DONT USE NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Where do i start?

...informed that the train had broken down and that it was going to limp to Dundalk were we would be taken by bus to Portadown. After nearly two hours on the bus we finally got to Portadown. If you are thinking about using Northern Ireland Rail - DONT! If the government want us to use public transport they will have to completely overall this network. As for me il be taking the car in future and using one of Dublin City Centre car parks and this would still be a hell of a lot cheaper than £110 it took for five of us to use the train!...

Sparkymac1983 06.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Northern Ireland Railways

Fancy a relaxing weekend?

Advantages: Peaceful location
Disadvantages: Cost

...I recently stayed at this hotel, as I needed a break, but didn't want to go too far away. This hotel is situated a few miles outside Bangor, on the Clandeboye estate, which provides a very peaceful background to the hotel. It's very easy to find, it's just off the main Bangor/Belfast dual carriageway, and the hotel is signposted. Once you reach the hotel, it looks very small, and looks almost like an old traditional schoolhouse, even though the hotel was only built in 1994. There is also ample car parking around the hotel and while it is a few miles out of the town, a taxi from Bangor train station shouldn't be too expensive. Upon walking into the hotel, you pass through a bar/dining area, one of the few complaints I have with the hotel, but the staff are all very helpful. Our room wasn't ready, but they told us to take...

fuzzibear 07.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Clandeboye Lodge (Bangor, Northern Ireland)

London type hair salon, in rural N.Ireland!

Advantages: Stylish, good hairdressers, friendly
Disadvantages: Pricey for N. Ireland

...First of all, please note that my opinion here is based on my experience of the Coleraine salon. Shek Hair Group is a chain of hairdressers located across Northern Ireland - it is present in Coleraine, Belfast, Ballymena, Larne (and possibly other towns that I am not aware of). It is evidently trying to be a stylish London type chain, even though it can be found in smallish N.Irish towns (like Coleraine). My experience so far has been fantastic. The Coleraine salon is stylish, laid out in a very modernistic fashion with the hairdressers dressed in smart black clothes (all of course with immaculate hair). The staff themselves are very friendly and all the cuts I've had have been great. I in fact wait to get my hair done here when I'm home rather than getting it done in London. The cuts I've had have been just as good as the London...

celticwiccagirl 26.01.2005 · Read review
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Review of Shek Hair Group (Northern Ireland)

Northern Quarter for the Northern Birds

Advantages: Stunning apartments, very clean, good price, very central
Disadvantages: Nothing!

...I love Manchester, and used to go quite regularly. Unfortunately money is tight so I don't get as many nights out down there as I used. When I do get down, I like to make the most of it. Last time I was in Manchester, we stayed at The Northern Quarter Apartments. The Northern Quarter The Northern Quarter of Manchester consists of High Street and the 'original Northern Quarter' on Oldham Street, which is slightly North of the Arndale Centre and Piccadilly Gardens in the centre of Manchester. There are loads of funky little boutique shops, which are amazing for vintage clothes. There are plenty of coffee shops ( the one next to Pop is quite relaxed and cool) and small sandwiches shops and eateries. The nightlife in the Northern Quarter includes bars like Dry Bar which used to be owned by New Order, the "modern burlesque" club Mint...

MurkyDismal 19.02.2009 (20.02.2009) · Read review
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Review of Northern Quarter Apartments, Manchester

Irelands hidden treasure

Advantages: Stunning scenery, good craic, not touristy
Disadvantages: Slightly inaccessible

...When you think of holidays in Ireland, what do you think of? The beautiful green farmlands of Tipperary, the dramatic peaks and lake-pools of the Ring of Kerry, angling in the River Shannon, or enjoying the craic in the vibrant capital city Dublin? All of these are undoubtedly staples of an Irish holiday, but if you?re looking for something a bit more different ? why not try County Donegal? In my opinion, County Donegal has the most spectacular scenery in the whole of Ireland: hundreds of miles of coastline with the highest sea-cliffs in Europe, beautiful beaches, and inland there are rivers, glens and bogland hills, not to mention the more barren ?moonlike? stretches of Connemara. The Rough Guide to Ireland raves about the country?s second largest county saying: ?the demonically daunting peninsulas of the northern reaches are...

Maia 14.06.2003 · Read review
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Review of Donegal (Ireland)

Save our railways!

Advantages: No traffic jams
Disadvantages: late, smelly, draughty, crowded

...Northern Ireland railways are a good idea in theory. The train's a good idea for those travelling outside Belfast into the city, as it's more relaxing (in theory) and there's no traffic jams to worry about. If only it was that simple..... NIR are well known for their lack of reliability in Northern Ireland. It's rare that the trains run on time, and because the stock is so old, they're very prone to breaking down. I have also heard the usual excuses, such as leaves on the line, and even the train my boyfriend was on that hit a cow along the track! They also seem to have developed a worrying trend of going on fire recently… The main problem in my opinion is the old rolling stock, caused by lack of funding within Translink, its parent company. Because of the age of the stock, the trains are generally shabby, and unkempt...

fuzzibear 05.04.2004 (26.09.2004) · Read review
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Review of Northern Ireland Railways

Advantages: Clean, Fiendly People, Good Atmosphere
Disadvantages: Quite far from airports.

...Enniskillen Enniskillen, Northern Ireland was my most recent jaunt. Located in lush county Fermanagh, on the Western Coast of NI, Enniskillen was a pleasure to visit, and somewhere i?ll be most content to visit again. Being from Derry, I don?t often get the chance to visit county Fermanagh, as it doesn?t border my home, and for a young person, it just doesn?t have the reputation of being an exciting place. But i sorely miss-judged Enniskillen. it may not be great for shopping or excitement, +++ First Impressions of the Town +++ I live near a city, so my first impressions were that the town was very small. However it was extremely tidy. Enniskillen is a town on an island, which makes it completely unique, everywhere you look, there is water, and you must cross bridges to get into the town and even more bridges to get to...

lulu2004 16.04.2004 · Read review
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Review of Enniskillen (Northern Ireland)

Middle Of Nowhere

Advantages: A wealth of pubs
Disadvantages: Not exactly scenic

..." and you’ll have had a decent cheap meal. Magherafelt has largely been by-passed by the worst of the troubles, although it has had three bombs (one with fatalities) and a recent shooting, but it does not have the heated sectarianism of other towns and people generally get on well enough. It also has Northern Ireland’s top school in "St. Mary’s", once the home of learning for…eh…me. Any connection with high performances in league tables has nothing to do with my results, however. Why anyone would visit Magherafelt fpr a holiday is beyond me, but it wouldn’t be a bad place to be stranded in, especially with the nice B & B on Church Street. It’s certainly a great commuter town for anyone thinking of upping sticks. I just thought I’d give my thoughts on the town where I spent my formative...

kfingleton 15.01.2001 (16.01.2001) · Read review
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Review of Magherafelt (Northern Ireland)

HAVE YOU GOT THE APPETITE OF A GIANT???

Advantages: Beautiful Scenic setting
Disadvantages: No childrens facilities

...We have visited the Antrim Coastal area in the past and have lunched at The Causeway Hotel, which is just outside the small town of Bushmills. We thought the hotel setting was spectacular and as we enjoyed our lunch, we promised ourselves that we'd return some time and stay here. We were visiting relatives in Northern Ireland in April 2003 and as it was our wedding anniversary while we were there, we decided to treat ourselves to a two night break to coincide with our actual anniversary date. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SITUATION The Causeway Hotel, Bushmills, Northern Ireland, as its name probably suggests, is situated on the cliff top above The Giant's Causeway. The small town of Bushmills is about a five minute drive from the hotel and yes, for the whiskey lovers amongst us, you can tour the distillery. It's only about...

Paul99ine 23.08.2005 (29.08.2005) · Read review
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Review of The Causeway Hotel, Bushmills, Northern Ireland.

N I R, back on track!

Advantages: Trains, ticket prices, friendly staff, efficient service - need I go on
Disadvantages: Could have more lines and a catering trolley on board trains

...shoddy and seemed to have an uncaring attitude to their job. Trains were always late and getting to work in the morning was a bloody nightmare - my boss did not need ask why I would be late twice or three times a week! Now, however, this company who operates under the Northern Ireland Transport umbrella company, called Translink, has gone from strength to strength as they are truly providing a great 21st Century transport service; although a consistent stream of future investment is still needed to expand the network further. Let's look at some statistics: In the past five years, expecially with the introduction of new trains, passenger numbers have increased by as much as 60 percent on some lines! This is some achievement, which is aided by the fact that Belfast and its surrounding areas are undergoing a major road upgrade project...

BarryLove 22.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Northern Ireland Railways