| The People of the Land |
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Leave the glitz and glam of Northern Ireland's cosmopolitan cities behind and travel into the heart of the country to where "the people of the land" live and work. Discover a hidden rural lifestyle which has from the time of Neolithic farming, been the main lifestyle of the island of Ireland. A lifestyle which, while it has successfully progressed, still holds aspects of culture, tradition and lifestyle which helped shape the patchwork fields we have today. Spot the tumble down remains of old homesteads with their mud walls, small windows and porch door down a long tree lined loanin. See the old round pillars which once held the entrance gates to these family farms and from where many eimgrant sons and daughters waved their last farewell. Follow the pattern of farming from yesteryear to today as you learn about the various breeds of sheep, cattle and horses grazing the fields today. View the fields of tradional seasonal crops such as potatoes - still a big part of our staple diet today; oats for the traditional porridge and apples to add to the well loved apple tart! Travel through the rural villages with the church spire as the focal point, the village pub and where the locals still have time to stop and chat. Stop in and experience the banter at a traditional "farmers' livestock mart" a big part of our rural social scene. While today rural Northern Ireland is a successful modern farming business which breeds, grows and exports some of the finest produce in the world, farmers have successfully adapted their farms to respect the rich folklore of the land. Today the traditional "fairy tree" still reigns supreme on the land and ancient pre-christian burial sites still dot the landscape. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Allow me to take you on that personal tour of my homeland and enjoy a lifestyle which is still very vibrant in rural Northern Ireland today. Maybe you are travelling with a group and wish to do a guided coach tour with stop offs along the way at your chosen area, site.................get in touch with me and with your thoughts and my knowledge of farming and the area we can plan that "trip down memory lane". Looking forward to hearing from you. Barbara
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