Tour De Fred: Following Fred Sirieix’s trail through Northern Ireland and Donegal

Request a holiday brochure from one of our partners

I’m treading the paths and tire tracks left by Fred Sirieix, as his Tour de Fred: Northern Ireland comes to an end (which you can watch on ITVX). This five-part series has me pedaling from Dublin to Londonderry, then back into Northern Ireland for a taste of Inishowen.

This journey can be effortlessly repeated, regardless if you’re not planning to ride a horse. Sirieix embarks on Dublin via ferry (irishferries.com) with an enchanting ambiance, however, there are budget-friendly flights available to and from Dublin, Derry, and Belfast. Renting a car will provide access to some of Europe’s most breathtakingly perilous drives, but for safety reasons, it’s advisable to have a fellow traveler to share the wheel since it’s challenging to avert your gaze from the stunning landscapes like the Causeway Coast or the picturesque hills of Antrim.

Lodging options range from cozy family-run B&Bs to luxurious manor houses; meals will fill you up delightfully, whether it’s farm-raised meat (I can vouch for the excellent steak at Belfast’s MeatLocker; michaeldeane.co.uk/meatlocker) or fresh seafood. You can also try fish and chips from any of the top-notch chip shops in Bushmills, and enjoy them amidst the scenic ruins of Dunluce Castle by the sea.

In this region, the quality of the produce is so exceptional that even someone like me, who might be considered a jester in a kitchen, struggles to ruin it. At Wild & Fired BBQ School (lo-slo.co.uk), I’m learning the art of “dirty cooking” by placing my meat right on the embers – although I may not achieve Sirieix’s French flair, the outcome is nothing short of remarkable.

The quaint Wild & Fired establishment lies charmingly next to Lough Foyle, surrounded by Brook Hall’s gracefully sprawling gardens (brookhall.co.uk). In the concluding episode, Sirieix pays a visit to both places. Just like him, I receive a combined education in botany and history during the guided tour. However, the diverse walking tours offered within Derry itself serve as a reminder that its historic events aren’t limited solely to past centuries.

In this very place, I can’t help but be moved by the murals, the walls, the flags, the remnants of conflict like bullet holes, and even the humorous tribute to Derry Girls on a city center gable-end, all stark reminders of the turbulence that once gripped this city. Yet, I can’t help but marvel at how far it has journeyed since then, demonstrating resilience and transformation.

Apart from the lively atmosphere in Derry and Belfast, there’s a noticeably calm vibe elsewhere, particularly in the Mourne Mountains and Strangford Lough, located on the eastern tip of Northern Ireland. You won’t need strong legs like Sirieix to appreciate these beautiful landscapes.

Exploring The Mournes is accessible to those typically wary of footpaths, as their towering heights are balanced by lower slopes adorned with sparkling gorse and dotted with grazing sheep. These gradual, meandering slopes are intersected by effortless trails (walkthemournes.com). Meanwhile, a sense of calm unfolds at Strangford Lough where stand-up paddleboarding proves less challenging than it appears (Strangfordloughactivitycentre.com), leaving you serene on the mirror-like waters with playful seals as your companions, lounging on rocks along the tranquil shoreline.

In my final day of exploration, I yield to the allure of an electronic bicycle – a cleverly designed alternative. Armed with an eBike from grassroutes.ie and the extensive knowledge of my guide Peter, provided by discoverireland.ie/donegal/the-great-inishowen-derry-tour-experience, I embark on a journey through a breathtakingly beautiful landscape that seems plucked straight from a location scout’s dreams.

A patchwork of dilapidated farmlands, the melodious trickle of streams, serene cattle grazing peacefully, centuries-old Celtic crosses, imposing Catholic churches with stern facades, sprawling high peat bogs – and most vividly etched in my memory, the comforting waft of smoke from burning peat turves in those farmhouses’ hearths.

Today and this journey can have only one conclusion remaining. Earlier, I had caught a glimpse of the future of alcohol at the stylish, exclusive, celebrity-backed Muff Liquor Company (named after its home village of Muff; muffliquorcompany.com}).

At McGowan’s Bar, nestled in the quaint village of Redcastle called Culineen, time seems to have stood still, transporting me back to the 19th century. As soon as I enter, I’m greeted by the locals’ lively conversation. My Guinness arrives with a whiskey chaser, a shamrock etched in the frothy top, and a generous serving of gossip. Though it’s an overused phrase, here the cliché is delightfully true.