Northern Ireland: good things come in wee packages

[David Paul Appell]

On St. Patrick's Day, many of our thoughts turn to the Emerald Isle. But most still think in terms of the Republic of Ireland, from capital Dublin to iconic spots such as the Ring of Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, and Galway. Less well known – perhaps in part because it was off the tourism radar for many years thanks to the sectarian “Troubles” – is the six counties and 5,500 square miles (14,000 sq. kilometres) carved out of the Isle’s northeast corner, which has remained part of the United Kingdom to this day. These days, however, it’s been becoming increasingly popular as a destination – especially, it must be said, since many locations here were used to film the first three seasons of Game of Thrones (and you’d better believe they’re milking that one for all it’s worth). So here’s a quick primer…

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