Touring Ireland

In recent there seems to have been a bit of a hex on us weatherwise but this year we seem to have turned the corner. What a lovely country we have and how it really blossoms when the sun shines. Maybe it is the way it affects people because everybody seems to be so much happier when the sun shines. All of my recent tours have been wonderful and eventhough i always tell people to bring light rainwear with them they have rarely needed it this year so far. The good news here recession wise is that at least we are seeing a drop in prices and that is more than welcome. Fuel prices of course are rising all the time so there is no relief there but shopping and eating out or just the odd cup of coffee here and there are becoming cheaper. If you are planning to come to Ireland then this is not a bad time to do it. If you are looking for a driver or chauffeur then just give me a call.

Private driver Shannon

The Gap of Dunloe

Once again i start by apologising for my lack of post but i have been really busy and just did not have the time. I suppose i cannot complain with the way the recession has hit tourism in general and i am grateful for the business i am getting. The weather has been really good and already our Summer is way ahead of last year, which was a terrible year weatherwise.
I was on my way back from Tralee the other night with the couple who were touring with me. They had been to Clan Lir, a show in Siamsa Tire theatre in Tralee. They had really enjoyed this wonderful production and our drive from Tralee to Killarney, where we were staying, was most pleasant as the night was warm and calm and the sky was bright with a million stars. The Macgillacuddy Reek mountains were highlighted by the night sky and Kathleen asked me if the break in the mountains was the famous Gap of Dunloe, which it actually was. I confirmed this, and then i thought.... what a lovely place that would be to visit on a night like this. I told them that i had a little treat in store for them, and without them having the slightest idea of where i was bringing them, i made for the Gap of Dunloe. The road that takes you through the mountains all the way to the top at Moll's Gap is nothing more than a track and is a dangerous journey even in daylight, but what a magical journey it is. Once they found themselves entering the mountains their excitement was great and what a treat we all had to enjoy. I have been through the gap many times but never before at night and it was like entering a different world. The mountains were majestic against the night sky and the shimmering lakes and gigantic ice-age rocks all along the roadside were a awesome sight. As we reached the top at the Gap the views left me feeling as though i was having an astronauts view of the valleys below and we stopped and stood in the cool night air and took it all in. There was no hurry on us as we continued on to Moll's Gap and then our descent back down to Ladies View was a new experience fo me. We stopped and stood where Queen Victoria once stood and declared the view to be the finest in the Kingdom. Well looking down along the lakes all the way to the lights of Killarney below was something she had never seen, but one i am sure would have taken her breath away, just as it did ours. The rest of the ride back into Killarney just left us all singing the praises of this wonderful place.
I know that Kathleen and her son will never forget this night in the mountains of Kerry but i would caution anybody who might have an urge to repeat this themselves and attempt to drive there either by day or night.....maybe you should get someone like me to take you there.

Ireland of the welcomes

Once again i have to apologise for being absent but unfortunately my wife's step-father passed away and we have had an upsetting week. He lived in England and my wife had to travel over today to be with her mother at this time. I have had to stay as i have committments over the next couple of weeks. I start a new tour tomorrow morning with a mother and son from the USA but i will try to write a bit more over the weekend.

Car and driver

Chauffeur West of Ireland

This has been a busy week for me and i just have not had time to post at all. Most of my work has been tours of Connemara and the Burren and Cliffs of Moher but at least this meant i did not have to be away as much. I do have a busy time coming up over the next few weeks and i am looking forward to making many new friends. Our weather is quiet good at the moment with plenty of sunshine and some quiet heavy showers. At least this will ensure that the grass stays green. Many people feel that we are in for a good Summer this year and hopefully that will be the case. My next people are going to spend a couple of nights in Ashford castle in Cong and they are really excited about this. It is a beautiful location and a wonderful castle with a great history and of course now is a five star hotel. Have a look at it on the web. If you want to stay in a really fine castle then Ashford is my choice. I should have more time to write over the next few days but if there are any questions you need to ask just leave a comment here and i will try to help out. Talk to you again soon.

Comments for my Blog

It appears that some people have been experiencing difficulty when attempting to write a comment on my Blog. My web whiz kid, Ruth, has simplified this now and it should be a lot easier to do from now on. I myself are a total greenhorn when it comes to computers so Ruth is my saviour. I would love to receive more of your comments so please feel free to do so and let me know if you are having any trouble doing this.You can e-mail me and my e-mail address is on my web-site which is linked to my Blog.
The sun is shining here again this morning and what a beautiful day it is here. Rita would also be pleased to know that it is also cool. Barbara and Julie should be at home right now (asleep) and i am sure that they have some great stories to relate to the rest of the family after their great Irish adventure. I hope that they miss me just a little..... because i miss them a lot.
I already have had positive feedback on Don's poem and i hope he is enjoying the moment himself. It is not everyday that somebody writes a poem about you. Thanks again Don.
I look forward to your messages.

Guided tour of Ireland

I am once again at home after another lovely tour. It was a really special time and my companions were special. I wish them a safe journey home as they leave the Emerald Isle behind. The weather was extra special for the last week and we did have a great time. The countryside was a blaze of colour. The Rhododendrons and Fuschia are now in full bloom and the yellow flowers of the gorse adorn the mountainsides. The Volvo Ocean continues on its way tomorrow as the boats commence the next leg of their race and depart from Galway. What a great time everybody had while they were here. Galway will be remembered for the great part they played in this race and the show they put on was second to none. Well done Galway. Now you can prepare for your Arts festival and your Galway Races. Once again you make me feel proud to be a Galwayman.

Private Driver West of Ireland receives award

Well the Mullen family and their friends, the Lincolns, are once again back home safe and well in the USA after a great tour with me and what a lovely surprise i received today when Don's poem arrived. The man is truly a genius and his masterpiece deserves a place of honour on my Blog. I hope you enjoy it as much as i did.

Ode to Dave Hogan

A knowledgeable knave from Kinvara,

Is as famous as Eamon DeValara.

Dave can motor his Mercedes,

Whilst charming the ladies,

And still steer the van like a curragh!

From Galway, Kinsale then to Cork,

All Dave did was talk, talk, talk, talk…

From Tuam to Killarney,

Dave was full of the Blarney,

As Irish as an emerald shamrock!

To Dingle, the peninsula, of peaks,

Dave showed us McGillicuddy Reeks.

We climbed Connor’s pass…

To the top - - - but alas!

The fog was thick as Dave’s cheeks!

Sue is David’s beautiful lass,

A woman of charm, wit and class,

How Dave won this great prize,

We can only surmise,

‘Cause Sue once knocked him flat on his ass!

Lest you think Dave’s been wrongly maligned,

The truth is - - he’s really refined.

He’s the best, he is peerless!

He’s undaunted, he is fearless,

Dave’s a gem - - truly one of a kind!

Thanks Dave, for making our holiday so memorable!

The Mullen’s & Lincoln’s

The Dingle Peninsula

As we left Killarney this morning on our way to Dingle the conversation centered around places we have been and places we would like to visit in the future. One of my ladies mentioned the Amalfi coast in Italy and as i have been there i agreed that it was well worth a visit. Not very long aftwerwards as we drove around Slea head and along the stretch of road from there to Dunquin i was just simply blown away by the magnificence of this area. The Amalfi coast may be lovely but it could not hold a candle to the Dingle peninsula. It was simply out of this world today and i have never seen it look so beautiful as the sun transformed it into an Irish heaven. My guests were full of praise and declared it to be the best they have seen up to now during their wonderful tour of this part of the south west of Ireland. I have always said that it was my favourite and today i was left with absolutely no doubt that it cannot be equalled. Tomorrow my friends will be on their way to Shannon as they begin the first leg of their journey home. I know that it will be a sad parting but that is a part of my job and it always leaves me with a good feeling that i must have once again done a good job. Many come back to tour with me and i do hope that my present group will do just that. Once again Ireland has delivered. It never lets me down, hail rain or snow.......or sunshine.

Private driver in Killarney

The sun is shining in all it's glory as i write from beautiful Killarney. I am on the second last day of my present tour which has been lovely. I thought that the ladies were from Philadelphia but they are actually from Baltimore. They are really nice and loving every minute of their tour. We started out on Sunday evening when i collected them at Shannon and they spent their first night in lovely Kinvara on the shores of Galway bay.Monday was Quiet Man country and our first stop was the magnificent Ashford Castle. We had a really nice stopover in Maam village and circled the Maam valley before making our way back to Kinvara for another night. The weather is fabulous for the last few days and there is nowhere like Ireland when the sun shines.....and even when it doesn't.
We also spent time in Galway city which is still packed out with all the visitors for the Around the World Yacht Race. The boats leave on Saturday but Galway will then be gearing up for their annual Galway Arts Festival. What a great city Galway is. People all over the world attend this wonderful festival as indeed do all of the participants. If this is your thing have a look at their website.
Yesterday we were in the Burren of county Clare and of course the awesome Cliffs of Moher. Google that also and get your taste buds going for your trip to Ireland. The day could not have been better and i cannot remember a better day at the Cliffs. Our ferry crossing from Killimer to Tarbert was really nice and the majestic Shannon river was at its best. Killarney in the sun was a welcome sight and last night there was very restful. Today we are off to my special favourite, the Dingle peninsula. With the sun shining, i cannot wait to get there. The ladies have been insisting on having a feast of traditional Fish and Chips and my own favourite place for that is John Benny's pub in Dingle town. Mark that on your itinerary. It is straight across the road from the tourist office. If you cannot get fresh fish in Dingle you will not get it anywhere. That is where you will find us at lunchtime today.
Now i am off for my usual oversized Irish breakfast....what a tough life. Have a nice day and come join me sometime.
Comments are always welcome.