Northern Ireland Schools Tour

Titanic Centre - Belfast

First stop of the tour is the brand new Titanic Centre in Belfast. Belfast is where the Titanic was built at the Harland and Wolffe Shipyard where it was completed in 1912.

The new Titanic Centre is due to open in April 2012 to commemorate 100 years since the sinking of the famous ship. The centre is located in the shipyard where the Titanic is built. The new centre will rival Paris's Eiffel tower and Sydney's Grand Opera House when it comes to internationally recognised iconic structures according to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

One of the main attractions inside will be a 65-seater "four dimensional" flying theatre that will take passengers on a virtual dive down to the liner's final resting place at the bottom of the Atlantic.The rest of the centre will be split into themed galleries, each designed to take visitors through a stage in the Titanic story.

Halfway through this, the experience ventures outdoors to a balcony overhanging the dock the liner was launched from in 1911.An integral part of the project will be a memorial to the 1,500 people who died when the Titanic went down on her maiden voyage.

	Falls Road - Belfast

The next stop on the tour is the Falls Road which is one of the more famous streets in Northern Ireland, drawing many tourists all year due to its historic value. The Falls Road saw much violence during the Northern Ireland Troubles. There are many murals on the buildings around the area such as the Bobby Sands mural (Above left).

The Giants Causeway

A trip to Northern Ireland would not be complete without a visit the Giant's Causway. The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. Another story is that the Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner.

The Giants Causeway also has a visitor centre. It is an amazing sight to behold and should not be missed when in Northern Ireland.

Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge

A short coastal footpath leads to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. On the way, there are wonderful vantage points to stop and take in the natural beauty. The geology, flora and fauna have won Carrick-a-Rede recognition as an area of special scientific interest. Fulmars, kittywakes, guillemots and razorbills breed on the islands close to the rope bridge.

Carrick-a-Rede also boasts an exhilarating rope bridge experience. Traditionally fishermen erected the bridge to Carrick-a-Rede island over a 23m-deep and 20m-wide chasm to check their salmon nets. Today visitors are drawn here simply to take the rope bridge challenge!

The rope bridge originally consisted of a single rope hand rail which has been replaced by a two hand railed bridge by the National Trust. Sheep Island View Hosteldisplay a collection of old photographs of people doing stunts on the bridge.

Once you reach Carrick Island, the reward is seeing the diverse birdlife and an uninterrupted view across to Rathlin Island and Scotland. There is only one way off the island - back across the swinging bridge! Don't look down!