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.