Who better to show you around Ireland than someone who was born and reared here. Someone who has traveled the length and breadth of this Emerald Isle long before he ever went into the business of doing it for a living. Someone who grew up with the Irish, went to school with them, learned to speak the native language, its history, its culture, its music and dance. Someone who not only loves Ireland but loves being Irish. If i was to hire someone to show me around the USA i would not hire someone over here in Ireland. I would hire someone who was born in, someone who lives in, and grew up in the USA. I would hire a native American. Everything i learned from day one i can use in the business i am in. It is amazing the questions i am asked. Many of them only a native Irishman could answer. It has to be in your bones and it is in mine. Why am i coming out so strong on this? I quoted a lady for a tour the other day and she was delighted and told me that i had come up with a much better figure than another company. I asked her who they were and she said that maybe i would not know them as they were based in the USA. She gave me their name and they were not only based in the USA but they were not native Irish. This is not unusual. She has decided to come with me and she said she was delighted to be traveling with someone like me because she feels that i know what i am talking about. I am not saying that these other companies do not do a good job but i am saying that personally i believe that you have to be Irish to really know Ireland and what being Irish is all about. People do not come here just to see the scenery. They have a million questions and they want the answers. They love to hear what it was like to have been a child here many years ago, what our schooling was like, what it was like as a teenager and our courting habits, our social lives, dancing, drinking, our food, our religion. What we thought about the English, about Northern Ireland, about the IRA and the troubles. They like to know about our political system and how it differs from that of the USA. You have to be Irish to be qualified to answer these questions. There is something magical about Ireland but there is also something magical about being Irish. Just look at the way people want to be Irish on St Patricks day. Many people go out and join in the celebrations and they do not have a single drop of Irish blood in their veins. I think that this is wonderful and good luck to them. It just makes me feel even more grateful that i am Irish myself.
If you are coming to Ireland maybe you will see a little sense in what i am saying. If you come with me then i will make sure that you see it. Maybe its the Leprechaun in me.
Comments welcome.
http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com
And you do have quite a bit of leprechaun in you! ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with all that you said here, Dave. Your knowledge of your country certainly enriched our time spent in Ireland. We felt much freer to talk to you about anything and everything than we would have in a large group tour, and all 3 of us came back from the trip with a sense that we had really gotten to know quite a lot about Ireland and her people. We had a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteThanks Maura....it was not even a little like work when i had the pleasure of taking your family around. I know you appreciated your holiday here and that makes it worthwhile for me.
ReplyDeleteDave