Ireland Vacations with DiscoveringIreland.com

There has been a lot of talk about fuel prices, a weak dollar and even impending recessions this year.
The strenght of the Euro is undoubtedly a factor in this discussion. For travellers to “Euro-zone” countries, this has certainly been on their minds but a close look at prices suggests there is a lot of value in vacations to Ireland. 

The tourism sector in Ireland has certainly reacted and in many cases has reduced prices especially where they are buying some of their inputs in non Euro currencies. For example, Aer Lingus have had some amazing sales and have even achieved prices better than last year during those sale periods.
In a further development, right now DiscoveringIreland are offering the very best value this year in travel to Ireland. In a new initiatve we have turned back the clock on the Euro gains versus the Dollar. Right now you just pay only $1.35 per Euro when buying our products. This takes our dollar prices back to where they were in March of 2007.
This has been achieved through a combination of prudent currency management by our finance department and some renegotiation of prices with our tourism partners.

We are delighted to pass this saving to our Guests from North America and wish them a very enjoyable vacation in Ireland. Since this initiative was launched this morning, the response has been very positive. For more details on this initiative, visit our site

Ryanair have just announced a new route from Berlin to Shannon commencing on May 30th 2008

In a statement Ryanair’s Caroline Baldwin said: “This new connection to Germany’s exciting capital city is a great enhancement of our route network at Shannon. An ideal destination for both business and leisure breaks, Berlin has something for everyone.

“Ryanair will deliver over two million passengers through Shannon this year, generating a visitor spend of €350m in the mid-west. Our recently increased London departures and our continued expansion to Europe are fundamental to the success of tourism in the Shannon region.

To celebrate the new route Ryanair has announced 100,000 seats to/from Shannon for just €10 including taxes and standard fees.

When people think about vacations in Ireland they inevitably think about
the coastal counties of Kerry, Cork & Galway and of course the big smoke
Dublin. The ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher and Connemara are always
amongst the first attractions to spring to mind for first time visitors
to the Emerald Isle. The midlands region of Offaly, Roscommon and east
Galway where I am from is an often forgotten region – that has so much
to offer to travelers whether they be young backpackers or families with
children or other visitors.

Since I moved to Boston from my home in Moore, Roscommon 15 years ago I
have returned each year at least once and I have seen how it has evolved
and changed and developed over those years. During those years I have
grown and my perspective has changed also. A 2 week trip is no longer a
chance to hang with family and friends now that I have an entourage of
husband and 2 young daughters.

Now instead of shopping with my sisters in Galway city and Athlone town
Center (which I still enjoy) I am always on the look out for interesting
places to bring the kids. In 2007 they really enjoyed the interactive
experience at Athlone Castle.  The interactive  historical exhibition was very interesting and kids loved being in a “castle” and playing on the canons. And what a view of the Shannon from the castle ramparts.

Birr Castle, is today the oldest inhabited dwelling in County Offaly and home of world famous telescope.  The big attraction is also their beautiful Gardens (my sister had her wedding photographs done here),  contain over 1000 species of different shrubs from all over the world.
During the summer of 2006 we visited the Bog Train in Offaly.  What kid doesn’t love a ride on a train? And this one is special –  the train which is a bit of a boneshaker will bring you out on a working  bog and at the same time you’ll get a running history from a guide.
You’ll get a chance to get out and walk the bog also. The kids will love it.

Nearby the Bog Train is the historically important monastic site of
Clonmacnoise. This one should not be missed. It consists of a Round
Tower and ruins of seven churches numerous high crosses and a wonderful
interpretive center. This was the site of the mass celebrated in Ireland by Pope John Paul II during his 1979 trip to Ireland. The view of the River Shannon which dominates the midlands region is spectacular.

For anyone looking for a water based vacation you could rent a cruiser on the River Shannon for 3 – 7 days.  This is unique way to spend a holiday.

For history buffs there is the Battle of Aughrim Interpretive Center.
Aughrim was the site of the bloodiest battle ever fought on Irish soil
with Irish and French troops being defeated by a combination British,
Dutch, Danish and French Huguenot troops.  Anyone interested in Irish
history should put this one on their itinerary.

Other places of interest are Glendeer Petting Farm  just west of Athone off the N6.of . Your admission includes you two brown bags of animal feed to feed the wide variety of animals.   Shopping for every taste at the new Athlone Town Center.   For the golfer there a fantastic golf course over looking the water at the Hodson Bay Hotel

I hope you’ll enjoy the midlands as much as I do during your trip to
Ireland.
 

I live about an hour from Cork city and wouldn’t normally consider it as a place for a weekend break but we had visitors and as it turned out Cork was their destination of choice. We decided to give Hayfield Manor a try and we couldn’t have been happier. After a day spent exploring the rugged beauty of west Cork and the pretty fishing town of Kinsale we arrived to the very quiet location in which the hotel is situated close by the pretty campus of University College Cork.

Check in was smooth, professional and friendly. We were taken on a tour of the hotel by Bart,the one man tour de force concierge/doorman/bus boy/tourist information office. He is special. Each time we met him he had a word for us and nothing was too much trouble. It’s like being looked after by your favourite uncle. He is a gem and if you could bottle him the hospitality industry would make you a very rich person indeed. The two rooms we had were similar in size, one facing the garden at the rear one facing front both in the main house.

The rooms were very comfortable with bathrobes and slippers provided and decent sized bathrooms. Ours had a separate shower and bath. The beds were very comfortable which made for a very good night’s sleep. We spent quite a while enjoying the pool, steam room, hot tub and massage chairs. Total relaxation. We went again before breakfast the next morning.

Had a really nice meal in Perrotts bistro, we ate early because we were going to the theatre but the room had a lovely appearance and I’m sure a great atmosphere with more people in it. We took a taxi into and out of the city centre to go the theatre no more than ten minutes each way.

We had a great breakfast in the morning and although the buffet is not as large as at some hotels I’ve stayed, the quality of everything was excellent and we couldn’t have asked for more. The staff were great and because the hotel is not large it has a nice intimate atmosphere. Came away feeling completely relaxed and wished we could have stayed longer.

As an Irishman I’d thought that beginning of us ceasing to follow the lead of our English neighbours began with our hard fought break away from the Union in 1921.

Corporate tax breaks, adopting the Euro, public smoking bans and I’ve even heard rumors that the debate is on to convert the Republic to right hand drive, something I think should have been done years ago.

So it would appear that the Football Association of Ireland has not followed suit and have instead opted to follow the example of the English F.A. in opting for a foreigner in their search for a new national team soccer coach. Giovanni Trappatoni has been unveiled with much aplomb at a conference venue in Dublin as the new saviour of Irish soccer just as Fabio Capello was in England a month ago.

If fact the similarities don’t stop there. Both men are Italians in their sixties. Both men come with little or no knowledge of the English language or the English/Irish brand of football. (Virtually all the players on both squads play in the English Premiership.)

Both will have natives working behind the scenes assisting them, in the forms of Liam Brady and Stuart Pearse. Both were appointed after two home grown managerial disasters in Steve Staunton and Steven McClaren were sacked after failing to qualify for Euro 2008. Staunton a native of Ireland’s smallest county, Louth and McClaren were both appointed to their jobs with no prior first team managerial experience.

Is it fair so say that if one finds success or failure the other will too? Either way it will all play out in tandem as the World Cup qualifying campaigns get under way later this year. There is cause for optimism amongst the similarities. Both men come with glittering managerial resumes with each having won seven Scudettos (Italian Serie A Leagues) and one European Cup/Champions League. Both men are renowned for their no nonsense, “my way or the highway” attitude which has naturally brought criticism through out their careers. In February 2006 Trappatoni while managing Stuttgart dropped Danish internationals attackers Jon Dahl Tomasson and Jesper Gronkjaer after they openly critized his style of play. He was sacked the next day.

For his first match with Switzerland last week Fabio Capello unthinkably omitted the international superstar poster boy of world football, David Beckham from his squad, with Beckham just one cap shy of a landmark 100th appearance for his country. Did Beckham think he could succeed where so many greats have failed? Best, Pele, Stoichkov, Valderrama all played in the U.S. in the twilight of their careers in the hope of popularizing the sport there. Soccer is a secondary sport in America and always will be.

Only time will tell if it’s yet another F.A.I. blunder but at the very least it’ll set the bar high for future managerial appointments. Poor results against so called minnow countries, plummeting FIFA World rankings with a team of Premiership stars? Maybe there’s something missing here, motivation perhaps? Gone are the days of the Charlton era of long ball, route one, put ‘em under pressure football; to the joy of admirers of the beautiful game but I remember it yielding results no matter how ugly they came. I anticipate much of the same with our new Italian manager. He comes with a reputation of getting a one nil lead and putting eleven men behind the ball and defending it. It may not be sexy football but it has been proven to get wins.

When I watch Arsenal play Manchester United on a Sunday morning as a neutral observer I want to be entertained and see the beautiful game at its finest. When it comes to my country I want to see the results no matter how they come. International football isn’t just a game. It’s nation against nation.

This blogger endorses Trappatoni.