Happy New Year from Chauffeurdrive Ireland

The Artic conditions are not going to add to the New Year celebrations here in Ireland as many people will be staying at home tonight. Venturing out on icy roads will not be an attractive proposition for many and even those who can walk to their local pub will be worried about walking home again later on icy pavements. I think that for myself the TV and a nice fire seem to be the best choice. There is something about an open fire that makes it hard to leave the house. Our cold weather spell is set to last well into next week and there are many areas throughout the country where people cannot venture out at all due to the icy conditions. Many homes are without water due to burst pipes and water shortages. After our recent problems with the floods we are really taking a hammering this year. So far i have been blessed as we have had no major problems. Roll on the Springtime. Temperatures tonight are set to plummet to -10 below but right this minute, as i write, the skies are clear and we have a beautiful full moon. If you did not know better you would think that we are in for a lovely evening but that is not what the forecast is predicting.
New Years eve is a time for reflection and in many ways i can say that i am glad that this last year is coming to an end. We have seen so many disturbing events this past year between our economy, our weather problems, our problems within the church, and the whole worldwide situation. It does me good to look back and remember the good things that happened while all of this was going on. Business-wise my year was much better than i expected and this gave me the chance, not only to survive, but to make many more new friends. I know that some of them will be reading my blog. I just want to make sure that you all know that i have not forgotten the great times we had and how much you all helped me to forget about the crazy things that were going on. I have been fortunate that as a private driver/guide/tour operator i am in a business where i do get to meet many people and get to spend meaningful time with them. My business is not one where i am just a driver who stays in the background in his cap and uniform waiting to be told where to go next. I always feel like one of the group on holiday with my friends. When i am with people who are excited about where they are and what they are experiencing i too feel the same way. I love what i do and i love my country and it is a privilege to show it to my new friends. To get paid for doing it makes it even better. Unfortunately i have to charge as it is an expensive business to be in. This year i am really offering attractive rates as i know that people everywhere are finding the going tough due to the recession. I think that all of us in business have to play our part in trying to give real value.
We leave the old year behind hoping that the signs are there for an improvement as the recession seems to be on the wane. It is early days yet but many feel that we are coming out of it and maybe we should all say a little prayer that things will continue to get better....especially for the needy. Many of us complain but there are people who have much better reason to complain that us. Let us all remember to keep these people in mind and try to donate a little when we can to the organizations who best know how to distribute this help to those in need.
My wish for all my friends is that we continue to look out for each other and for those who need our help. That we continue to have good health, a decent dinner every day and a warm bed to sleep in at night, in a cosy warm and dry home. That we are surrounded by those we love and that they too enjoy good health.That our memories of those who have gone before us leave us with the feeling that they have not gone far and are still watching over us. Let us remember them in our prayers also.
May the New Year be good to you all and may you be blessed with good health and good fortune ....and loads of love.

Happy New Year

Dave

Chauffeurdrive Ireland back home again.

I have just returned home once again after spending the Christmas in England with my wife. We were visiting her mom who was alone this Christmas and who is now at an age where we will not get many more chances to do that. The weather in England was pretty poor also and eventhough we were in the south, where it is usually much better, it was remarkably cold and miserable. Our drive from Bristol airport to Torquay was treacherous as the roads were frozen and dangerous especially the last few miles into Torquay. The particular section was like a battlefield with car wrecks all over the place. It was a sad sight to see as people sat in their wrecks waiting for assistance. Not exactly the way you want to be celebrating your Christmas. Black ice was the problem. The road conditions also were most unusual for this part of Britain as Torquay is known as the English Riveara. They were neither prepared nor familiar with how to handle a problem like this and the roads were like glass. We had a delay of about three hours when all we had left to travel at that point was about twelve miles. Now we are back in Ireland once again and today is absolutely horrible with heavy rain and sleet and high winds. Maybe we should hold the next climate change meeting somewhere where they are experiencing unheard of conditions so that all of these experts can see it for themselves. There are plenty of choices.
Now the New Year is just around the corner and i would like to wish everybody a happy and prosperous one. We all need to have hope as we look ahead and maybe that will come as the Spring approaches. It is not here yet but we know that it will come. Like someone once said in maybe not these exact words:
"we are like the little bird whistling in the dark, waiting in anticipation of the dawn."
Let us keep our chins up, Spring will come.
Comments please.
http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

Happy Christmas from Ireland

This will be my final Blog before the Christmas holiday and i just want to wish all of my friends the happiest of holidays and the best of Irish luck for the New year ahead. As a private driver/guide and chauffeurdrive tour operator i am just one of many people who have had to endure a rather strange and worrying year. The recession took us all by surprise and nowhere more so than in Ireland. We were told that our economy was still rock solid and that all the basic signs that are proof of this were there to be seen. Little did we know that the bottom was going to fall out of our fortress and the Celtic tiger was going to have all of his teeth extracted without any anesthetic. Like a lot of cocky tough guys he was to go out with barely a whimper. Like the rest of the world the banks had messed up. Now we are counting the cost and the next few years have to be tough. Lets hope that the New Year will at least see some stabilization. Everybody is guessing and nobody really knows for sure just how the whole thing works. That is the real worrying thing. The experts still do not understand how the system really works. Even if it does turn around who says it cannot happen again. I am not going to dwell on this as i am sure that we all have heard enough about it. Lets just enjoy the Christmas and wish one another all the best for the New Year.
I am now on official holiday and will not be back on here until next week so just take care everybody and have a lovely time and drink enough, and just enough, and eat enough, and just enough. This is a time to celebrate and to enjoy family and friends before those terrible New Year resolutions have to be made. Not to worry about them though....they only last for a few days at most.
Comments welcome.

Your pal

Dave

http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

Very cold chauffeur in Ireland

The temperatures are below zero as i write, not that low by your standards in the USA , but low by ours here in Ireland. The cold wind from the North East makes it really chilly and it is a night to spend by the fire. I do have an open fire and how i love that in this weather. I like to burn logs with a mix of peat and this really does make a lovely fire. We do burn a lot of coal here also but that is not as clean as a log fire. Tonight i will spend just watching telly and relaxing. The Christmas spirit is in the air and people are still shopping for all that they are worth. No work for chauffeurdrive Ireland at this time but i really do not want any either to be honest. For anybody thinking about coming over next year this is a good time to start planning. I have time now to deal with enquiries so drop me a line if you are interested. I love to hear from my friends, and do not worry, i will not put the HEX on you. I know that you are busy with your own lives but it is nice to hear from you.I will post again very soon.
Any questions to get me going?

http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

White Christmas in Ireland for Dovechauffeurdrive?

Are we heading for a white Christmas in Ireland? The forecast at the moment is beginning to look a little bit like that with temperatures dropping below zero and heavy snow predicted in Britain. Snow is not the norm here and even when we get it it usually does not last long. Now with the weather patterns changing so much anything could happen. Irish people are not really used to driving in those conditions and this makes it even more dangerous to be on the road travelling. Where i live on the west coast of the country we are less likely to get snow than in the midlands, the north or the east. Even when we get it it rarely stays as the gulf stream on this side of the country keeps the land temperature up. I am sure that the children would welcome snow as we did ourselves when we were young. Snowball fights and the making of a snowman were things that you got a lot of enjoyment out of and it would be no different for the kids today. The countryside does look so different and there is a beauty to it all that is refreshing. For me of course it means that my job is not as easy but then again i do not be on the road as much at this time of the year. It may not happen anyway but i have a feeling that it just might.
This weekend here will be really hectic as everybody will be trying to do as much last minute shopping as they can. The shops themselves are keeping their fingers crossed as this is their last chance to try to make up some of the lost ground for a year that has hit their trade. There are signs that we are slowly emerging from our recession and that would be a nice thing to see happening before we move into the New Year. Lets hope that we all have learned a very valuable lesson.
Comments are welcome.
Visit my website at
http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

Friends of Dovechauffeurdrive and Dave Hogan

Well i have just finished speaking to a dear friend who, together with her daughter, traveled with me back in October 2000. Joy and Kit arrived as customers and departed as friends for life and they were truly a "Joy" to travel with. As a private driver i do get to make a lot of new friends and that is one of the bonuses of this business i am in. The downside is all the time it takes to stay in touch with so many people especially when you are a two finger typist. Needless to say my phone bills are high. I recieved my Christmas card from Joy today and felt i just had to call her as it has been so long since i did this. It was great to know that she is well and eventhough we did not get into going over our tour together today the contact brought it all back to me. There are some tales to tell about that tour also and the many laughs we enjoyed together. We toured her ancestral territories and eventhough we did not find any living relatives there we did enjoy great success including the old church where they were baptised and went to mass. These things mean so much to those returning in the hope of making that connection which will allow them to experience the actual connection with their Irish ancestry.It can be a most moving experience to see that emotional transformation and i remember when we found the old baptismal font in a little cupboard under the stairway to the choir loft, the font that Joy's ancestors would have been baptised in and which had been removed to make way for the new one. A font which was well over a hundred years old and which i am sure Joy would have gladly taken home with her if it had been practical. Such are the moments i treasure and which make me feel that," Yes, i am doing a good job." There were many more special moments in that tour and parting was difficult as is the same with many of my tours.
If i can be of assistance in any way please write to me. You can find my contact information on my website.

http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

Christmas in Ireland

The Christmas shopping spree is underway here in Ireland and despite the recession people will still be out there spending their hard earned money. There is no doubt that many people will not be able to buy all that they would like to buy and indeed some will not be able to buy anything at all. Our Christmas here goes on for about three weeks in all. Christmas holidays vary from a few days to a few weeks depending on what area you work in. Teachers of course are off for the duration of the school holidays which run to almost three weeks. Those in the building trade, or supplying the building trade, are also off for two to three weeks. Offices will close a couple of days before Christmas and most will not reopen until the Tuesday after Christmas. When i was young the shops would all be closed for a few days also but now many of them only close for maybe two days, and some for only Christmas day. Those people who have long holidays can find Christmas extra expensive as they have just too much time on their hands for shopping and celebrating. The after Christmas sales are another attraction and another way to get rid of any money you might have left over....if you are lucky enough to have any. The giving of presents is a big thing here and in recent times it has gotten even worse as a result of the Celtic Tiger years. Children especially have been spoiled and i think that they will be in for a bit of an awakening this year in many homes, and that is no harm at all. We all need to get a bit of sense and curtail our mad spending habits.
The last few days have seen an increase in enquiries for chauffeurdrive/car and driver/guide in Ireland and i think that over the holiday period i will be busy putting together suggested itineraries for next year. I will be doing my best to keep prices attractive as i know that people everywhere are suffering with this global recession. Ireland is still a wonderful destination and you really do have to see it to truly appreciate all that you hear about it. I have many customers who come back to me again and again as they become enchanted by this magical island off the west coast of Europe. It is all that they say it is and it never bores me. I am the eternal tourist and i am truly grateful for my vocation. I am a show-off and what i show off is the country i love. Come and see it for yourself.

Message from Private Driver West of Ireland

My good friend and writer of many comments, Kristy, has informed me about the situation with regard to car sales in the USA. Our budget has just introduced a new scrappage scheme to try to boost car sales here. Anybody trading in a car that is at least 10 years old will get an allowance of
Euro 1,500-00 when they purchase a new car. The Auto dealers are delighted with this so that seems to be encouraging. Do you get anything like that over there? Kristy has also mentioned that her 401K has almost fully recovered its losses and that is great news. The funds here have recovered some but not to that extent yet. Any movement in the right direction is good news though. Everybody is nervous about their job right now and companies are trying to make cut-backs just to stay afloat. All of this makes for worrying times but we will all just have to take it as it comes.
Today was a lovely day here in Ireland and it looks like the really bad spell of wet weather may be behind us at last. The floods are receding but it will be a long time before people get over the damage caused. People have been so good and voluntary contributions have been pouring in to relief agencies like the St Vincent De Paul. The Irish people have always been amongst the best when it came to coming to the rescue in times of need no matter where in the world this help was needed.
Thank you once again Kristy for your comment. I think that people should go and visit Kristy's Blog and web-site, so please leave your addy here for them Kristy. I am sure that it will be most interesting for others just as it is for me.

Chauffeur in Ireland

Well, our budget has been presented and now we have to live with it. Needless to say things are going to be more difficult here for everybody until we work our way out of this global mess. The good news i suppose is that tourists should benefit from our problems as prices in general just have to come down as our businesses now have to compete more and more. Things have already dropped and food prices and accommodation prices are much more competetive. We were pricing ourselves out of the market altogether and many people here did not even seem to notice that as their wages continually rose to meet their rising costs. This of course just could not continue and when the slump came it came with disastrous results for many people who will now have a job extricating themselves from the huge debts they have built up. Like many other countries the value of peoples recently purchased homes are now far less than the loans they took out on those homes. "Negative equity" they call it. We never even heard of that term when i was a young man. Borrowing was only for those who were well off. In recent years it became the norm for everybody. Now the day of reckoning has arrived and brought with it an awful awakening for many.
As a private driver and guide chauffeur drive tour operator the good news for anybody with the intention of coming to Ireland next year is that my prices will be at least as good as last year and hopefully better. Fuel once again was hit in the budget and if you think that you are paying a lot for it in the USA then you should see what it costs us here. We are now somewhere between $8-00 and $9-00 for a gallon and when you are touring you do use a few gallons. On the positive side i should be working out better on my hotel charges and other expenses and my clients will certainly benefit also on their food costs while they are here. Shopping in general is improving by the day and there are sales on everywhere all the time with genuine bargains. Ireland is certainly becoming more and more attractive as a holiday destination and long may that last. We needed an awakening and we have gotten it i think. Come and see for yourself.
I believe that things are improving in the USA? Maybe you might like to comment.

Chauffeurdrive Ireland and Irish weather

It is good to be able to report that our recent floods seem to be receding at last but many people are left with their homes in a disastrous state. In areas where there has been flooding in recent years and which have now been hit again, the main problem for those affected is that they have no insurance. They will not be able to get insurance in the future either unless something is done to alleviate their situation. The chances of this happening on a grand scale here are slim to none as it would cost an astronomical amount of money to drain all the affected areas. Let us all hope and pray that the meeting being held at the moment in Europe to try to come to grips with global warming will see all of these nations coming to some agreement that just might mean something. We do not need any more "HOT AIR". We all know that there will be agreement of some form or other but will they put these things into action? There is no doubt that most people involved in these meetings must feel that they will be relatively safe during their lifetimes but what about their children? At the rate things are changing we may all yet get a rude awakening.
I can remember a time when a person had a choice of many exciting places to start a new life, but where can you go nowadays? There was the USA or Canada....Australia, of course England was handy for us Irish, and mainland Europe had places that were also attractive. South Africa and New Zealand were also exciting choices and you could find Irish people no matter where you went. Now nobody wants you and even if you got there, wherever that is, you would not be able to find work. You have to have green cards and visas and of course money. You have to have a clean record also. There was a time when they shipped us Irish out because we did not have a clean record. Maybe when they open up space travel we can start all over again but i am afraid that that will come to late for a lot of us. If i was starting out all over again maybe i would be thinking about doing space tours. Chauffeurdrive Mars or further afield.
Right now i would just like a nice quiet island in the sun somewhere with plenty of fresh fruit and fish from the sea. Maybe a nice little house by the beach, no snakes or killer insects, no sharks in the water or killer jellyfish or anything like that. Maybe i am thinking about heaven. Would it not be nice to think that we will all get there someday.
What is your world like now and what are your dreams?

Tiger in the rough from chauffeurdrive in Ireland.

Ireland is a golfers paradise and as a golfer myself i can only say that the main topic of discussion in golf clubs around the world must be the man who is usually the main topic anyway....Tiger Woods. His skill on the golf course has gotten him out of many difficult situations but it will take more than golfing skill to get him out of this one. He has enjoyed the attention of the media for many years and has made vast amounts of money from this exposure but i would say that he would gladly return it now just to get off the hook. I am not going to throw any stones at anyone but nobody can deny that he got himself into this, and when we do land ourselves in a mess that was of our own making we just have to accept it. I can only say that if he does love his wife, and if she genuinely loves him, then i hope they can work through it. In this case, when he is such a celebrity, i think that is going to be very difficult. There are people out there who will feel that he does not deserve another chance, and then again there are those who will feel that in dealing with a situation like this that it is very much a personal choice and that what applies in one case might not necessarily apply in another. He was wrong and there is no getting away from that but maybe they can get through this and if so maybe end up with a stronger relationship than they ever had before. Maybe.....just maybe.....the old slogan might apply
TO ERR IS HUMAN...TO FORGIVE.....DIVINE.
I would love to hear what others think.
Back to golf in Ireland. Most golfers coming to Ireland from the USA want to play all the high profile courses, and i have nothing against that, but i myself would not pay the astronomical green fees that some courses charge. We are so fortunate here to have many great courses that charge relatively small green fees and are also not busy like these high profile courses. You can pay $300-00 for a round on a high profile course and you can pay $40-00 for a round on another superb course that does not get the same publicity and is member owned. I have played many great courses that will never host a professional tournament, and not because they are not good courses. If you are a golfer who cannot or who does not want to pay these exorbitant fees then you can come here and have a ball (excuse the pun). Let me know if you need help.
Yes, i do tour with golfers also so give me a shout if you need me.
Comments welcome as usual. Try not to be too hard on Tiger....he is just a stupid man who just thought that he would never be caught. Does that sound familiar? If you are one who throws stones....remember to shout "FOUR".

Budget in Ireland is next headache.

There is an air of nervous expectation as we await next weeks budget here in Ireland. No matter what job or business you are in here right now you can expect to be hit. The government say that they want to stay clear of increasing taxation but i still think that many of the old favourites will be hit. As someone in the chauffeurdrive/private driver and guide or tour operator business, i will not be surprised if we are hit with fuel or road tax and other motoring cost increases. There will be cuts in social welfare and great cuts in the public services where the government wants huge voluntary redundancies. Everybody agrees that we need to make huge cutbacks but nobody wants it in their own area. The amount of people out of work continues to rise and our welfare bill is just ridiculous. There was a time when people could consider emigration as a solution but now where can you go to get work? This is a worldwide problem and nobody needs new emigrants. They are finding it hard to even look after their own. Many businesses are pulling out of Ireland and heading to far away places where they can get workers for a lot less. We cannot compete with these countries and our situation is critical. Nobody seems to have the answer.
In the meantime the flooding has not eased and things have now actually gotten worse in many places due to the drinking water becoming polluted. People now will have to boil their water until this is sorted out and that could take up to five weeks in many areas. It is hard to watch those affected being interviewed on our news programs as they are distraught due to their losses. Homes destroyed...brand new homes in many cases. Old people being rescued in tractors and trailers, animals isolated and starving from lack of fodder. Huge areas of land under many feet of water. Insurance companies looking for loopholes so that they can escape as many claims for compensation as possible. What is happening in Ireland in recent times is like something out of the old testament. If Noah was still around he would be building an Ark....if there was a bank to give him the money. Where all this will end is anybody's guess.
I can only say that i am a very lucky man that my business does not depend on the amount of traffic that comes my way at this time of the year. A private driver in the west of Ireland would not be in great demand at this time of the year. Hopefully this will all pass on sooner rather than later and then we can all start to get a little positive once again with regard to the coming year. I still remain hopeful. Coming to Ireland is still a dream to many people especially Americans. A return to the old sod is something that they feel they must do before they can die happy. If things continue to improve over there as they seem to be doing then that will certainly help and i know that some of those who decide to come will find their way to me and my chauffeurdrive business.
If you have a comment please do not be shy.