Northern Ireland emerges as a tourist hot spot

Since the Good Friday Peace Accord of 1998, Northern Ireland has morphed from the land of "Troubles" to an up-and-coming tourist destination.

Before that, sectarian violence between Protestants and Catholics made headlines around the world as Loyalists to the British Crown battled those who wanted Northern Ireland free of English rule. Skirmishes between the British military and paramilitary forces broke out on a regular basis.

The Good Friday agreement, however, ushered in equal rights, legitimization of the Irish language, demilitarization and arms decommissioning. As a result, violence subsided and the streets of Belfast and Derry became safe. With peace came economic prosperity.

Investment companies formed to develop and reconstruct vast areas of Belfast. New restaurants and bars opened; more jobs resulted in a population with more sterling to spend.

Suddenly, 19th-century Ireland's most industrial city became a bustling European hot spot.

The airlines have helped. Belfast is Aer Lingus' new hub, making it a popular weekend getaway for Europeans who come for the food, drink, attractions, shopping and entertainment. (One of the U.K.'s biggest Ikeas just opened nearby and throngs of shoppers arrive from the Republic of Ireland.) On Thursday, a new mixed-use Victoria Shopping Centre opened, with leisure facilities, apartments and over 70 retailers.

FAR FROM FAMINE

It's hard to imagine that a century and a half ago, famine forced millions to flee Northern Ireland when today the country's food is so plentiful and tasty that food tourism is one of its many draws. Seafood such as monkfish, oysters and mussels, together with local cheese, beef and produce, form a larder for the region's fresh, innovative menus.

Don't miss Belfast's restaurant scene. Malmaison Belfast, housed in two former warehouses near the River Lagan, sports a stylish hotel, bar and brasserie, which in addition to the regular menu features a popular and reasonably priced local one. Chef Colin Manson uses producers like Maurice Kettyle for his locally reared and aged beef, Bob Couhoun for organic tomatoes and Courtney's Orchard for local Armagh apples.

MAGNET FOR EUROPEAN VISITORS

A decade ago, even locals wouldn't venture into Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. The neighborhood stood derelict, victim of severe economic decline and years of sectarian violence between Catholics and Protestants. Now it's the city's art and entertainment center, and brand new restaurants, like No. 27, cater to visitors and natives alike.
source:http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/travel/2008/03/09/2008-03-09_northern_ireland_emerges_as_a_tourist_ho.html