A rollicking night at
Belfast’s Ulster Hall
Behind
the Wheel
a fEw pointErS for
navigating iriSh roadS
Get an IDP: though it’s
not legally mandated,
consider an international
driver’s permit. most
car-rental agencies
require one and it can
act as an additional piece
of photo id. apply at an
ama centre:
ama.ab.ca/IDP
28
Summer 2018
AMA inSider
Go small: Smaller cars
are better suited to
narrow irish roads. But
make sure you book one
large enough to fit your
luggage
PIck a sIDe: you drive
on the left in both
countries, but ireland
uses kilometres and the
euro, while it’s miles
and British pounds in
northern ireland
know your eta: driving
times on maps are
always the minimum;
traffic and construction
may impact the real time
Don’t sPeeD: the speed
limit is 120 km/h on
motorways, 80 km/h on
local and regional roads,
and typically 50 km/h in
towns and villages
Take a side jaunt to the
famous folk tale of Finn
town of Downpatrick before
McCool. It’s said that the
The man himself,
leaving Northern Ireland and
besotted 16-metre-tall giant
St. Patrick
finishing your epic Irish road
created the causeway to protect
trip. The town’s cathedral houses the
his ladylove, Oonagh, from a competing
burial site of Ireland’s most famous
suitor. Twenty minutes down the road,
son, Saint Patrick. It seems a fitting
be brave and walk the rope bridge
place to reflect on your Irish journey
above the ocean waves to the tiny
and ponder the road less travelled.
isle of Carrick-a-Rede. Reward your
bravery with a drop of Irish whiskey
at the nearby Old Bushmills Distillery,
Honouring the doomed ship at Titanic Belfast
Ireland’s oldest working distillery.
Next stop: Belfast, the capital of
Northern Ireland. Though it has a
storied industrial legacy, the city
increasingly draws artists, musicians
and other modern creators. Titanic
Belfast, a museum dedicated to the
ill-fated ocean liner, is one of the city’s
top attractions. It was constructed in
the newly developed Titanic Quarter,
where the ship was originally built.
The new zone at Belfast Harbour also
features the Northern Ireland Science
Park, as well as Paint Hall Studios,
home to the HBO series Game of
Thrones.
exclusIve extras: ama
members get discounted
rates when booking a
car rental through ama:
AMATravel.ca/Cars