THEY call it the Drumlin Belt, landscape of small rounded hills, literally thousands of them. Stretching across the Ulster border country, they are remnants of the Ice Age that covered Ireland 10,000 years ago.

Dramatically aligned in one direction, they share the landscape with more lakes than there are days of the year, one reason why fishermen find the region a Utopia and it's become the site of many fishing tournaments.

Source of two of Ireland's major rivers . . . the lengthy Shannon and Erne . . . time was these waterways provided the region's major method of transportation between lakes and forests to fertile fields.

Who hasn't heard of Irish linen? Some of the world's finest came from here. In fact, under England's "plantation system", English and Scots transplanted and settled here worked the land and prospered. With that prosperity came stately homes of plantation owners and small villages of considerable charm.

But remnants of an earlier civilisation dating to prehistoric times are everywhere . . . monoliths, Stone Age burial tombs, cairns, dolmens and mysterious carvings. Later came the high crosses, monasteries and the influence of St. Patrick, who was definitely the most-travelled man in Irish history, criss-crossing the island in all directions.

It's probably no accident that Philip Sheridan and "Stonewall" Jackson, two of the Civil War's famous generals, had their roots in Ulster. For generations, it had been a land of fierce encounters. Whether it was assaults by the Normans or English, Irish clans fought to the death . . . one reason why Cromwell focused attention there and "planted" those colonies with outsiders.

Where to settle in to get the flavour of the countryside? Might as well be comfortable in a place with atmosphere on this short trip researching Ulster, both north and south. So following my usual modus operandi, I did some careful at-home research, a good suggestion for any prospective traveller.

A sterile, modern in-town hotel would totally destroy the mood of ancestor hunting. It had to be special, something unique that would set it apart from the ordinary. And so we'd discovered Hilton Park, a grand Anglo-Irish estate of exceptional character. Occupied by the Madden family since 1734, it would fulfil anyone's idea of what staying in a stately country estate is like.

it truly turned out to be a jewel in the crown of Irish country manors. Covering more than 500 acres of genuinely unspoiled countryside, it's actually in County Monaghan near Clones along Northern Ireland's border.

Part of Hilton Park's charm is the family who owns and treasures this historic ancestral property. Very personable Lucy and John Madden obviously love what they're doing and it's no accident its six bedrooms, all with private bath, are very popular with repeaters.

The mood of the estate makes guests feel they've been invited to a private weekend house party. Surrounded by treasures of eight generations, you're invited to sip sherry before a warming fire in one of the grand lounges, then enjoy a gourmet meal in a stately dining room with portraits of ancestors observing the feast.

My bedroom was a large corner one with panoramic views in two directions. Hundreds of pedigreed sheep grazed the lawn in shade of ancient trees. It came complete with four-poster bed, fireplace and dressing room, all exuding a marvellous flavour of antiquity.

En route down to a bountiful breakfast in what used to be the servants' dining area, I pass a table where a lady's elegant vintage travel case of solid silver cosmetic necessities sits below a picture of some long ago relative off inspecting Egyptian ruins.

THAT'S the joy of a traditional country home . . . the collection of treasures accumulated over many lifetimes. But modern comfort is happily also present.

Many Anglo-Irish plantation homes of similar character along the border were burned during the worst troubles in the 1980s. But the IRA let it be known they felt different about this one. "You needn't worry. You bought your land, hired Catholics and were part of the community, not an absentee landlord."

All true . . . an earlier aunt was deeply involved in helping young local women to become adept at making lace so they could improve their economic condition. This homespun industry for which both nearby Clones and Carrickmacross are still famously involved, with lace museums very worth visiting.

The Maddens are also involved in "Cross Border Tourism". In fact, the border is so ill-defined near here, that one evening driving toward a local village, we apparently took a wrong turn and ended up in a small shop where I went to the pay phone to make a long-distance call home.

"You're in Northern Ireland, you know," said the shopkeeper. No, we didn't, but were to soon learn County Fermanagh has much to offer travellers. Beauty, history and variety of northern County Londonderry and Antrim had already been discovered on previous trips.

In our very limited time, we lingered in Clones (where Sir Thomas Lipton had his first tea shop) and visited St. Tiernacht's graveyard, early round tower and 12th-century stone sarcophagus, then drove up along Lough Erne to Enniskellen.

An abundance of castles beckon, but under time pressure, our choice was Castle Coole built in 1790 by the Earl of Belmore. It was his intent it be even more elaborate than that of his brother-in-law, the Earl of Enniskillen's Florence Court. Both are National Trust estates.

THERE'S a helpful information office in Enniskillen where we learned Hugh the Hospitable established a stronghold in the fifteenth century. That castle contains a collection of interesting museums, one the regimental museum of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Portora Royal School near here was established by James I in 1608 and attended by playwrights Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett. It's impossible to turn in any direction without encountering history.

Soon we are crawling over fences out into fields where prehistoric monuments sit in lonely overgrown splendour. Then it was out to Boa Island via causeway to puzzle over Celtic markers unlike any I'd ever seen. They're believed to date from the Iron Age.

Beleek, a name synonymous with famous porcelain for nearly 150 years, is next stop. Queen Victoria thought so highly of it, she presented a tea service to the German royal family.

At the very secure border crossing near here, the journalist friend with me ignores large, very visible signs warning against photography. Disregarding my protests, he unwisely pulls out his camera. Immediately a voice from a heavily protected, half-submerged bunker sternly demands he put it away immediately or face very severe consequences.

By this time, we are so enchanted with Hilton Park, we call the next accommodation reserved for us by the Irish Tourist Board. With two rooms already prepaid by us, we tell them we're delayed and won't be there. We feel it's worth the expense, one reason I'm never anxious to plan too far ahead. But the Irish Tourist Board was handling the convention package, set the rules, and was adamant about my original request to book several nights at Hilton Park to start with.

SOMEWHERE along the way, mention was made of County Cavan's Pig House Collection. It sounded a rather unlikely attraction, but turned out to be an absolute delight, in fact rated one of Ireland's top surprises.

It owes its existence to Phyllis Faris, a very remarkable woman. In an era when women of a certain genteel level of society were expected to stay home and follow a very prescribed regimen, she insisted on doing something different. She did the unthinkable, answered an advertisement and travelled from Dublin to County Cavan to work helping manage a poultry farm in 1927.

Several years later, she married a neighbouring pig farmer and began antiquing in earnest all over the country. Thus the collection began. When German students came to take an inventory of it some ten years ago, she had more than 10,000 treasures, many dating back to the 17th century. These ranged from 50 antique butter dishes of remarkable quality and vintage American Indian moccasina to period clothing, furniture and old farm equipment.

Her lace collection was bedazzling. And all this was housed in the old pig farm barns beside the Georgian house where she lived at Cornafean near Cavan town. It was her intent to leave the whole collection to a museum, but they wanted to pick and choose. Hilton Park was also interested in acquiring it. Now a museum has been built to house some of it; the remainder is at the original farm.

After admiring her priceless lace collection, I stopped in front of a picture of former President Mary Robinson wearing a stunning gold-drop necklace. I recognised her because we'd been at dinner together only days earlier.

"I presented it to her," said the former Phyllis Robinson. "She's married to my nephew."

Space here allows me to only scratch the surface of area attractions. To give you an idea of its unique character, one goes to a former, reconverted prison to begin researching genealogical records!

You'll want to visit Ulster-American Folk Park near Omagh, County Tyrone for a taste of authentic living history. The visitor can day-trip to Donegal, Yeats' beloved Sligo region, and a list of attractions to keep one busy for weeks.

One thing is certain, genealogical research is interesting regardless of what you find. All the volumes in our library attempting to examine and analyse Philip Sheridan's colourful career are at a loss to pinpoint the truth of his birthplace. And now I had . . . it's like solving a mystery, putting together a complicated puzzle.

But he had the last laugh . . . somehow, for the first time ever, all my photos covering his birthplace and monument erected by Grant have gone missing. Temporarily, I hope. A good excuse to return.

AS youngsters, we were taken west on what my father labelled "family history trips". These included visiting every imaginable frontier cavalry post involved in Sheridan's career before and after the war. They ranged from Wyoming's Fort Fetterman to Oklahoma's Fort Sill where we were invited for an anniversary observance at the site where Geronimo was so unjustly ultimately imprisoned and died.

There was also the bonus of being invited each Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and on special occasions to dinners at the Combined Mess (dining facility) at historic Fort Sheridan along the shores of Lake Michigan. We enjoyed those feasts for years and soon learned the Army eats very well.

The fort had been established and named after Sheridan in appreciation for his handling and avoidance of further catastrophe during Chicago's disastrous 1871 fire, when he took command of the City.

When the fort was deactivated in the 1990s, we were invited by our US Congressman to serve on the commission deciding fate of its extremely valuable lakefront acreage and historic officers quarters. Like many others, we felt much of it deserved historic preservation status.

It was also our feeling a sizeable section should be added to the existing military cemetery and set aside as a much needed national veterans' cemetery.

But surrounding communities and real estate developers visualised high-rise apartments and overdevelopment. Individual annual land taxes there often far exceed annual incomes of many prosperous places in the world. When it became apparent decisions were already made and the commission would have no input other than as a rubber stamp to fulfil legal requirements, we declined to participate in the historic fort's destruction.

ALTHOUGH Sheridan headed up the Indian campaign, there were flashes of sympathy for those he was defeating following government orders, plus endless pressure by settlers and land developers demanding Indians be removed from their territories. His great distrust of politicians in general was only exceeded by his disdain for Indian agencies.

Trying to search for some good, one rarely reported fact was his role in expansion of Yellowstone National Park. Impressed with its rare beauty, he sent troops to pursue poachers and petitioned Washington for further preservation of its wonders. Today he rests in Arlington Cemetery footsteps from the Custis-Lee Mansion on the crest of a hill just above John F. Kennedy.

Probably because of Sheridan and his often abrasive handling of Indians' defence of their tribal lands, my own family developed a special compassion for them. Years of exploring the most remote of their ancient lands has evolved into offering a helping hand to Navajo, Apache, Cheyenne and Sioux . . . donating towards their education and becoming involved in some personal ways to alleviate reservation hardships.

Travel factfile: Hilton Park, Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland. Open April 1 to September 30. Group bookings year around. Bed and breakfast 110 to 150 euros per person, dinner 45 euros. Tel. (353) 47-56007; fax (353) 47-56033; www.hiltonpark.ie. Member Hidden Ireland. Private lake on property, also exceptional gardens.

I telephoned owner John Madden in Ireland to check rates and he said 18-hole Clones Golf Course has been built on some of his land and guests play free.

Getting there is easy, with many connecting flights to Ireland via British Airways and good express roads north from Dublin reaching Hilton Park in two hours.

4 Next week: Some Florida finds on new air routes