Why dentists hate Antrim

Advantages: An accessible and relaxed coast, with a winning combination of attractive towns and stunning scenery
Disadvantages: Inland, Antrim has less to offer the visitor

...We stayed in Portstewart, which is just in Co.Derry rather than Co.Antrim, but our holiday still turned out to be an Antrim experience. Three towns, Portstewart, Portrush and Coleraine, nestle in a convenient triangular arrangement on in the middle of the north coast of Northern Ireland, bisecting by the border between the two counties. It’s amazing how often a plebeian resort has a more genteel neighbour. That’s certainly the case with the two coastal resorts, sedate Portstewart and brash, bustling Portrush, a kind of junior Blackpool. Coleraine sits inland from the two towns and is less of a tourist attraction than a retail and commercial centre, complete with its own University. Portstewart or Portrush would make ideal places to stay, for car drivers and non-drivers alike. We made good use of the 218 bus, which...

plwood 17.08.2001 · Read review
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Review of County Antrim (Ireland)

The Londonderry Arms Hotel. Co Antrim

Advantages: charming reasonably piced rooms and award winning food
Disadvantages: can get busy

...On a recent visit to Northern Ireland, I was lucky enough to be shown round by someone born and bred in Larne. It was on her suggestion that we paid a visit to the Londonderry Arms, a 3 star hotel with two restaurants in the charming and quaint harbour village of Carnlough. Carnlough is about 15 minutes drive north of Larne along the very picturesque coastal road otherwise known as the A8. History The Londonderry Arms has a rich and interesting history proudly available in leaflets amongst a wide selection of magazines free for perusal. The Londonderry Arms Hotel was built in 1848 as a coaching inn by Frances Anne Tempest, Marchioness of Londonderry. Frances Anne was the grand-daughter of Randall William, sixth Earl and second Marquis of Antrim. He was the great great grandson of Sir Randall MacDonnell, the first of that...

Funzo 17.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Londonderry Arms Hotel, Carnlough

Be Careful Not To Wake Finn MacCool

Advantages: Spectacular natural structure
Disadvantages: Cold, wet and windy iost of the time

...The Giant's Causeway is a must if you are sightseeing in Northern Island. It is an amazing natural stone walkway which stretches out into sea. It is world famous as County Antrim's 'wonder of the world' and although similar structures to this can be found off the coast of Scotland (Fingal's Cave) and in Iceland, this one is the most striking and awesome spectacle of them all. All around you is the wild and windy Atlantic Ocean, off the coastline of County Antrim. The Causeway itself looks like a stack of huge squared off blocks, all on top of each other. The fabulous colours of the rock range from bronze and red, to dark grey depending on the light and the weather. It is made up of more than 40,000 closely packed basalt columns. Some of these are as much as 90 feet thick. The highest columns reach about 40 feet...

jan007 09.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of County Antrim (Ireland)

Not For Any Special Day

Advantages: Reasonable price for B&B
Disadvantages: Staff don't nreally no what they are doing

...Comfort Hotel Antrim is a relatively new hotel which I resently visited. For a family meal before attending a family wedding recepition at the Hotel. It is a large hotel very close to Antrim, with easy access to Belfast and Ballymena and is very easily found. There is a large carpark at the front of the hotel, however I am unsure if it is attended or if there is an security. I did not notice security cameras or Hotel staff in the carpark, but I also never seen any disclaimer notices. Immediately in the front doors there are a lot of leaflets featuring Northern Ireland attractions. Then on into the main foyer, where there is a beautiful big open fire and comfortable chairs and sofas. However, it can be a bit tricky to spot reception. It took me a couple of looks around. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Although it can...

Nkerr 07.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Comfort Hotel Antrim, Antrim

Throwing Blueberry Muffins

Advantages: Believable language, clever concepts...
Disadvantages: Less funny than it should be...

...I loved the idea of The ?Verificationist?. It is written by the eminent Donald Antrim, who I adore and who is one of the New Yorker?s ?twenty writers for the twenty-first century?. It is tagged as being a stick-poking at the East Coast intelligentsia so bound by an academic web that their very existence relies upon its shimmering network. I have never found the elitism associated with the top of the psychoanalytic profession an attractive proposition, so a good old roasting by the laudable Mr Antrim sound like a rollicking old bit of fun to me. Sure enough we meet Tom, our protagonist and narrator: and a psychoanalyst?s wet dream he is too. Of course the beautifully simple ironic twist is that Tom himself is a psychoanalyst. Oh what fun is here. We are led by the hand as Tom takes his colleagues out to dinner in, of all...

Kirsty1 19.08.2003 · Read review
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Review of The Verificationist - Donald Antrim

Striding in the Steps of Giants

Advantages: Dramatic views clothed in the mysteries of both legend and science
Disadvantages: Access for the handicapped is necessarily restricted

...contest with another giant, the mighty Benandonner (whose name is also subject to variations in spelling), who lived across the Irish Sea in Scotland. The two giants challenged one another to a contest of strength, and Finn set about building a great causeway that would allow Benandonner to cross from his liar in Fingel's Cave to the beautiful shores of County Antrim without getting his feet wet. As this version of the legend maintains, late one evening the tired Finn, having nearly completed his work on the causeway, broke away from his labors and fell into a sound slumber--intending to finish his task the next morning. Meanwhile, Benandonner, a much larger giant with a longer stride, found the nearly completed path and strolled over to fulfill the challenge with his Irish neighbor. Oonagh, Finn's wife, was awakened from her own sleep by...

BawBaw 28.04.2004 (06.05.2004) · Read review
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Review of County Antrim (Ireland)

Family values...

Advantages: Imaginative, fantastical, ridiculous, ludicrous, wonderful...
Disadvantages: You may fall off the planet momentarily...

...? ***************************************************** Do you want to know if they find the patriarch?s ashes? Are you fascinated to find out how so many people are related, and quite what their parentage is? You do? Well I am sorry to say that I suspect this is due solely to my inability to convey the huge irreverence of the novel. Not so Donald Antrim. Mr Antrim is more than capable of conveying the notion that the importance, the significance of anything: including his words, is in the here and in the now. Outcomes matter not one jot, neither of course, does logic. So put away your questions for you will find no answers here. No chapter headings impede the flow of this novel as it is clearly designed to be read in one big rush. Do you think I am becoming facetious? Well I stand by my claim, because I contend that Mr Antrim is of the fabulist tradition where a chapter...

Kirsty1 25.04.2003 (17.10.2003) · Read review
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Review of The Hundred Brothers - Donald Antrim

The Giant's Causeway. Giants v's Geology

Advantages: Stunning scenery; A phenomena you won't see anywhere else
Disadvantages: Er, very tiring.

...Many, many, many years ago (you get the idea), the warrior giant of Ulster, Finn McCool was challenged to a ‘scrap’ with the Scottish giant Benandonnor. In order for Benandonnor to get across, Finn built a highway from Antrim to the Isle of Staffa, Benandonner’s home. One day after the highway was built Benandonner came over to Antrim whilst Finn was asleep. Finn’s wife realised that he was much bigger and stronger than her husband so she cleverly (what else would you expect from a woman) covered Finn with a blanket and a baby’s bonnet. When Benandonner arrived and saw the baby he didn’t stay around to see Finn: if the baby was that big then how big would Finn be! When he went back across to his home on the Isle of Staffa he destroyed the highway in his wake, and today the Giant’s Causeway is...

HappyBunny 28.07.2001 · Read review
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Review of County Antrim (Ireland)

One of Irelands main attractions

Advantages: It will keep you fit
Disadvantages: You will be very tired at the end of it

...Giant’s causeway is situated on the outskirts of county Antrim just besides the bushmills distillery. A place for those people that like walking for pleasure. While I was over in Ireland we paid this place a visit. On arrival we came to the entrance that was a very nice attraction. Just inside the entrance were a gift shop and a coffee shop where you could get refreshments. Beyond the main entrance was the start of the walk As we were walking we admired this beautiful rocky place and the view was unbelievable too. It took us about six hours to get all a round giants causeway something that I will do again....

paulloney 09.09.2000 · Read review
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Review of county Antrim - giants causeway

Coleraine and the north antrim coast

Advantages: Beautiful and loads to do
Disadvantages: rains alot

...Most people not from Northern Ireland tend to dismiss it when deciding where to go on holiday, which is a shame beacause of what the north Antrim coast has to offer! SIGHTS Obviously the giants causeway is a must see. Its very beautiful, and good fun to climb around it! Theres also a cliff walk around there with nice views, and a gift shop on site. You can get a bus from the shop to the causeway if you dont feel like walking (its a steep hill!) The carrick-a-rede rope bridge is a nice place to visit if you're not afraid of heights! This is a rope bridge between 2 cliffs which is open to the public during the summer. Don't worry - its entirely safe! Dunluce castle is so interesting to walk around. You can read all about the history as you walk around it. Lets not forget the beaches! Portstewart strand and white rocks beack...

rache123 23.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of Coleraine, Northern Ireland