Today was a day for goodbyes in Dublin. Almost everyone was leaving today either to head home or out to the area where their ancestors lived. Six of us headed to Belfast for a week of research. We had a 9:30 train out of Connolly Station and arrived in Belfast about 11:45.
The Hilton Hotel is just across the street from the train station which makes things easy, but the check in time is 3 o’clock. We stored our bags at the hotel and walked just a short distance across the street to St. George's Market. The building was built between 1890 and 1896. The Market is only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the Friday market dates back to 1604. You’ll find all kinds of fresh meats, fish, vegetables, as well as cheeses and condiments. Baked goods (including gluten free) and fudge are excellent (my favorites). It’s also fun to browse through the stalls of crafts, antiques and bric-a-brac and the prepared food stalls have anything you can imagine.
Those who were arriving just for the Belfast trip mostly flew in to Dublin (there are no good options from the US to Belfast…you need to fly through the UK). The bus from the Dublin Airport to Belfast is non-stop and takes about 2 hours, with Wi-Fi onboard. A few people flew through Heathrow or Amsterdam and that didn’t go quite so smoothly, however everyone is here. We had an early (5:30) dinner at the hotel so everyone could get off to bed. There is nothing scheduled until noon tomorrow, so I for one, will be sleeping in for the first time since I left home!
Happy Hunting!