The towns of Westport in County Mayo and Kinsale in West Cork have been crowned the 2014 National Large Tourism Town and National Small Tourism Town at the recent Failte Ireland Tourism Towns Awards.
The two towns were chosen from a shortlist of ten top tourism towns. The remaining eight towns on the list are all set to receive certificates of merit to acknowledge their own performances in reaching out and attracting visitors to create the ultimate and best possible tourism experience.
Lonely Planet’s influential travel guide recently listed Ireland in the top 5 countries in the world to visit in 2015. Not only did Ireland receive such a high accolade in the prestigious travel guide, this December’s issue of the Lonely Planet Traveller Magazine also listed Ireland again as “one of the world’s hottest destinations for 2015”.
Aer Lingus have recently announced new direct flights from Washington DC, San Francisco, New York and Orlando. These are planned as part of the airline’s Summer 2015 schedule. The Washington DC flight in particular is set to run four times a week.
For those planning a vacation in Ireland and the south west of the country, Kenmare town which is situated in County Kerry is well worth a visit. Not only does the town act as a gateway to the spectacular scenery and attractions of the Ring of Kerry, the popular tourist town of Kenmare is only a short drive from West Cork and the range of attractions it has on offer.
This month, from the 28th to the 30th November the town is also hosting the popular Kenmare Choral Festival. Now in its third year, the festival extends a warm welcome each year for choirs to come and participate in the event. In a bid to promote the beautiful art form of choral music to the public and to those planning a trip to Ireland, the festival organisers are hosting a range of concerts, competitions and other events during the three day long festival.
Ireland is well known for its rich cinematic history and continued interest in the silver screen with numerous film and short film festivals taking place across the country throughout the year. However, Kilkenny City will be playing host to a film festival with a difference with SUBTITLE European Film Festival taking place between 24th and 30th November 2014.
According to the New York Times recent feature called; “things to do in 36 hours in Dublin”, the city is found to have gone through tumultuous changes in recent years. Gone are the Celtic Tiger Years with Dublin now offering something very different to those planning on taking a vacation in Ireland.
The enchanting winter markets synonymous throughout continental Europe are the inspiration behind Waterford Winterval, Ireland’s Christmas Festival. The festival aims to bring together the festive sights, sounds and Yuletide charms of Ireland’s South-East region while also providing the whole family and visitors on a Christmas vacation in Ireland with lots and lots of fun!
The month long event in Waterford City, 21st November to 23rd December 2014, will be one of the largest festive celebrations of the Christmas season in Ireland with in excess of 25 separate events and activities with the added bonus that 17 of these events are free of charge.
Ireland’s Blue Book is an elite collection of the countries finest country houses, hotels and restaurants. Entries into this prestigious guide are selected on strict criteria with a major emphasis on properties with a strong individualistic style, atmosphere and character as well as hotels which are not members of a hotel chain. Membership to the book can be difficult to achieve and also highly-prized as a result.
The approaching winter months with its temperamental climate may give many of us ample reasons to take in many of the indoor events in Ireland such as shows, cultural events and festivals happening nationwide. And over the coming weeks there is a rich variety of contemporary and intriguing shows to illuminate and entertain.
This year marks the 59th edition of the Cork Film Festival, which takes place between the 7th & 16th November. The Festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of films, music and ideas. It is Ireland’s oldest film festival, and plays the Cork Opera House, Triskel Christchurch and the Gate Multiplex in Cork City.
