We sell a tremendous amount of European
travel, but only a fraction of our clients visit Ireland. England,
France and Italy seem to get much more attention. This is truly a shame since Ireland is
an absolutely fantastic vacation destination with friendly people who
are anxious to welcome visitors from the United States.
A contingent of Ireland representatives recently
visited our offices. We
had people from small and large hotels, five-star castles, cozy guesthouses
and farmhouses. We didn’t start out that excited,
but once they did their presentation, we all wanted to go Irish! We just never paid attention to how much
there was to see and do in Ireland!
Research shows that a large
number of visitors to Ireland choose the destination because of their
Irish heritage. This
seems to be a no-brainer that I always took for granted. Being
able to personalize the history of the country certainly adds to
the experience. The
U.S. is a huge market for Ireland with its large population of people
with Irish roots. What I was not previously aware of was how big the family market is for Ireland. It
offers such varied experiences for all members of the family unit. Combine the heritage attraction with the family attraction,
and it is clear why so many of our guests travel to Ireland with
relatives from several generations.
We book all types of tours to Ireland, and we also
have our own Virtuoso representatives there to help plan once-in-a-lifetime
adventures for our clients. If
I were visiting, I would stay at a variety of properties as I toured
the country. How often do you get to actually stay
in a castle?
Dublin is the capital, and it has
all the attractions of a modern city, but also the beauty and heritage
of the past. It is Europe’s
fastest-growing urban destination. Approximately
half of the Irish Republic’s population of 3.6 million people
live in Dublin and its suburbs. Founded
in 988 AD, Dublin has accommodated many diverse nationalities from
the Vikings to the English invaders. For
those who desire a bit of culture, the city has a wealth of museums
and galleries, as well as some of the best examples of Georgian architecture
in the world. Sip a pint of the famous Guinness brew at the Guinness Storehouse
Gravity Bar and enjoy a panoramic view of the city! We recommend making the Westin Hotel or the Four Seasons your
home while visiting Dublin.
Killarney is
a spectacular wonderland of lakes and mountains. It
is often referred to as
“Heaven’s Reflex”. The
scenery is straight out of the majestic paintings we have all seen. This is a part of Ireland that everyone
should see, at least once! The three main lakes of Killarney occupy a
broad valley stretching south between the mountains. The three lakes and the
mountains that surround them are all within the Killarney National Park. Nearest
the town is the Lower Lake (Lough Leane) studded with islands and having on
its eastern shore the historic Muckross Abbey and Ross Castle. We recommend the Killarney
Park Hotel which is a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World.
Cork City
is known for being the shopping, festival, commercial, and cultural
center of Southern Ireland. The
Corkonians are regarded as the most talkative of all the Irish. Friendly
people warmly welcome visitors with enthusiasm. This is a city you absolutely must walk
through to fully appreciate the food, music and culture. As those who read this column on a regular
basis know, food is a key part of the travel experience for me. Cork is a paradise for food lovers!
Other cities worth a visit include Belfast, Kilkenny,
Galway, and Waterford. If
you are a golf lover, the K Club hosted the 2006 Ryder’s Cup. This is a luxurious hotel and country club set amidst 550
acres of County Kildare countryside by the river Liffey.
Getting to Ireland is quite easy. There are plenty of air choices and it takes only a little
longer to fly there than it does to London. We
also have cruises that visit some of the coastal cities, but if you
can afford the time, I would take a leisurely tour of the country. We work with the best tour companies
and top hotels throughout Ireland. We
can customize any trip to match your dreams and desires.
So don’t forget about
Ireland! It is a piece of heaven certainly worth a visit. Hopefully,
this article will inspire you to begin some of your own research. Maybe you could even take your whole
family for a vacation of a lifetime? We
are here to help with the arrangements.
