But it's offputting

mansize

Reputable Rog wrote: »

I've only 1 county left to visit on the whole island and it's proved very elusive. The 31st was elusive but I eventually cracked it.

me too- Kerry

Skommando

Widdershins wrote: »

I have been to Northern Ireland. I met too many suspicious, nosy people to bother going back. There's a totally different atmosphere up there. It's understandable considering the history, and I also met great people. But it's offputting

pretty ignorant and bigoted view of NI, exactly like you are accusing them of.

Widdershins

Skommando wrote: »

pretty ignorant and bigoted view of NI, exactly like you are accusing them of.

It was my experience. I'm not bigoted at all. I don't prejudge anyone in Northern Ireland. And it is true that they have had a turbulent history which could be affecting some peoples attitude. My friend from Down has said it himself. Is he ignorant too despite growing up in the place?

Having had a negative experience does not make someone bigoted. I'm not accusing ''them''-only the people I met who actually behaved suspicious and nosy.

theteal

Not been to much of it. Lived in Belfast and Bangor for a short stretch. Would have travelled through certain parts on the way to the gaeltacht up in Meenacladdy (spelling that in English is weird and possibly incorrect) as a nipper. I would like to go to Derry for a visit.

MilesMorales1

Who hasn't been to Northern Ireland? Takes me longer to get into Dublin city than it does to get to newry.

Elemonator

Been quite a bit. I'll agree with other Boardsies, there are nice people everywhere but there was a slight undercurrent of something odd in the North. I suppose it comes from years of discord.

The Backwards Man

I've been down south quite a few times, suspicious nosy gobshites everywhere you go. If we weren't riding Dublin stupid for everything we can get out of yis I'd be happy enough if the threw our hat in with the North and built that fcuking wall.

SharpshooterTom

Fairly unanimous results so far, pretty impressed, if you ask the average English person, I would say most probably haven't, unless they were in the army here.

Reputable Rog

tonygun wrote: »

Is it Leitrim?, because we're still debating whether that place actually exists

Londonderry.

Widdershins

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I've been down south quite a few times, suspicious nosy gobshites everywhere you go. If we weren't riding Dublin stupid for everything we can get out of yis I'd be happy enough if the threw our hat in with the North and built that fcuking wall.

Did you get asked what you were doing down in the south on five separate occasions in five different businesses, in an unfriendly way

Actually I admit there's an element of it here too..I have heard locals speculating about ''what's the northerner running away from''.

I don't think they ask you to your face here though

I won't see any response, unfollowing this as people are far too easily offended where none was meant

Skommando

Widdershins wrote: »

It was my experience. I'm not bigoted at all. I don't prejudge anyone in Northern Ireland. And it is true that they have had a turbulent history which could be affecting some peoples attitude. My friend from Down has said it himself. Is he ignorant too despite growing up in the place?

Having had a negative experience does not make someone bigoted. I'm not accusing ''them''-only the people I met who actually behaved suspicious and nosy.

That's stereotypes for you, and you could not be further from the truth. Spend some real time there. I lived there for five years, and found them, in general, to be among the most honest decent hospitable warm hearted people you could meet.

SEPT 23 1989

Their road finishing skills were a sight to behold the proper mix of asphalt and finished curbs but we caught up with them eventually

osarusan

Yes, few trips away and also on LOI football journeys.

A carful of Limerick fans on the way to and from Derry (or Finn Harps) is a bleak slice of life.

Not stayed long enough to really get a feel for the place though.

The Backwards Man

Widdershins wrote: »

Did you get asked what you were doing down in the south on five separate occasions in five different businesses, in an unfriendly way

Actually I admit there's an element of it here too..I have heard locals speculating about ''what's the northerner running away from''.

I don't think they ask you to your face here though

I won't see any response, unfollowing this as people are far too easily offended where none was meant

Na, they usually tell you to fcuk off back to the UK or some crap like that, kinda hard for somebody from Donegal to like, but just shows the general ignorance of many southerners:)

davo2001

Yeah, was up in Coleraine in Co. Derry for a christning about 4 years ago, happened to me on the 12th July weekend, still alot of hate up there, and totally put me off the place, wouldn't be rushing back.

steddyeddy

Skommando wrote: »

pretty ignorant and bigoted view of NI, exactly like you are accusing them of.

Pretty accurate I'd say.

Atari Jaguar

Sorry OP... but I couldn't help notice you're missing a certain vital option...

NiallBoo

It's interesting.
Irish people often have a romantic idea of NI. An idea that only exists in people's heads but is what's real to them. Like how we secretly think Atlantis is a real place.

That place you hear about on the news though? That not real. Well if it is, it's somewhere else. Isn't that missing bit of the country that people have been longing for.

So why would you go up there? It's like some other country up there!

It is. And the cultural gap between the countries, how they've grown apart over the last 94 years really is huge.

So you back to your point. Irish and NIrish people tend not wander into the other country because really, they seem very, very far away.

The Backwards Man

osarusan wrote: »

Yes, few trips away and also on LOI football journeys.

A carful of Limerick fans on the way to and from Derry (or Finn Harps) is a bleak slice of life.

Not stayed long enough to really get a feel for the place though.

Why are you travelling through NI between Limerick and Ballybofey?

Elemonator

Reputable Rog wrote: »

Londonderry.

Only word in our spoken language to my knowledge that has six silent letters in front of it :eek:

osarusan

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Why are you travelling through NI between Limerick and Ballybofey?

No I wasn't.

Just that it's Derry's only rival in terms of a long, bleak journey home.

Bleak as in the last two times I went to Ballybofey, our striker broke his leg, and we got relegated.

Didas

NiallBoo wrote: »

It's interesting.
Irish people often have a romantic idea of NI. An idea that only exists in people's heads but is what's real to them. Like how we secretly think Atlantis is a real place.

That place you hear about on the news though? That not real. It isn't that missing bit of the country that people have been longing for.

So why would you go up there? It's like some other country up there!

It is. And the cultural gap between the countries, how they've grown apart over the last 94 years really is huge.

So you back to your point. Irish and NIrish people tend not wander into the other country because really, they seem very, very far away.

The poll on this thread suggests otherwise.

maudgonner

Atari Jaguar wrote: »

Sorry OP... but I couldn't help notice you're missing a certain vital option...

"Yes, but it was with Gerry Adams in a blacked out transit so I can't really talk about it"?

Quazzie

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Their road finishing skills were a sight to behold the proper mix of asphalt and finished curbs but we caught up with them eventually

Where in the Republic of Ireland outside of a village or town has kerbs or proper drainage solutions on their roads?

We haven't even begun to catch up on them.

Atari Jaguar

maudgonner wrote: »

"Yes, but it was with Gerry Adams in a blacked out transit so I can't really talk about it"?

I'm not a Garda please keep talking

Atari Jaguar

Quazzie wrote: »

Where in the Republic of Ireland outside of a village or town has kerbs or proper drainage solutions on their roads?

We haven't even begun to catch up on them.

Where in Ireland have we painted Irish flag colours on our kerbs like they've painted union jacks on theirs :rolleyes:

retalivity

Poll:Have you ever been to Northern Ireland?

Yes, every time i travel home to donegal.
At least I don't need my passport or get the car searched anymore (til brexit again anyway)

NiallBoo

tonygun wrote: »

The poll on this thread suggests otherwise.

That's ever.


OP was noting that they rarely meet Irish people in the north.

Most have been there but rarely. So, the phrasing if the poll doesn't really suit the purpose, where really frequency and time spent is what the question is about.
.

lawred2

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

I'm just curious what percentage of people from the Republic have actually ever crossed the border up here into the north?

I was just thinking from my 16 years of living in NI, I've never actually been further south than Dublin. Infact the only time I have been further south than that was as a 10 year old (still living in England at the time) visiting my aunt in Tipperary, and other than that time I've never been that far south. Never been to Cork, Kerry, Clare and at least 10 other counties in the ROI. Pretty pathetic given I'm pretty well travelled globally (25 countries).

Now come to think of it, I don't hear that many southern accents up here in the north, it is pretty rare, its more common to hear an English accent or even a Scottish accent at times, even at my time at queens Belfast there were very few students from the south (a few from Monaghan and Donegal maybe).

Since I've a habit of starting completely pointless (possibly even inaccurate?) polls I thought I've do another one , and I haven't seen a poll on this before so I thought I'd try it here.

Oh btw, for the purpose of the poll, just driving through it/not staying a night, counts.

I've been up quite a few times. Belfast and north Antrim.

Haven't been up north west though. Only county I've never been in the republic is Donegal. Need to remedy that.

Cupcake_Crisis

I lived in Belfast for 6 months many moons ago. I adored it tbh. The city, the people, the nightlife. I was miserable for about 2 months after moving home.

XsApollo

I drove through once from the the ferry in Belfast to home in the south on my bike.
I needed to stop for fuel
I didn't know where I was but stopped to ask 2 people I saw ,was there a petrol station nearby.
They didn't answer.
Met another couple walking bit behind them, said there a petrol station up the road in the village ,they gave directions.
Drove up got to the Main Street I'd say,
Every pole had union jacks ,footpaths and walls painted , flags everywhere.
I got some stares filling up, dunno if I was paranoid or what, but definatley felt uneasy being there and couldn't wait to get out :-D

Brussels Sprout

I've been there once. I made a point of going there after coming back from living in New Zealand. In other word's I had literally been to the other side of the planet but hadn't been to the northern bit of this relatively small island.

Sam Kade

The nearest I got to Northern Ireland was redhills in Cavan we were traveling by shanks mare and it was back when the border was patrolled.

Dr Crayfish

I was in Belfast once when I was 23, Euro 2004 was on. Anyway, the first pub me and my pal went into in the city centre, some guy started giving us stick, asking what Dublin people were doing there, then started to pretend to ring some heavies on his phone. We just left discreetly after that.
The next day some guys in a different bar started the same kind of racket. "Are you Fenians?". I don't think they've been around for 100s of years, not sure wtf a Fenian is anyway. These weren't knackery bars or anything.
It seemed like a pleasant enough place to walk around but nothing special at all, Dublin wipes the floor with it in every aspect.
Why would I go back? Nothing there for me and I had bad experiences, even though I'm sure there are lovely people. Also the accent wrecks my head.

On the plus side, on the Saturday night we met 2 birds from Dublin studying there who took us back to their place and gave us a load of Mexican mushrooms they got in Holland. I was tripping balls for hours and ended up humping one of the girls, but I remember being more interested in staring at the trippy Bob Marley poster on her wall than the sex.

Good times.

Muahahaha

Was up and down to Newry as a kid every fortnight in the 80s when sterling was very weak. Going through heavily fortified British army controls was unnerving but you got used to it. A couple of years back I did a roadtrip from Belfast right along the coast and then the ferry to Greencastle in Donegal. The Northern Irish coast is stunning and those who havent seen it are missing out.

Olishi4

No I've never been. I had really good intentions of going for a weekend in the Summer just gone, to see The Giants Causeway. Ive always wanted to see it but haven't got round to it yet.

suicide_circus

Northern? You mean like the ilac centre?

debabyjesus

Belfast is grim, tidy up the place a bit will ye

Cina

tonygun wrote: »

Is it Leitrim?, because we're still debating whether that place actually exists

Ah Leitrim, the mythical place that everyone's parents are from but where nobody actually lives.

It's where civilization started.

midnight city

I've been probably more than a hundred times, never had a bad word said to me. But i'm always aware of where i'm going and who im speaking to when there.

martinn123

My mother was from Finaghy, just south of Belfast, so I had loads of relations in the North.

First visit on my own was in the late 70's, got off the train, met by an aunt, who decided to give me a walking tour of the Falls, Divis, etc, and me carrying a back pack, got some strange looks

Later in the 80's I was wandering around Belfast with a camera bag, camera, lenses, film, all the gear.
Went through one of the checkpoints and got searched by a policeman
He remarked about the camera etc and said, don't take any pictures of the Army Boys, them fu##ers will shoot you.
Just as well it wasn't a digital camera as I had been taking pictures of Armoured Cars, and Soldiers all day.

Then I went up to stay with a cousin in small village outside Belfast. Arrived early, and wandered into a random pub for a pint. With my broad Dublin accent, the atmosphere went very somber, and guys were reaching for the phone.
So I says to the barman, I am staying with my cousin tonight, I think he lives on such a road, and dropped in his wife's name and one of the kids
Atmosphere changed, and I get a free pint from the barman.

Strange times, thankfully all changed now.

Noveight

Did a road trip of the northern counties last summer. Thoroughly enjoyed it. The Titanic centre in Belfast and the history of Derry city were the highlights.

Grandeeod

Lady Spangles wrote: »

I'm from England originally, but I live in Northern Ireland. Before settling in Belfast I travelled the whole country from coast to coast (this would be late 90s). During that trip I visited all 32 counties. Even back then, when the North was still a little turbulent on the political front, it stood out to me. Just loved the place.

Thats because you are from England.:D