On the Belfast stop of the Summer 09 UK Blogging Tour, I spent a morning at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. I only had time to visit the Folk Museum where there’s a recreation of a typical Irish town from around 100 years ago, called Ballycultra. The video below is of the pub, hardware store, pharmacy, drapers and confectionary store. There are other attractions such as cinema, bank, post office and an operational tearoom. Rides on a horse drawn cart are available on some days.

The most enjoyable part of my visit was in The Rectory watching Mabel preparing the the soda bread, baking it over the open fire and then tasting it. Next we were treated to Mabels’ spellbinding recital of a traditional Irish tale “The Changeling” about a baby secretly exchanged for another.

Opem Fire at The Rectory, Ulster Folk Museum

Admission to either the Folk or Transport Museum is £6 for adults and £3.50 for kids/concessions, or if you wish to visit both the price is £7.50 for adults and £4 for concessions.  You can reach the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum by train or bus, if you drive there is free parking. You could easily spend a whole day exploring the Rural Aarea which has a Corn Mill, a weaver’s house and a farm, I didn’t even have time to look at the Transport Museum.

Have you visited the Ulster Folk or Transport Museum, what were the highlights of your visit?

Europe a la Carte Summer 09 UK Blogging Tour sponsored by