From traditional music trails to seaweed baths, Aoife Carrigy gets the lowdown from locals on favourite places to visit along Northern Ireland and Ireland’s northern coastlines
The beauty of slow travel is having the space to discover local magic otherwise easily missed. Chatting with a farmer about some quirk of local history. Following a tip for the best seaview walks or trad music sessions or whatever you’re having yourself. Gold-dust moments like these unfurl on self-guided routes along Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route and Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, which pick up at Derry~Londonderry.
We asked locals along this northern coastline for their favourite gems on a route from the charming seaside town of Ballycastle, County Antrim, to the buzzing surf town of Strandhill, County Sligo.
Musician Micheál Ó Seanáin explains that the Ballycastle Traditional Music Trail was “born of the reputation and tradition of music in Ballycastle”, where “there’s been music in various bars since the mid-1950s and 60s” (currently Wednesday to Friday and the first Saturday of each month). Book on to the Saturday afternoon trail to meet a pair of experienced local musicians at a shoreside bar for stories and music. Over a few hours you’ll visit two more heritage pubs, learn about instruments from uilleann pipes to Irish bouzouki, share a song and even try some brush dancing.
