Geotourist have launched a new digital audio tour Ulster’s Giants – Literary Heroes from Derry to the Lakeland. The literary trail will allow visitors to Derry/Londonderry and the Fermanagh Lakeland to immerse themselves in the lives of the literary giants that lived, learned or worked in the region.
Located in the West of Northern Ireland along the Donegal border, the region may be far from the buzz of the capital Belfast, yet it has played a hugely important role in modern literature in both the English and Irish languages. Visitors can use their own smartphone and the free Geotourist app to uncover more about authors, writers, poets and playwrights across the area including Jennifer Johnston, Seamus Heaney, Flann O’Brien, Benedict Kiely, Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde.
The region is dotted with towns and villages that celebrate and mark their literary heritage through festivals and events, but the digital audio tour lets visitors travel freely at any time of the year and experience the countryside that inspired Seamus Heaney to write his volumes. It also brings into sharp relief the concerns of writing in a disputed territory and shows that whatever else was happening in Northern Ireland, pen continued to be put to paper.
The tour stretches from Derry/Londonderry to Enniskillen and can also be taken in reverse, ending within Derry’s city walls. As the tour can be listened to from anywhere and on visitors’ own devices, there is the flexibility to take the Ulster’s Giants trail in a few hours, across a day, or over a longer trip that includes overnight stays. It is also ideal for visitors who want to explore beyond Belfast and keep going after completing the Atlantic North Coast route.
Geotourist founder and CEO Shaon Taluker said, “As a storytelling app, we are delighted to bring together stories of some of the greatest writers the English and Irish languages have ever seen. Ireland is known as the land of ‘saints and scholars’ so it’s no surprise that there is such a rich lyrical heritage born out of the rolling landscape and Lakeland that make this part of the planet well worth a visit. While there may be a well-documented giant on Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast, make sure that you travel further and explore the Literary Giants between Derry and Fermanagh.”
UKinbound CEO Joss Croft commented, “Tourism is a globally competitive business so the UK tourism industry is always looking for new ways to attract and excite our international visitors. Experiential tourism is becoming very popular and more and more visitors are keen to immerse themselves in the local culture. The industry is also keen to try and encourage visitors to explore more of the UK outside of London, so this new innovation from Geotourist will help to meet all of these objectives in a fun and informative way.”
The tour can be downloaded and listened to from the App Store and Google Play, or from the website.
