Near the rugged Connemara yet also down the road from Galway City, the 5 Star Glenlo Abbey Hotel is truly a place to get away from it all. It was voted ‘Best Restaurant in Connaught’ in 2010 by the Good Eating Guide and is the perfect base for a holiday, whether you just want to chill out or if you prefer being more active. In this resort, luxurious surroundings and facilities are the name of the game. A warm welcome and friendly service are guaranteed, whether you are here for a great value midweek or weekend break, business or are using the wedding facilities. The beautiful abbey, which dates from the 17th century, is the perfect place for a wedding ceremony as it can house up to 30 people.

The peaceful surroundings of the 4 Star Ardilaun Hotel will ensure that you return home from your break refreshed and restored. Wander around the magnificent lawns or work out in the leisure centre, complete with gym and 18 metre pool – it’s up to you. It is ideally situated between Galway Bay and the centre of Galway, making it perfect accommodation for conferences or as a base when attending one of the many events and festivals on the Galway social calendar. For half a century the Ryan family has been welcoming visitors and ensuring that the hotel’s traditional standard of service is maintained.

Visitors can find the best deals for hotels in Galway at Galway HotelReservations. Galway self catering is a good option for groups and families. Read the rest of this entry »

The Camden De Luxe Hotel, which appeared in the Alan Parker film “The Commitments”,  dates back to 1957, when it was called the Theatre De Luxe. The listed building that is its home has now been stylishly renovated, with the vaulted ceiling and décor having being painstakingly restored, but the façade remains as it was when the theatre closed.  Today the very popular Palace Nightclub stands in place of the original theatre auditorium.

The 2 star Abbey Hotel is an elegant hotel in Dublin’s city centre. A full choice of complimentary facilities can be found in all of its attractive en-suite bedrooms. It also houses The Black Abbot, on three floors, and the Abbey Hotel restaurant, which offers an eclectic mix of Irish and world dishes on its selection of menus. The shopping precincts of O’Connell Street, Grafton Street and Henry Street are all nearby. The Garden of Remembrance, GPO, Christchurch and Trinity College are just some of the many attractions to be found nearby. Read the rest of this entry »

Just what is it that makes The Pepper Pot, in the middle of a beautiful period building, special? Maybe it’s their crumbly Guinness and pumpkin seed bread topped with local cream cheese and Burren smoked salmon, their organic cabbage soup with chilli and caraway seed or the to-die-for black pudding, red onion marmalade and Cashel Blue cheese tart. This establishment has a justified confidence about its produce, kitchen, and staff. It’s the perfect spot for a spot of lunch while out shopping, Ariosa coffee and slice of Victoria Sponge with homemade raspberry jam, or a rich Irish whiskey and pecan tart. The menu is small but everything is homemade with a lot of love.

Temple Bar might be well known as the melting pot of culture and stag parties, but do some exploring on a Saturday afternoon and you’ll find the Temple Bar Market, hidden in a small plaza. The home baked produce never fails to attract lovers of food, who gather to chat to the stall owners. There are many attractions of course, but one of the biggest is John Mac’s stall, selling just opened oysters. Harvested just the previous day off Co Clare, they are best served with a slice of brown soda bread and some chilled white wine. Other delights to be found include smoked mackerel, courtesy of Frank Hedermann from Co Clare, apple juice from David Llewellyn, Hicks venison sausages, and homemade orange and rum breakfast cake from Nóirín’s Bakehouse of Wexford.

Durrus, Coolea, Gubbeen or Milleen’s, St Tola’s creamy goat’s cheese or a crumbly Cashel Blue are just some of the treats to be found in Sheridan’s Cheesemongers. Their specialty is Irish goat’s cheese with a slice of apple and an oat cake. Established 20 years ago by the Sheridan brothers in Galway, this shop now also sells a variety of European cheeses and olive oils. Its knowledgeable staff offer tasting samples that are very difficult to resist.

Capel Street may be the home of adult shops and pet supply stores, but it is also home to Wolfes Irish Artisan Bistro. True food lovers will welcome their commitment to serving simple, yet top quality, Irish food at prices accessible to everyone. This bistro has succeeded at pairing the best of traditional fare with new ideas, resulting in a memorable gastronomic experience. The relaxed surroundings will ensure that an evening spent here is one to remember.

In the basement food hall of Avoca on Suffolk Street, you’ll find delicious takeaway food such as their prized potato cakes and soups. Regulars will agree that the pies and salads are Avoca staples. In the head store of the Pratt family handweavers, spread over four floors, one is always guaranteed to enjoy top quality, modern Irish food. The restaurant, situated on the top floor, serves exquisite dishes such as field mushroom soup, their sell out rillette of duck with crusty bread and creamy fish pie. Their trusted local suppliers ensure that only the best Avoca loveliness reaches its shelves.

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands is one of the most popular visitor destinations in Europe, with about five million international visitors every year. The city was once one of the worlds leading trading and financial centres and continues to be an important industrial location. Many of the world’s top companies have their headquarters there.
Tourists to the city come for a variety of reasons. The city has a long and distinguished cultural history and is home to some great museums and art galleries including the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum,  and the Hermitage Amsterdam.
Amsterdam’s famous canals are another popular attraction.
The city’s Red Light District is not just for sex tourists. Many people visit it just to observe because of its notoriety.
Because of its liberal drug laws and the legal availability of cannabis in the city’s Coffee Shops Amsterdam has become a very attractive destination for young people. Many college students from all over the world go there and stay for a few months often engaging in casual employment to support themselves.
Hotel accommodation or renting apartments can be quite expensive in the city and young people and students often prefer the option of hostels in Amsterdam because they are relatively cheap and of good quality. There are over 50 hostels available with prices as low as €10.00 per night.
Amsterdam has quite a good public transport system which includes trams, buses and metro. The tram is probably the most popular. There are 16 tram lines in the city.
One of the best ways to get around is by cycling. Because The Netherlands is so flat cycling is easy and Amsterdam has lots of cycle lanes and bike racks to accommodate its half a million bicycles.
The city is famous for its night life and has numerous small bars and cafes as well as a wide range of restaurants of diverse ethnic origin. Night clubs, discos and music venues are dotted throughout Amsterdam.

The Government has warned restaurants and hotels to pass on the recent reduction in VAT  to consumers or risk having the concession abolished after next year.

The Taoiseach said businesses in sectors where the new lower VAT rates apply will be “failing Ireland” if they did not pass the reductions on to consumers. Mr Kenny said the Government would have “very, very strident discussions” with businesses which fail to cut prices. Read the rest of this entry »

Dublin hotels are becoming more affordable according to a survey carried out by hotels.com.
In 2010 the average price for a room in Dublin was €73 which was down by 6% from 2009. The average price  for a four star hotel room was €81 and for a five star hotel room it was €152.
Out of 44 countries surveyed it was found that Ireland had the sixth cheapest hotel accommodation overall  and Dublin was 11th cheapest for five-star accommodation.

One of the benefits of the worldwide economic downturn (from the point of view of the traveller) is the reduction in hotel prices all over the world. Dublin has become quite competitive in this regard making it a more attractive destination  than previously.

There is also downward pressure on restaurant prices and there is some evidence that eating out has also become cheaper and there is some prospect of further reductions if rent legislation is amended as expected. Many restaurants are offering special prices, early bird menus etc.

Many good accommodation deals can be got on hotel booking websites including Dublin Overnight. Check for your selected dates and find many hotels offering midweek specials, price reductions, offers of 2 nights B&B plus evening meal etc.

Handel’s Day 13 April 2011 Venue: Temple Bar
A celebration of music and history in 18th century Dublin from 10am until 12 midnight. There will be lots of free activities going on in the Temple Bar Area. Handel’s Messiah was first performed on Fishamble Street in Temple Bar and will be commemorated with an outdoor event Messiah on the Street, as well as a special performance of A Global Hallelujah by three national schools in Dublin.
Featuring children’s vocals, instrumental music and percussion, Handel for Children will be performed by Harold’s Cross National School and Tullamore Classical String School.

International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival 2011 03 May 2011 – 16 May 2011
The International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival celebrates the great contribution of gay people to theatre down through the years.
The Festival was founded in 2004 on the 150th anniversary of the birth of Oscar Wilde and emphasizes new or recent works with a gay theme or relevance. This Festival draws a large attendance from Ireland and all around the world.

Dublin Dance Festival 13 May 2011 -28 May 2011
Dublin Dance Festival is dedicated to presenting contemporary dance from around the world. It offers a diverse programme of performance, films, talks, master classes, workshops and outdoor events at several venues around the city centre.
One of the highlights is the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan’s Songs of the Wanderers, in the Grand Canal Theatre Dublin for one night only on May 26th.
There will be a major focus on Asian choreographers and will also offer the work of many artists from Ireland, Europe and North America.

UEFA Europa League Final 18 May 2011 Venue: Aviva Stadium
Dublin will host its first major European club final on Wednesday 18 May 2011 at the Aviva Stadium. over 50.000 football fans will se two of the top European clubs battle for this coveted trophy.

The Carling Nations Cup 23 May 2011 – 27 May 2011 Venue: Aviva Stadium
The Carling Nations Cup will be the first senior international tournament played in Ireland. There will be six matches between the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
Monday May 23: Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland
Tuesday May 24: Wales v Scotland
Thursday May 26: Wales v Northern Ireland
Friday May 27: Republic of Ireland v Scotland

According to Frommer’s, one of the world’s top Destination Guides, Ireland has been voted top destination for 2011. Here is what Frommer’s says:
‘Last year’s favorite Paris was beat out this year by the very tourist-friendly nation of Ireland. During the nominations process, supporters told us why they were putting the Emerald Isle on their wish lists for the following year:

* “The rugged beauty of the island and its historic past enchant me.”
* “I have family there. But I also love being out in the country, rambling around, exploring megalithic sites, and having tea in small shops. Love it all.”
* “Beer, castles, lush landscapes, and small enough to explore via bicycle or car.”
* “Love the scenery, love the people. Had an excellent time when I was last there, but need more time.”
* “A magical destination in nearly every way.”

Also, Ireland was rated as the Most Popular Destination of 2010 at a travel awards ceremony in Shanghai. World Travel Awards is organised by the Oriental Morning Post, a daily newspaper with about 400,000 readers. The winners are voted by the paper’s readers as well as travel experts from around China. This is good news for the Irish tourism industry which has seen a sharp decline in visitors to the country over the past few years. The number of visitors to Ireland fell to a record low in 2010.
Susan Li of Tourism Ireland said she was confident the honour would further enhance the reputation of the country and help to attract more visitors from China.
Tourism Ireland also picked up an award for the Most Creative Destination by The Global Times at the Most Popular Outbound Destinations Awards 2010 in Beijing.

Dublin Overnight says: The popularity of Ireland in China and elsewhere could mean many more tourists to Ireland but the issuing of tourist visas to travellers from Asia should be made easier and faster as difficulties in obtaining visas is often cited as an obstacle to Asians coming here on vacation.

If you would like to use modes of transport to see Dublin city then there are many options which include, Bus, Taxi, DART, Train, Luas, Car. Two other options which are the cheapest are walking and cycling.

Walking is one option where you will see attractions up close or even where you can find unique places where you wouldn’t find if you were using a bus or train for example. Walking tours of Temple Bar, The River Liffey, Castles, Cathedrals, Viking and Medieval tours are available and provided by Pat Liddy’s Walking Tours of Dublin.

If you enjoy cycling then you will be in your element in Dublin because a new Public Bike System has been put in place in the city where there are stations located all over the city where you can hire these bikes. Cycling is a great fast way to get around the city and they have supplied 42 stations so you have no problem finding a bike to hire. The best thing about this new bike system is that you can hire a bike at great prices that won’t break your budget.

If you prefer not to walk or cycle then Taxis are a good option in Dublin. You will have no problem finding a Taxi as there are many Taxi stands located around Dublin. Taxi ranks are located at O’Connell Street, St. Stephen’s Green and Dame Street and that’s just to name a few. Taxis are an easy option of transport in Dublin but can sometimes be expensive depending on the length of your journey. If you are staying in a Dublin Hotel then you can ask them to call a taxi for you which is also a good option.

Buses are pretty cheap to use and there are Ticket Agents located around Dublin provided by Dublin Bus to help locals and tourists with their travel plans. Here you will find timetables where you can plan your bus journeys to different locations and also prepaid tickets can be purchased to make your bus journeys even easier. Dublin Bus provides many services including Airport Services, sightseeing tours, Xpresso, Nitelink and many more to choose from.

There are other transport services such as Train, DART and Luas. These services are quick and easy options to get to other sides of Dublin that are hard to reach by walking, cycling or just too expensive by public transport. You can relax on these modern means of transport and enjoy the sights of Dublin. Irish Rail tours are available which are provided by Railtours Ireland and Barratt Tours.

Travelers to Dublin can stay at Hotels in Dublin or Dublin Bed and Breakfast

Many visitors to Dublin are on business or vacation and the usual leisure activity is either going to the pub, clubbing, eating out or going to a music gig. But there are numerous other leisure activities on offer in Dublin. Here are just a few.

Visiting The Guinness Storehouse has become the most popular visitor activity in Dublin in recent years. Located in James’ Street in The Liberties area of the city, this is where Guinness was brewed for over a century. Today it is a visitor centre with exhibitions, demonstrations and tastings during a tour of the converted building. It also has a gift shop which sells genuine Guinness merchandise and memorabilia. There are also bars and restaurants and visitors can easily spend a whole day at this venue.

Shelbourne Park and Harolds Cross are Dublin’s two Greyhound Racing stadiums. There is racing every night at either or both of these stadiums. Nowadays a night at the dogs is not just about greyhound racing. It usually involves drinks, dining and general fun and merriment as well as having a few bets.

If you’re a golfer you will be spoilt for choice in Dublin as there are over 50 golf courses in Dublin and its surroundings. Read the rest of this entry »