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It’s remarkable that I hosted two tours off the same ship on different days at the weekend. Seven Seas Voyager arrived early in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Sunday morning 3rd July 2022 around 5.15a.m. carrying Anne and Jay Stevens from Boston/Chicago, who toured with me on Sunday. But on Saturday I had Cindy and Kirk Bellack Pratt from New Jersey who flew into Belfast to join Seven Seas Voyager on a new cruise, starting Sunday evening. Yeah go work it out! I’m so dizzy, my head is spinning

Their tour choice

Both couples joined our Highlights of Northern Ireland tour over the weekend. On this private tour you can enjoy an optional tour of Belfast, taking in the Murals, the City Centre, the University Quarter and Titanic Quarter. Then we will follow the world famous Causeway Coastal Route, taking in the nine glens of Antrim and sea views across to Scotland (depending on the weather). You can marvel at the coastal scenery along the notorious Torr Head Scenic Route before your onward journey to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (viewpoint only) and then to the Giant’s Causeway. On your outward journey we take in the waterfalls at Glenariff, the Queen of the nine Glens of Antrim, and many more extraordinary sites that take you off the well beaten path. We can modify this itinerary to suit your individual needs through our CONTACT page.

This full day tour offers an intimate and emotional journey through the landscapes and places that inspired the Nobel Prize Winning Irish poet, Seamus Heaney. You will be guided through your experience by Fergal Kearney, who knew the poet personally and has many stories to tell of these inspiring moments.

Seamus heaney tour

This is a private experience by private luxury vehicle and will take you to many places referenced in Seamus’ poetry collections, most of which are known only to your guide. Those who have taken this journey with us have often been overwhelmed by the beauty and complexity of Seamus’ writing, read aloud to you by your guide in the very places that inspired them. You will also enjoy a visit to the Seamus Heaney Homeplace where you can immerse yourself in the life and work of the poet in his own words.

Fergal will take you off the well beaten path for an intimate and moving insight into the life and work of Seamus Heaney.

Walk through the fields of Tamlaghduff within sight of Seamus Heaney’s family home at ‘The Wood’, perhaps enjoying a chance meeting with one of his brothers; stroll through the ‘squeaking sedge’ on the Strand at Lough Beg, made famous in Seamus’ eulogy for his murdered cousin; gaze out over the vast expanse of Toner’s Bog, from his eponymous poem ‘Digging’, now returned to its natural state in the total stillness of Ballymacombs. Or simply breathe the Bellaghy air that Seamus himself breathed as you immerse yourself in the totality of his amazing sense of place.

Whether you’re a Seamus Heaney novice or a scholar of his body of work, this tour will be intimate, moving and arresting in equal measure, delivered with the characteristic humour, knowledge and subtlety of a fellow Bellaghy native.

Fergal says, “Having known and worked with Seamus Heaney over many years and having grown up in the same fields and lanes and knowing the same people in his native Bellaghy, I feel uniquely gifted to follow in the footsteps of the great man and to share his journey through my eyes. This is no stranger’s view of the poet in his place, but that of a generation that has been influenced by Seamus over the years and known him personally for decades.”

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Use the button below to book your tour, or use our Contact Page to get in touch if you would like further details on the tour.

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Not only does our Highlights of Northern Ireland tour take in the many locations that made Game of Thrones one of the most watched television shows of all time, now you can enjoy the locations featured in Holywood blockbuster The Northman. Sadly, all of the sets featured in this stunning movie have been dismantled, but you can still visit the many filming locations featured in this short documentary…and of course in full real life high definition on our best selling Highlights tour!

From visionary director Robert Eggers, The Northman is an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince into adulthood on his quest to avenge his father’s murder. Often cited wrongly in trade ‘bibles’ such as Variety as being filmed exclusively in Iceland, the entire movie was filmed in our beautiful Glens of Antrim and Mourne Mountains (bar a few sweeping Icelandic vistas). During 2019, many of our guests got first hand views of the amazing sets at Cairndhu and Torr Head – and later as we emerged from the unforgiveable lockdowns in 2021. Regrettably – or rather, predictably – the production company dismantled them later in that year.

If you want to enjoy these views for real, you’ll first have to brave the hairpin bends of Torr Head Scenic Route as part of our Northern Highlights tour. This narrow, winding road between Cushendun and Ballycastle is a contender for Northern Ireland’s most beautiful and challenging drive. It’s part of the Causeway Coastal Route, a terrific 120-mile road trip from Belfast to Derry, which forms a major part of my private tour, leaving from either Belfast or Derry.

Book your northman adventure now

You can immerse yourself in these two epic sagas including Holywood blockbuster The Northman that have captured the imagination of millions from all over our world. Take in these amazing locations on our day long tour of the amazing Causeway Coastal Route. Book now on THIS PAGE and Embrace a Giant Spirit.

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Enjoy a shore excursion in Belfast like Diana and Doug who travelled with us today. Two of the smaller cruise liners were in Belfast today, Fred Olsen’s Borealis and the Venus from Viking Cruise. I hosted the lovely Diana and Doug Hastings, from Nebraska USA who were aboard the Venus. A short day as they were boarding again at 4:30 but a truly enjoyable one for them both. On to Liverpool, then Dublin then Dover and home to America! Lovely day, lovely people, lovely ship! Loving what I do!

Diana and Doug enjoyed our Highlights of Northern Ireland Tour, which was shortened slightly to accommodate an earlier boarding time due to the tides in Belfast Lough. We made sure they were immersed in all that is best in our part of Ireland, with stops at The Andrew Jackson Centre and US Rangers museums in Carrickfergus. Further attractions included Carnlough Harbour and a call to the beautiful Ebb & Flow Gift Shop. Onwards to Glenariff Waterfalls, Carrick-a-Rede and Ballintoy Harbour then a quick trip back to board their ship in Belfast.

For further information on this tour and our bespoke tour options please use our Contact page.

Lovely day today with Tina Deeds and her partner Joel Konkel from Houston, Texas, USA on board the amazing Emerald Princess cruise ship in Belfast. I love it that so many people from around the world are booking these massive cruise ships to visit Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool et al, so fair play to those who over many years have persevered in selling these ports to the biggest ship operators in the world. And helping tiny operators like myself into the bargain. Thank you guys for an extra special day and happy onward adventures

What another lovely and life-affirming day today with Mary and Fred Simonton from Georgia, USA. From pickup to set down they were enthralled and moved in equal measure by the beauty of the place we all call home (pictured here at Bushmills Distillery). Back to Dublin tomorrow for both of these wonderful people and I thank them with all my heart for their generosity and kindness and I wish them all well in their future travels. Happy Birthday Mary and Happy Wedding Anniversary to you both in your double celebration in Ireland🙏☘️

 

Greetings from InSite Tours Ireland and welcome to our brand new Website. Apologies for anyone who has had difficulty reaching us over the last few months as the old site was crippled by gremlins and became unuseable. We hope this new site is user friendly and easy to navigate. Don’t forget to get in touch with us through our contact page if you need any help in planning your next Irish trip – we do much more that just set itineraries and can help you design your entire visit, or as much of it as you would like. Or indeed if you have any questions about our tours before you book! We look forward to seeing you soon on one of our remarkable journeys through the wonderful Emerald Isle.

Welcome to our New Website