Posts Tagged ‘travel’

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 »

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.

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

Dingle is a favourite holiday destination for tourists from home and abroad. It is located in the most westerly part of Ireland in a region of beautiful mountain and coastal scenery.
Dingle had been a fishing town for centuries but more recently its main industry is tourism. Some fishing still goes on and fishing boats of all sizes are frequently berthed at Dingle pier unloading their catch.
One of Dingle’s favourite visitor attractions for the past twenty years is Fungi, the Dingle Dolphin. Fungi is a dolphin who lives in Dingle harbor. Nobody knows how long he has been in Dingle but he was first spotted in 1984 escorting the Dingle fishing boats into and out of the harbor. By mid 1984, Department of The Marine manager Kevin Flannery had made a note of the dolphin as a permanent occupant of Dingle harbour and self-appointed pilot of the fishing fleet.
The dolphin was named Fungi and over the next few years and lots of study Fungi became less shy of humans so that swimmers could swim alongside him and play with him in the water. Read the rest of this entry »