Historic Stroll in Old Kinsale

This morning my party were off on a walking tour of Kinsale. This" Historic Stroll in Old Kinsale" with Don or Barry is a wonderful educational tour and a great way to learn all about Kinsale and its past. Rick Steves described it as "fascinating" and i would have to agree. If you do get to Kinsale make sure that you avail of this experience. Later we visited Charles Fort which guarded the entrance to this wonderful natural harbour. This is a star shaped fort which was designed to guard the harbour and the land around it also. Across the harbour there was another fort, John's fort, so that anything trying to enter the harbour would have no chance when caught in a crossfire between the cannon on both sides. Kinsale was a fortress with no equal.
The weather today was mild and sunny at times but overall a lovely day once again. Last night we all dined at that well know pub restaurant, Jim Edwards. The food there is really top class and i would highly recommend it. There are many fine places to eat in Kinsale so make sure to try as many as you can while you are here. Fishy Fishy is another wonderful place if you want to enjoy the best of fresh fish.
Tomorrow we head for the mighty Cliffs of Moher and then on to Galway City which will be our base for the rest of the tour. This evening will be a quiet one as the ladies just want to relax and spend some time walking in the lovely surrounds of the hotel. Our hotel, the Kinsale Carlton is set in a forrested area on the outskirts of the town overlooking the lovely Oysterhaven Bay and is a lovely place to relax before we get under way again tomorrow. Talk to you again soon.
Comments are welcome.

The Blarney Stone with chauffeur drive Ireland

Today we left Killarney behind as we made our way to the town of Blarney and the famous castle that holds the stone. When you kiss the Blarney stone you get the "Gift of the Gab", an eloquence beyond the norm. Now who could resist that. There is quiet a climb to the top of the castle where the stone is set and you need to be careful with your back as you have to lie down and lean back and kiss the stone over your head. The stone is safe to kiss despite the nasty rumors and my friends had no trouble with that as they could see for themselves that it is attended all day and locked up securely at night. So much for that. They also visited the Blarney Woolen Mills shopping centre where there is a great selection of all kinds of Irish goods and they made their little purchases including a lovely set of Claddagh ear-rings.....a really lovely souvenir. Later we moved on to Kinsale, and as i write, the ladies are investigating this historic town center and enjoying its shops and many other interesting places. Kinsale is known as the gourmet capital of Ireland and i am sure that they will find one of the many restaurants to enjoy a nice meal. I like to give them the space and time they need ....and a break from me also.
Tomorrow i will be reporting from Kinsale as my party tour Charles Fort and take the walking tour of this most popular town. The weather today was what we in Ireland would call "A Soft Day"......a sprinkling of light rain. A typical Irish day and a lovely one at that. More later.

Thanks you for your comments and keep them coming please. If you do have any questions please just ask.

Dave

Chauffeurdrive Vacation on the Dingle Peninsula

The Dingle peninsula is one of my own favourites and that was where we were today. I have been there in all kinds of weather and it has always been special. Today was no exception as it was overcast early on and as the day progressed the winds increased and the rain came down. My touring companions found it all magnificent, the town of Dingle, the ancient beehive huts at Slea Head and the breathtaking sea-views all the way around the peninsula. The high winds gave new life to the seas and the Atlantic rollers on Inch beach were a sight to see. When we reached the Conor Pass at the top of the mountains we could barely stand in the wind and this was one of the most memorable moments for the ladies on the tour so far. How they laughed as they strove to keep their feet in the powerful winds that raged through the mountain pass. How different the experience can be when the weather is different.The winds and rain do not spoil an Irish holiday and i have never yet in all of my years of touring had a tour that was spoiled by the weather. I always say that Ireland is always beautiful... some days she just wears a different dress.
Once again there were many great photos taken which i hope to post later in the week.
Tomorrow we head for Blarney and the Blarney Castle and from there to our final destination tomorrow evening, the historic town of Kinsale.
If you ever get a chance....come and see Ireland for yourself.

Comments welcome...post anonymously if you like.

Dave


http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

Chauffeurdrive in West of Ireland

Today the ladies were thrilled with their trip through the Gap of Dunlo in Killarney.This started out with a bus ride to Kate Kearney's Cottage at the entrance to the Gap where they boarded their horse drawn carriage. The road through the mountains is narrow and winding and the climb up to the top is spectacular. The views from there are just breath-taking and the descent to the lake on the far side is just unforgetable. Then the final leg takes you on a boat ride back down through the lakes of Killarney to Ross castle. They were just overcome by the experience and this has just been another memorable day for them.
The weather today was lovely once again.It did start out damp but the sun broke through early and shone all day long.Tomorrow we journey to the Dingle peninsula and this once again will be a day for them to remember.
This trip to the Gap is a must but do not attempt to drive it yourself as the roads are extremely narrow and dangerous with many twisting and winding bends and sheer drops down to the valley below. The narrow roads make passing anything coming towards you extremely difficult so beware. Go with the experts and stay safe.The boat ride is a must also and you cannot do that if you drive yourself as you would have to go back again to get your car.
All is well with my tour and i will report in again tomorrow from lovely Killarney.

Private Personal Guided Tour with Chauffeurdrive in Ireland

How i wish i could download some of the lovely photos i took today as we made our way around the Ring of Kerry. I could not help but feel a little angry when i thought about some of the things i have read recently about this particular area. When people who are not feeling well want to find out what is wrong with them they go to a doctor, someone who is qualified to check them out and give them a proper diagnosis. When coming on holiday then i think you should do likewise, get the proper information from someone who knows what they are talking about. You do have choices. You can pick up a magazine and get the opinion of someone who has been to Ireland for two weeks and who speaks as though they know it all. You can watch some of these travel programs and the presenter is someone who has been here a couple of times (maybe) and who again sounds like an authority. You can spend hours looking at your computer researching different areas and ed up more confused than when you started or maybe you can do what is best of all.....get your guidance from someone who was born and reared here, someone who loves their country and who has first hand experience of a its geography and its history,its politics and its culture, its music and its people. I receive enquiries from people who tell me where they want to go and where they want to steer clear of. Today brought back the memory of an enquiry i received the other day, "we do not want to tour the Ring of Kerry". I spoke to that person on the phone and they told me that the reason they did not want te "Ring" was because they did not want to get blocked up in traffic and spend hours in parked cars. The sqaid that they had read that the roads were so narrow that these blockades were unavoidable. Rubbish....rubbish....rubbish. The roads are fine. They are not motorways. They are a million times better than they were just a few years ago so maybe mis-guidance these people were getting was from someone who was here a long time ago.....or from someone who just does not know how to handle Irish roads. Yes,,,Irish roads are narrow in many areas and tou have to be a qualified driver to handle them. Having your own private car and driver is by far the best way to go. Many men have a problem with that as they see it as some kind of a criticism of their driving ability. It is no such thing. How can a driver relax and take in all the wonderful scenery if he has to spend all day focusing on the road ahead. If you can afford it then a personal chauffeur is the way to go...but remember.....a personal chauffeur who knows the country. How do you check him out? Ask him for phone numbers of people who have used his services in the past so that you can check him out. I will gladly do that for anybody who wants to get an opinion of me and my service. I can understand if people do not want to ask me directly if there is going to be a smell of Guinness off me all day as we travel or a smell of Irish whiskey or cigarette smoke. I can understand if they would feel reluctant to ask me if i will be with them day and night and leave them feeling that they have no time to themselves. I have built up such a great army of wonderful friends in the USA who are only too glad to share their experience of a tour with David Hogan. What better way to make sure that you are on the right track. There are two other things that came up today as we traveled that i would like to comment on now. One is tipping. A lot of Americans arrive here with the opinion that tipping is not the custom in Ireland. Rubbish....rubbish...rubbish. Tipping is the norm here just as it is anywhere ....if you happen to be the kind of person who wishes to show your gratitude for services rendered. I can only think that some tightwad who would not tip his mother thought that one up. Get real mister....tipping is something you do if there is an once of generosity in your bones. I always tip no matter where i am....it has nothing to do with which country i am in....what others do....or whatever. I would hate to think that somebody who had given me their time and their dedication to service went away with the opinion that i did not notice. If i do not like your service and if you do not treat me with respect then you will not get a tip. Otherwise i will. The amount of the tip is up to yourself. There is no clear instruction or guideline on that and it is not a specific percentage as in the USA where generally it runs between 15% and 20% i believe. Just dig into your heart first and then into your pocket. It is a nice thing to do but just tip what you can afford and that is fine.
Another thing that came up today was a rumour that concerns the Blarney Stone."We do not want to kiss the B;arney Stone because people pee on it". Rubbish....rubbish....rubbish. It is attended all day and the place is locked up at night. There are creatures on our planet who want to spoil everything for everybody else because they think that that is funny. Blarney is lovely....the castle and grounds are wonderful and kissing the Blarney stone is fine....and fun. Come to Ireland and enjoy its magic.
Today was wonderful and the Ring was bathed in glorious sunshine. We had a magical time an when you see some of my photos when i get back to Galway and am able to load them onto my computer you will see just how wonderful today was. My new pals are having the time of their lives and maybe you can see that for yourself when you see their happy faces in my photos.Talk to you again soon.

Dave

http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

Chauffeurdrive Vacations in Ireland

I had an early start this morning as i collected my latest party at Shannon on their arrival from New York. They were delighted to be here and we made our way to Killarney were we are based for the next few days. The day was lovely and they had a lovely time at Muckross house and around the town.I was amazed at their energy as they were all go and really enjoying themselves. Tomorrow we will be doing the Ring of Kerry so i will report more then when i have time. I will be posting some of the photos from this tour later in the week when i get back to my computer.
Talk to you soon.

Dave

http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

Car and Driver for Irish Vacation

An Ancient Irish Abbey in Ardfert County Kerry

Ardfert is renowned for its connection with St Brendan the Navigator who many think reached the New World before Columbus. These lovely ladies were part of a group who traveled with me some time ago.

Irish airports are back to normal as the Airlines continue to clear the backlog of passengers. I start a new tour this Saturday morning and i will be posting here as i go so you just might find that interesting. My latest party are from the Chicago area and i know that they are very excited about their holiday. I too am looking forward to getting back on the road again. I do not have time to post any more today but i will write more soon. Dave http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

Irish Vacation with Car and Driver

Stone walls in the West

The West of Ireland is famous for its stone walls. This photo was taken on the hillside at Corcomroe just inside the Galway Clare border (on the Clare side). The nearest strips of water are inlets of Galway Bay and Galway Bay itself can be seen in the far background.The stone walls are loosely packed with no mortar in between and God alone knows how many years they have been there. This particular stone is limestone and, as we are on the border of the Burren, all of this stone was formed on the ocean floor before movement of the earth's crust forced the ocean floor upwards to form the Clare hills and the Burren. This is a strange and wonderful place and is the home of many lovely and rare species of flowers which cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. There are even Artic flowers here, their seeds having been transported by the ice flow during the ice-age. When the ice finally melted the seeds once again became flowers.
Our airports are up and running once again and hopefully things will get back to normal fairly soon. There is such a large backlog of passengers to be dealth with it could take a few days but incoming flights from the USA seem to be fine again. That is good news for me as i start a new tour on Saturday morning. I will try to keep my Blog up to date next week as i tour.....it should be interesting. Let me know what you think.
If you are looking for a private guided tour just drop me a line.

Chauffeurdrive West of Ireland. Vacations with own car and driver.

Grounded by Volcano

"Never did us gulls think we would see the day. That dust is something else. Not a bad place to be grounded though."

You would have to admit that they are talking it well. I have sat on this wall myself at Slea Head on the Dingle peninsula and the views here are just magical. The good news is that these guys are back in the air again as the restrictions have been lifted. Lets hope that things stay on the mend now. It was a great relief for me to see the jet trails in the skies again this morning but my relief must be insignificant compared to that being felt by thousands of people all over Europe who have been stranded for the past week. I really am looking forward to getting on the road again and hopefully that will happen on Saturday morning.
It was heartening to see how many people reacted in a most charitable way to help people who were stranded here and who had run out of money and places to stay. Some hotels opened their doors, as did many B&B's, and gave people shelter and food. Also pubs and restaurants gave people food and drink and they deserve great credit for that. Many people returning in cars and trucks by ferry from mainland Europe gave people a seat home and many companies who have buses went out to mainland Europe to ferry people back to Ireland. With all of the negative things we hear every day on the news it is nice to see how people band together when you have an emergency. Of course it rarely makes the front page.
All is well here today and the glorious sunshine continues. This is a real kick in the teeth to those who say that it always rains in Ireland.
All comments welcome.

Dave

Airlines to resume flights tomorrow

The Cliffs of Moher

What a lovely place to spend time walking the hillsides on a sunny day. Come to think of it.... quiet an experience to be there on a wild and windy day.....and maybe even more exciting.


The good news from Ireland is that Aer Lingus has announced a resumption of Transatlantic flights from tomorrow . Many other airlines seem to be doing likewise so we can all breathe a sigh of relief. This follows news that the Volcano has begun to settle once again. Let us all hope that that is the case. Seemingly one of the main causes for the release of Volcanic ash from the eruption is the water from the melting ice running over the molten lava and evaporating violently. Now that most of the ice has disappeared there is no longer this reaction. This must be great news to many people stranded both here and abroad and eventhough there will be a big backlog of passengers for sometime i think we should see a return to normal before the weekend. My latest group, who were to have arrived last Friday, should be here as rearranged next Saturday now. People are still reeling from this latest set-back and many are wondering....what next? Let's be positive and be happy that the Summer is just around the corner. It would also be great to think that everybody has learned a lot from this experience as there seems to be a lot of criticism about the way it has been handled. I am not sure if they could have done any different as the safety of people must always be the main priority. Let's hope that once they resume things go smoothly.

Latest from Ireland on Icelandic Volcano disruption

Jessie and her Granddad

Maybe in my old age i will be able to sit back and let her play for me. This is my granddaughter Jessica and she really does love my piano. When she comes to visit she runs to the piano and i have to join her and entertain her. As soon as i start to play she pulls my hands off the keyboard and takes over. She knows it all already.
As Ireland bathes in glorious sunshine our airports lie silently awaiting the return of flights carrying eager tourists to our shores. As bad and all as it is for the tourists who now find that they cannot come at this time,it is much worse for those people stranded here and who cannot get out of the country and home to their own families and jobs. There are also thousands of Irish people in foreign lands who cannot get back to Ireland so i suppose these are the people we should have the most sympathy for. My own chauffeurdrive service has been disrupted as i was to start a tour last Friday and my clients, who were traveling from the USA have been unable to get here. They re-scheduled for tomorrow morning but that has now been canceled also. Now they have once again made new arrangements and are due to arrive next Saturday. I know that they are both delighted and very relieved that i have been able to rearrange everything for them and that they are not going to either lose their holiday or their money. I have never yet penalised anybody when they have had the misfortune to have their arrangements canceled. I had one client who arrived a day late but, with my assistance, Aer Lingus refunded them the cost of that lost day and all was well. I know that many companies will not refund the clients deposit but i have never had to do anything like that. I have had incidents where people had to put their holiday on hold and come at a later date, and i will always provide the same deal when that happens, providing it is not a time when the hotel rates are at a premium and i have to pay a bit more for them. All i will add then is whatever extra the hotels charge. I do not add anything to my own charges. Travel insurance is something everybody should provide themselves eventhough i have full insurance for my clients for any accident they might have while traveling with me. Always make sure that whoever you travel with provide this insurance. You car hire a car and driver in Ireland who may not have the necessary cover so be careful. Chauffeurdrive companies like mine who can provide you with contact numbers of people who have used the service previously can give you that reassurance you need.
It looks at this stage like our airports will be closed into the latter end of the week. We have to wait for the wind to change direction as it is blowing straight down from Iceland over the British isles and Ireland and will continue to do this until later in the week at the earliest. Our other only hope is that the Volcano will cease to spew out this dust but that seems unlikely. So much for all this mighty power we seem to think we have. Nature leaves us helpless when she wants to shake us up a little. Pay attention world.
It is hard to believe when you look at the weather we are experiencing here at the moment that such a major disaster is occurring. God only knows what the final cost of this is going to be. Let us hope and pray that it will end soon.
If you are traveling to Ireland then just make sure that you keep in touch with the situation and get your information from reliable sources. As i write (Sunday afternoon) all Irish airports are closed to all traffic and there will be no resumption of flights before lunchtime to morrow at the earliest. I think it would be fair to say that believing this situation might change even then would be very optimistic to say the least. It would be more realistic to think that we may have a resumption by the end of the week. Let us hope so.
If you have any questions with regard to travel to Ireland then please write to me or comment here.

Your friend in Ireland

Dave

Sarah on the beach at Inch

This photo of Sarah was taken on the beach at Inch on the Dingle peninsula. It actually looks colder than it was on that day as it was a little overcast at the time. This beach featured in the movie Ryan's Daughter and is a beautiful stretch of sand and a great place to swim or surf.
I have been preparing for my latest tour arrivals who were due tomorrow morning but now, due to the Volcanic eruption in Iceland, have had to reschedule. Fortunately they can extend their holiday period and i also have a few free days before my next tour and can accommodate the changes. I know that they are most frustrated but there are many thousands of people in a worse position as they will lose their holiday completely. Nobody seems to know for sure when things will get back to normal but there have been so many unusual occurrences recently it is nearly of Biblical proportions. It is such a shame as our weather here right now is fabulous and anybody fortunate enough to be here at this time is really blessed. More later.

Dave

Chauffeurdriveholidays

A happy group in Killarney

The Irish Open Golf Championship is being held this year at the Killarney Killeen golf course. This photo is of one of my groups, Chuck and Madeline and Tim Snr and their son Garrett. It was taken beside the club house with the Killarney lakes in the background. The Killeen course is a fine championship course and you could not have a nicer setting for a golf course. The backdrop of mountains and lakes makes it all so picturesque and the course itself is a real challenge. One of the real bonuses is that they actually have three course here at the one club so you will rarely be stuck for tee times. The other real bonus is that Killarney is not as expensive to play as a lot of these higher profile courses that were designed for overgrown musclebound body-builders where it takes the average golfer like me two drives to reach a par three green, and any body's guess how many to reach a par five. The proud boast of people who play these kind of courses is " What a course, i did not even manage one par out there." If that is what you call fun then keep it. Killarney is not like that...great courses and sensible courses.
The weather here today is absolutely heavenly and long may it continue. I was in to Galway City today and took a trip out the seafront. Galway Bay was like a sheet of glass. The Clare Hills across the bay were a lovely shade of blue and the Aran Islands on the horizon were calling out for a visit. I have clients looking forward to a visit to Aran this coming weekend and if it is like this then they are in for an amazing treat. I love Aran as i spent many holidays there as a child. They are only a thirty five minute boat ride from Rossaveal harbour and the boat bus takes you right to the ferry. If you have time when you are in Galway, and the day is right, then a trip to these islands is a great way to spend a day. Many people overnight there and that can be a real treat also. The promenade in Salthill was a busy place today as it is a most popular place for walking all the way along the seafront. The sea looked so inviting it made me feel like taking a dip but it is a little early yet, eventhough there are people swimming already. Do not be shocked by that...we have the Gulf stream here on the west coast......eat your hearts out.
Talk to you soon.

Traveling to Ireland with Chauffeurdrive Ireland West.

I recently wrote a little about Ryanair and my own personal feelings about that airline. They get a lot of criticism, and a lot of it is most unfair in my opinion. I have used Ryanair quiet a number of times and i cannot say that i have ever had a bad experience. Ryanair is a low cost budget airline and anybody using their service has to accept that they cannot provide the type of service you get on airlines that charge premium rates. If you want to get from A to B at a low cost then you cannot do better than Ryanair. Their planes are first class and their safety record is second to none. They also have a wonderful record when it comes to getting you there in time. You are not talking long-haul flights with Ryanair and if you cannot do without your extras for a short while, whatever they might be, then maybe you should dig deeper in that pocket of yours and pay for your luxuries. They charge if you bring a suitcase to put in the hold but you are allowed what i would consider a reasonable amount of cabin luggage (10 Kilos) to bring on board with you. If you do happen to have a lot of luggage that you have to bring with you then i suggest that you check with different airlines and see if you can get a better deal. If you cannot....then stop complaining. Many people travel with a lot of unnecessary luggage, and i should know. I see people coming to tour with me and you would think that they were leaving home. I even do it myself and find that i often bring items back with me that i have not even unpacked. There is an art in sensible packing and i think that if you want to bring heavy bags with you then you should be prepared to pay for them. Just try posting that suitcase and see how much it would cost....and that travels in a plane also. Now Ryanair are going to charge one Euro to use the toilet on their planes. Most of my flights with Ryanair have been short ones where i never needed to use the toilet but, if you do use a toilet, then somebody has to pay for the upkeep of that toilet and the items provided such as tissues and hand-wash etc, not to mention maintainance. I do not have a problem with that if it keeps the fare down. Then you have priority boarding where you get to the head of the queue when boarding the plane. Do you really want to be ahead of everybody else? if you do, then pay for it. I do not mind waiting a few minutes longer....and that is all it takes. I never use it. The only thing about using Ryanair that i find a nuisance is the actual booking online. Like a lot of seniors i am not great at the computer and i have to be careful making these bookings. Just be careful when filling in your booking form online. If you make a mistake and end up paying for something that you did not want then that is your own fault and you cannot blame anybody else for that. I do not pay the extra insurance as i have travel insurance already. I just book for the bare minimum with no trimmings. I know i have to pay the extra for using my credit card but that is the norm anyway. Like i already said....if you want to get from A to B in comfort and ontime in good planes with a great safety record then stick with Ryanair and ignore the fuss-pots who like to pretend that they are used to first class everything. We have an old expression here in Ireland which we use when somebody acts like they are members of the Royal family...." It's far from that you were reared". If it were not for Ryanair i just wonder how much extra we would be paying for our short-haul flights which so many of us here in Ireland use to travel to England and the continent. Michael O' Leary deserves great credit for the service he provides for us...regardless of, and despite, the critics.
Ireland is basking in beautiful sunshine today and anybody who is fortunate enough to be here right now is blessed. It looks set to stay a while also and our long range forecast is good. I am constantly asked by people coming to tour with me just when would be the best time to come here weather wise. Right now, the middle of April, can be just as good, if not better, than the middle of the Summer. In Ireland you just cannot predict with any accuracy. The one thing you can be sure of though is that Ireland is a wonderful place to visit regardless of when you come. I have been providing a chauffeurdrive service here for quiet a number of years now and i can honestly say that i have never had a tour that was a disaster because of the weather. We do get our share of rain but we do get good weather also, and even when it rains, you get plenty of breaks in that also.
I believe that the cost of car-hire here has risen quiet a bit so maybe you should consider your own car and driver option. A quote does not cost you anything and if you come to travel with me you get more than a car and driver. I think my experience is worth quiet a lot if you want that special vacation.

Dave

Chauffeurdrive Dublin Irleand.

Ready to go


I have just arrived home once again after spending an overnight in Dublin. This trip was not all about working and i had time to have a really lovely Indian meal in a restaurant near my hotel before taking in a wonderful play at the Gaiety Theater just down the street from my hotel. You know how they always say that when you are thinking about purchasing a property, the three most important things are...Location, Location, Location. Well the same thing applies to a hotel as far as i am concerned. It is not that i do not look for quality also but i look for the best quality and value i can find in the best location. The hotel i stayed in last night was the Grafton Capital which is located just off St Stephens Green right in the heart of Dublin. This is the one i normally use, when i can get availability, and they do look after me very well, and also my clients. It is not five star but it is nice and clean and has all that i need, and the breakfasts are great. There is an Indian restaurant just down the street from the hotel called Jaipur. I love Indian food and i had been meaning to ask about this place many times but never got around to it. Finally last evening i decided to give it a try and i would have to say that i was more than pleasantly surprised. If you are looking for a cheap Indian meal then stay away from Jaipur but if you want quality in pleasant surroundings, and with excellent service, then i highly recommend Jaipur. I had a selection of starters and a selection of main courses and the only disappointing thing was that i could not finish them all. There was nothing that i did not like and i now have found a place where i can relax and dine and make staying away from home a lot more pleasant. I look forward to going back there again.
Their address is
41 South Great Georges Street Phone 01-6770999 (drop the 01 when in Dublin)

The play at the Gaiety last evening was Brian Friel's " Playboy of the Western World" and what a treat that was also. I felt like it was my birthday by the time i got back to my hotel after a really special evening. The theater is just up the street from the hotel, maybe two minutes walk. When you are out after dark it is best not to have far to walk too far in any city and Dublin is no exception. If you do have any distance to go then get a taxi.
The weather has become much more pleasant all of a sudden and the temperatures are touching up to the sixties at last. What a lovely time to be in Ireland. If you are one of those people who are lucky enough to be able to jet away at the drop of a hat then this car and driver would be only delighted to try to help out. There is no better Irish vacation than one that is planned with the assistance of someone who knows what he is doing and i think i can put myself in that category from all the testimonials i receive. I am now long enough in the chauffeurdrive vacation business to help you to plan the Irish holiday of a lifetime for yourself. Just drop me a line.

Dave

Guided Chauffeurdrive Vacations in Ireland

Guess who?

Yes, it is me. This photo was taken at Ladies View on the Ring of Kerry. None of my Leprechaun pals were there at the time but maybe you will be luckier when you get there. It was from this vantage point high up on the mountain road overlooking the lakes of Killarney that Queen Victoria declared this, the most beautiful view in the Kingdom. Recently somebody told me that they were advised not to travel the Ring of Kerry or the Dingle peninsula as there were always terrible delays on these routes. It must be a long time since they were here as that is totally untrue.In recent years the roads have been widened and most of the narrow bends have been removed so do not let these rumours prevent you from enjoying some of Ireland's most magnificent scenery. Just remember when you travel the Ring of Kerry that you journey anti-clockwise as this is the direction all the large trucks and buses go in. Then you do not meet any of them head-on. There is also a rumour that Blarney is not worth going to either as it is always too crowded and that it is not advisable to kiss the Blarney stone as spoil-sports pee on it. Again a load of rubbish as it is always attended during the day and the place is locked up at night and nobody can get near it. Who starts these stupid rumours? Just people with nothing better to do than try to spoil other people's holidays. If you have any concerns or queries about anything please feel free to ask me about them.
The sunshine arrives tomorrow and already this evening it is looking up. I have another tour starting next week and lets hope that they get some of this lovely weather. I think that they will.
One other thing that is bothering me......that concerns Ryanair. I will write more about them later but right now just let me say this much......i always use Ryanair if i have the option. They are the big success in the airline business....maybe that is why they have so many enemies. More later.
Comments welcome.

Dave

http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

A session with my pal John Dineen

This photo was taken when i visited the home of my good friend John Dineen in Coolea in county Cork. Coolea is a Gaeltacht area which is a native Irish speaking area. Sadly there are only a few of them left in this country, Connemara, areas of County Donegal, areas in County Mayo and Meath and Wexford and Waterford, and of course Dingle and other areas in county Kerry. I am an Irish speaker myself and i do have a great love for this wonderful language. There are great efforts being made all the time to preserve our language and hopefully it will survive.
John is a wonderful character and known far and wide for his wonderful musical ability and his endearing sense of humour. There is no better man to tell a story or to spin a yarn as we say. You would want to take a lot of his tales with a pinch of salt. I met John many years ago when i was playing in a band in a pub in Galway during the Summer season. Unfortunately i do not see him often enough but when i do he is always a breath of fresh air to me.
Our weather continues to be horrible but the good news is that it is due to change, and change for the better. We are forecast some lovely weather starting this Wednesday after a gradual improvement tomorrow. Next weekend is forecast really sunny and warm and hopefully it will now herald the true beginning of Spring, and badly needed growth.
My chauffeurdrive calendar is busier and busier by the day and i have very little availability from the later days of May up to the middle of July. I do have some time in April, August and late September and October but if you are looking for a car and driver give me a call anyway and i will see what i can do. I do have back-up and that is always important.
Comments welcome please.

Dave

http://www.chauffeurdriveholidays.com

Irish vacation with personal car and driver.

Happy Easter to all


This is a photo i took in an old church on the Amalfi coast during a holiday in Italy. I thought it might be fitting on this special Easter Sunday. Sorrento, the Isle of Capri and the Amalfi coast were special but nowhere beats Ireland. Come and see it with me on a chauffeurdrive vacation.
Happy Easter to one and all....may we all know and enjoy the peace of love.

Dave

Looking for Chauffeurdrive vacations in the west of Ireland

Our humble abode

This is a picture of our home in Kinvara with the cherry blossom in full bloom. This photo was taken last year and we are now waiting for the blossoms to reappear once again. Please note the lovely sunshine and the next time somebody tells you that it always rains in Ireland you can tell them that they do not know what they are talking about. We have enjoyed a really kind spell of weather from early February up to the end of last week, and eventhough it has turned wet and cold again for the last few days, we have had some lovely periods of sunshine also. It is still only early April and now that our clocks have gone forward once again the stretch in the day is really nice. If the skies are clear it does not get dark now before eight in the evening. Come the middle of June it will be eleven o'clock before it gets dark. I love the early morning in the Summer as it starts to get bright shortly after four and it is so nice to hear the birds singing in the early morning sunshine. Where i live there are only the sounds of nature as there is very little traffic until later in the morning, and even then it is only the occasional car or tractor.
I would like to wish you all a very Happy Easter and peace in your homes and your hearts at this time. My weekend will be spent with family along with a couple of visits to a couple of nursing homes where i play a little music and sing a few songs. The elderly are my favourite audience.
Talk to you soon.

Dave