September 20, afternoon.

Morning in Belfast at Crumlin Road Gaol—A day trip to Carrickfergus Castle ruins—Swift Pool Hall for a half—Central Bar for steak and ale pie—Back to Belfast—A musical evening in Kelly’s Cellar Bar

The ruins of the medieval castle of Carrickfergus are just a short distance from Belfast north along the Coastal Causeway Route of Ireland, UK.

Life size bronze statue of King William III outside Carrickfergus Castle.
A guard dressed in medieval costume prepares to call out, “Who goes there?”The brochure from Carrickfergus Castle showing the floor plan of the castle proper.
The king on the loo.
A view of the harbour and ramparts of the castle.
A window looking out to the sea.Placed around the castle are signs showing the castle at various stages of being.
The canon is a rare example of an early 17th century weapon and has the Tudor Rose motif imprinted on it. (The most famous Tudors were Henry the VIII – he of the many wives, and Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen.)
The museum in the castle had this old wax seal…
and a medieval board game.Nearby the castle was the Central Bar of the town of Carrickfergus, with an interesting selection of beer.
We both had the Steak & Ale Pie with Chips, Gravy and Garden Peas. 
After that it was back to Belfast, following up on a recommendation from a bunch of old guys in Bittles Bar, who told us that Kelly’s Cellar Bar was the oldest licensed pub in Belfast with Irish music most every night. A lit-up line led us straight there. Not your typical tourist spot.
More on our 2015 trip to Ireland.