It was a very brief time we spent in Belfast over the bank holiday weekend, and a day wasnt quite enough, but the opportunity to see the Giants Causeway and other highlights of County Antrim was too good to miss and so a lengthy stay in Belfast was out of the question.

The main focal point for travellers to Belfast tends to be the Shankill and Falls Road areas, centre of political acrimony and heart of divided loyalties in Ireland. The Troubles are represented in a far more colourful way than would be expected in parts of these areas, as despite the 30-foot high security wall separating Protestant Shankill from the Catholic Falls, both sides are ornamented with dozens of large, skilfully painted and very meaningful murals which adorn the vacant sidewalls of residences. The murals run the gamut of political expression, from reverent idolatry of slain heroes to the vehement castigation of hated enemies. Everyday life is not evidently troublesome or fearful for the locals, it is simply segregated, which is unfortunate in itself, but you get the impression from the rest of Belfast that the people of Ulster are preparing themselves for integration, and in time, the Troubles will be a sorry memoir of the past.

The remainder of Belfast central has some highlights too. The Crown pub is an attractive spot with its finely decorated ceilings, walls and partitions, and that establishment typifies many buildings around town. The City Hall particularly stands out.

One thing about Belfast is that it certainly doesnt seem to have the liveliness of Dublin (although admittedly few places would), as on the morning of the Australia-Ireland Rugby World Cup clash it seemed the entire town was dead despite the game being scheduled for a relatively comfortable time of 9am.

The trip up around the Antrim coast was a highlight. Carrick-a-Reade was a nice enough spot from where you could easily see the Scottish coast, and Dunluce Castle is a startling large ruin perched hysterically on a coastal cliff-top.

The Giants Causeway is the star attraction, and its pretty impressive, the eroding foreshore having left behind remarkable hexagonal-shaped rock formations that multiply amongst each other and create some truly unique formations such as accordions and staircases.

The Bushmills distillery is a must-stop, particularly as you are allowed inside the actual distillery, which you dont get at the Guinness factory in Dublin. A couple of complimentary shots at the finish of the tour and I was on my way home, accompanied by my flatmate Laura, who had managed over half a dozen shots in the same half an hour. My applause goes out to her that she contained the contents of her stomach!