I wrote an article last year about installing MGF seats in Beryl, our 1973 Westfalia Continental, and promised a follow-up article about our trip to the Emerald Isle. (Editor notes – it was written last year but Member’s Motor articles were already in the pipeline, so the seats article is in issue 190!).

Sunday 20-08-23

We set off from Liverpool, on the 10.30 a.m. sailing to Belfast. Boarding the ferry was much easier than I’d anticipated. Beryl was already attracting the attention of our fellow travellers, and the new seats were getting a big thumbs up from Vikki and I.

We booked a cabin to make our trip onboard more relaxing as the crossing is 8 hours, and as luck would have it, our porthole overlooked Beryl, parked on deck in the August sunshine!

The crossing was smooth and comfortable, and disembarking into the Port in Belfast was very organised. What had I worried about?

Although hailing from Northern Ireland and having attended University in the city, I hadn’t been back to Belfast since 1996, so driving through the streets in a vehicle that was even older was a joy.

We’d decided to spend a few days in Belfast, so we parked at our city centre hotel, The Bullit on Church Lane. We ate in the hotel steak restaurant Taylor and Clay, which was fabulous.

Monday 21-08-23

We went for a morning jog through the city centre. It was a trip down memory lane for me, and jogging past my old University was a sight to behold after it’s multi-million-pound refurbishment.

We’d organised an itinerary for our trip, and first up was a 3.5-hour secret food tour of 6 notable eateries and watering holes in the city. It was fabulous, and the company of our guide and the other participants made it a truly memorable experience.  

Tuesday 22-08-23

Being centrally located, we decided to run past the Titanic Museum before visiting later in the day. We booked tickets for the museum and a guided tour and can thoroughly recommend this for anyone visiting the Belfast.  

Back in Beryl we headed out the Shore Road past Carrickfergus to our campsite at Carnfunnock Country Park.

Wednesday 23-08-23

After a morning run along the beach and a breakfast purchased in the famous Sawers Deli in Belfast, we set off along the Shore Road towards Ballycastle, a beautiful drive along the coast and through small villages.

We ate at the Look-Out Restaurant, the sister of the established Salt House restaurant and enjoyed an evening of fantastic food and drink accompanied by stunning views of the Irish coast.

Thursday 24-08-23

We had planned to make our way to Portrush, where I’d spent the summers of my youth working in a theme park called Barrys and my evenings in the many bars, but we were enjoying Ballycastle so much we decided to stay. The weather didn’t play ball, so we ended up cosied up in Beryl and watched episodes of Elementary on the projector.

Friday 25-08-23

Homeward bound a further 25 miles to Limavady along the coast to my hometown of Limavady to join up with my family.

A few days back home brought our trip home to a fitting end before we set off home on the Sunday 10.30 a.m. crossing to Liverpool.

Paul, Vikki and Beryl