The Capital of the Causeway Coast – Book a walking tour of Coleraine

Castle tours, cliff path tours, tours of our world famous stones, island tours and now heritage tours – take a walk through the informal capital of the Causeway Coast with the team at Dalriada Kingdom Tours. Eleanor McGillie speaks with Mark Rodgers about the creation of this historic walking tour of Coleraine

Who would have thought tourists would be flocking to Coleraine to find out more about the provincial town which was man’s first settlement in all of Ireland? Well, they are and it’s all down to the work and research of tour guide Ray Boal from Dalriada Kingdom Tours who has made this latest Causeway Coast tour happen.

The heritage tours of the town, which were launched on June 30 by Ray Boal, focus on the significance of the history of this provincial town.

Mark Rodgers, owner of Dalriada Kingdom Tours, who recently picked up the winner trophy at the 2018 The Causeway Coast and Glens ‘People of the Year Awards’ in the Tourism and Hospitality category, says this tour gives visitors a real insight into the history of Coleraine and said he is extremely proud of Ray for developing such a unique experience.

Mark, who lives in Coleraine, said: “It hasn’t been done before and I know the significance of Coleraine, so, after doing research, Ray decided that the story of the heritage of the town was too important not to be told. So he created a tour which adds a new chapter to the story of Dalriada Kingdom Tours, and, the tours which we have hosted to date, have been hugely successful.

“Coleraine has always been known as the informal capital of the Causeway Coast and it was named by Ireland’s Patron Saint, St Patrick, and, it’s geographical location on the River Bann has been an attraction for 9,000 years.

“We welcome everyone on this tour. Coleraine is a fantastic town and it has a great story behind it. Anyone who has been on this tour already have loved it. Our guide Ray is fantastic in his delivery. We are always encouraging people to come to the Causeway and stay a while. Take this tour, visit the beach, eat in our local restaurants and take part in the wide range of outdoor activities. What we have on our own doorsteps is phenomenal and our heritage is to be celebrated.

“We are the people of the shores and everything we do celebrates those who have gone before us. Stories still need to be told and that’s what we are here to do.”

Tourists taking this heritage tour of Coleraine will hear how the old Gaelic world was shattered by the arrival of the Vikings and Scandinavian warriors around 800AD. The next notable invaders were the Anglo-Normans. However, the most lasting impression was the Plantation of Ulster by Scottish, English and Welsh colonists at the beginning of the 17th Century. The Flight of the Irish Earls to Spain had given King James 1 the opportunity to seize the vulnerable lands of Ulster so this began one of the most ambitious planned confiscations and colonisations in Western Europe. Coleraine was key to the success of this venture with its easy access to the North Atlantic and the interior of Ireland through Lough Neagh.

Within a hundred years many of the new colonists were on the move again to the English colonies of America in the New World, freedom of religious worship being a prime factor. And so began the Ulster-Scots 1718 Bann Valley Migration, Ulster’s loss being America’s gain resulting in consequences on both sides of the Atlantic.”

To find out more about Dalriada Kingdom Tours you can read more HERE

THE COLERAINE HISTORIC TOUR

1) This tour is suitable for couples as a private tour.
2) This tour is suitable for groups from 4 to 25 people.
3) A moderate degree of fitness is required
4) Proper outdoor clothing and footwear are recommended.

ITINERARIES

1) This tour can take up to one hour
2) This tour has to be booked in advance from the local visitors information centres.
3) Tour operators should contact us directly to arrange schedules etc

PRICES
1) Private tours for a couple are £10.00 per person
2) Group rates are negotiable, depending on the size of your group

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