Private tours in Ireland with chauffeur

Sheila and Jess relaxing in my sitting room in Kinvara. (not really.....actually Ashford Castle)
Sheltering from a shower in the grounds of Ashford.
Sheila and Jess at the fjord in Leenane.
Jess with her Connemara ponies near Clifden.


Today was our day in Connemara, and what a lovely day we had once again. We visited Ashford Castle, Leenane, Kylemore Abbey, and took the Sky road into Clifden. There we had a lovely lunch in Walshe's restaurant in the town before heading for Roundstone. Then it was back through the heart of Connemara to Galway and finally on to Kinvara once again. What a wonderful place Connemara is and no wonder they call it God's Country.The weather was kind to us for most of the day except for some showers while we were at Ashford. Tomorrow we head for the majestic Cliffs fo Moher and on to another stage in this great adventure. I will tell you more later.

The Galway Races with Private Chauffeur

Sheila and Jessie at the Galway Races.

Watching their horse stride past the winning post in front.

A shot from the parade ring before the race.

Celebrating their big win. I refused to appear in this photo as they had beaten my horse by a short head. The thanks i get...and after all i did for them.

I think today was a day that Sheila and Jessie will never forget. Actually, Sheila remarked afterwards on our way home from the races that she had thought that yesterday was wonderful, but today was even better. Well it was better for them .....but then they beat my poor horse by the narrowest of margins in a fighting finish to the line. I am not a poor loser but a guy can only take so much. Now i have to spend the next few days with them listening to them talking about their brilliant winner at Galway. Well, i suppose it is all in a days work for a chauffeur. I know that i can take some credit for getting them to the races in the first place or they would never have been there to pick that winner.
Behind all of that, we did have a great day, and there is no better place to enjoy racing at its best than at Galway. The crowds were fantastic and the weather was perfect...not too hot, and with plenty of sunshine. The racing was brilliant and i suppose it was only fair that the girls got their winner as i had the winner of the first race when their poor old horse was brought down by another horse who fell in front of theirs. It is not easy to pick a winner in Galway as the numbers of horses in each race are always large with over twenty runners in some of the races. I think that the ladies thought it was a piece of cake and will more than likely go professional now expecting to make huge amounts of money from their future gambling. They were most impressed by the wonderful fashion on display with all of the ladies out in their colorful dresses and hats, and the men dressed in lovely suits and ties. I myself was surprised at the number of young men and teenagers in suits. They did look well. Yes....behind it all i had a great day.
Tomorrow we head for Connemara. This is the region made famous in the movie "The Quiet Man" which starred John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. If you have not seen this movie go and get it from your video store. It is truly a magical land and i know that tomorrow the ladies are in for another treat.
For those of you following their adventure back home in the USA, they send their love with that famous message we all send when we are having a great time...."Wish you were here"

Catch you again very soon.

Sheila and Jessie outside their B&B in Kinvara this morning.

Waiting to board their bus for the Aran Islands today.

I am pleased to say that the ladies had recovered from the ordeal of the last couple of days and were all set to go this morning for their trip to the Aran Islands. They had a great nights sleep and a good breakfast and were obviously excited about this adventure. Aran is a special place and still has that old world feeling about it. There are many interesting sights to see on the main island and the old fort at Dun Aengus has to be the most memorable. This fort dates back thousands of years. It is still unclear as to who built it and inhabited it. It stands at the top of the cliffs overlooking the mighty Atlantic below. There are also many old churches here dating back to early Christianity and Irish is still the islanders main language.
Tomorrow we go racing in Galway. This has to be a very special day for the ladies. Irish hoses and Irish horse racing are a passion here and there will be thousands of people flocking there tomorrow evening to enjoy both flat racing and steeplechasing (over the fences). Lets hope we get a few winners.
As it turned out today the ladies hired bikes on the island and enjoyed a cycle around. They really had a great time eventhough they were tired once again by the time they got back to Kinvara, where they are staying. Kinvara is alive at the moment and all the pubs have great music sessions going on. This region is well know for its traditional music, song, and dance. The pubs are quaint and old-fashioned and there is a great selection of places to eat offering everything from the finest of sea-food to steaks and Irish Lamb, and also a variety of continental foods including Italian. Kinvara is a harbour town situated on the southern shores of Galway Bay about twenty miles from Galway City and has its own ancient castle. It is a well known centre for writers and artists and poets and well known for its crafts. It has its own farmers market every Friday so tomorrow morning we will be having a look at the great and varied selection of home produce including a fine selection of organic products. There will be fresh free range eggs, fresh meat, free range chickens, home baked products such as scones and brown bread, apple pies, rhubarb pies, chocolate cakes, a wide range of vegetables, cheeses of all kinds, and much more. I love to browse as i listen to the live traditional music provided by a variety of artists, fiddlers, pipe players, guitarists and banjo and mandolin players, with some vocals thrown in. What a nice way to spend a few hours while you spend a little money to support small home industries.
This was another fine day in more ways than one, as the weather was also nice.
Lets hope that tomorrow is just as good as it will make the races all the more enjoyable. The forecast is good, now all we need are a few winners.

A Celtic Cross at Clonmacnoise.

I have not had time to Blog over the last few days as i prepared for my latest tour, which started today. My party arrived in Dublin yesterday and spent last evening in Derry before arriving in Galway today. Tomorrow they travel to the Aran Islands for the day so this will be another exciting day for them. I think that they will need to slow down a little after that as they are already feeling the pace a little. They had to travel a long way from Oregon so it is not surprising that they are tired. Friday we are bound for the Galway Races and this i am sure will be anothe exciting adventure for them. I hope to have some photos of the races for you then.
The Galway races are now in full swing and the race goers are turning out in their thousands. No sign of a recession in Galway right now and this is a great boost for the city at this point in time. The weather has held up well also with only slight drizzle at times and in many ways that is ideal for a day at the races as it makes it a lot more comfortable.
Thats it for now but i will be back with more news tomorrow.

Irish Tour with Chauffeur/Car and Driver

A typical roadsign in the heart of rural Ireland.

If you are driving yourself in Ireland This is a typical type of roadsign that you will encounter. It has multiple directions on it, and, if you are in a Gaeltacht area, (Irish speaking area), then the signs will be in Irish also. This sign is in the heart of Connemara and, as you can see, it has an number of different locations marked on it.
I am preparing for my next tour right now, which starts next Wednesday, and i am looking forward to it very much. My party are from Oregon and i can tell that they are all excited about their pending tour. The weather is forecast good, so that is an added bonus.
This coming week we have the Irish Open Golf Championship in Killarney and that will be a huge draw as both Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke, two recent major winners, are in the field. We also have our other Irish stars, Graham Mc Dowell and Padraic Harrington, in the field so i am hoping we can keep the title at home this year. Killarney is a fabulous golf course and the setting is just beautiful. Make sure you tune in if it is only for the wonderful views of the lakes and mountains of Killarney. You might even see me. I am the tall dark and handsome man in the background.

Touring Ireland in the sun with private Chauffeur

The sun really does shine here, despite what you hear.

Anybody touring Ireland in the month of July has so far seen a mix of sunshine and showers and it has not been a month we can boast about. This however is set to change for the better at last and my next guests, arriving early next week, will be the benefactors of our long awaited Summer. Lets hope that the forecasters have it right. Today was an improvement and tomorrow is set for an even better day so maybe we are on the way. The photograph above was taken during my previous tour and you can clearly see that the day was beautiful. When we do get it good in Ireland then there is nowhere i would rather be. It never gets too hot and, eventhough it does get cold, we do not get the extremes you get in other parts of the world. We need our rain just to keep the place green anyway......and our flowers are a joy to behold. Come see them for yourself.
I still have vacancies for the later part of this month, and openings for September also. September can be a really lovely month in Ireland. October can also be really nice so if you have time free there it might be worth looking into.
You know where i am if you need me.

dovechauffeurdrive@gmail.com

Irish Tour with Chauffeur/Car and Driver

A beautiful scene from Dingle....a secluded beach all to yourself.

I find that many Americans are surprised to find that swimming is a most pleasant experience in Ireland, especially on the West Coast. Well, we do have the Gulf Stream here, and this keeps our waters nice and warm, so swimming is far nicer that on your West Coast. Also our waters are crystal clear, with no pollution, as we do not have any great Industrial waste or sewage from large cities entering our ocean on this side of the country. I do like to boast a little as this was where i was born and reared.
Driving in Ireland is something i am continually asked about, and i can only repeat, that if you can afford a professional like me, then it is the best thing to do. You can relax and enjoy the scenery..... and your partner will be happier also. Holiday expenses are high enough without having to face divorce proceedings when you get home.
If you do insist on driving remember that, if you have even a small accident, this is going to cost you....and maybe cost you a lot more than a private driver would have charged you in the first place. Even a small amount of damage can cost you dearly. Also be very sure that the price you see online for your car includes proper insurance....not just very basic cover which can leave you with a huge deficit to make up if you do have an accident. Some people arrive here and think that the car is great value...until they go through the details of what kind of insurance they want. Then they have to fork out a lot more money before they take the car. Make sure you know what you are getting....and that can be hard to calculate online. Also make sure that you are getting a decent car and not one that looks like it was driven by monkey. I have experience of this as my sons, who are in the USA and come home regularly, have arrived in cars that i would not have accepted without a battle. I am not saying that all cars are bad, but take it from me, thay are not all good. I would be more than interested in hearing from people who have had bad experiences in this regard. Write to me and tell me what you got.
Also remember the price of fuel here is now in the region of over nine dollars a gallon. Add that on to your price. There will be toll charges, ferry charges, parking fees, and maybe parking fines or other fines to pay and before you are finished it might have been cheaper to bring your own Caddillac with you. Do you think i am joking? Well i am not....i am just putting a slight humorous touch to a very serious issue. Take it from me....driving in Ireland ....even for me....is a very expensive hobby. Our cars are nearly twice the price of yours....our insurance is higher....our fuel is so high that half of the citizens in the USA would need to get part time jobs to run their cars if they paid the same for their fuel. We pay road tax annually on our cars, and that can cost anywhere from
$ 600-00 to over $2,000-00 a year. All of our maintainance charges are higher than yours, our Tyres are more expensive, our oil, our service charges, and if we want our wives to drive us, then sometimes we have to pay them as well.
Such is life......take my advice ....think about getting a driver.

That's it for now

Dave

Irish Tour with Chauffeur/Car and Driver

Sheep on an Irish hillside.

Well....at the moment i am enjoying a break between tours....but not for long, as i start again next week with my new party from Oregon. Maybe i should say i am having a break of sorts as i have so much to catch up on when i do get a break from touring. My garden right now is like a jungle, and the weeds are having a party, but i hope to get around to that this week so that my neighbours will talk to me again.
Our weather has been poor and in a way i am glad that i am not on tour because of that. Hopefully we will see a change over the next few days. The Galway Races are on next week and that signals the begining of a crazy week of horse racing, partying, and free for all celebrating for the full period. There are seven days of horse racing on the famous Ballybrit Race Course and the racing features both flat races and the steeple chasing, which is over the fences. There will be millions gambled on the horses and the amount spent in Galway City and surrounding areas would be hard to calculate, but again it would run into the millions. If you happen to be in the Galway area you would be mad to miss out on a day at the races. The race course itself is first class with world class facilities and accommodation for thousands of people. The services to and from the course are also first class, with buses running from the city to the course, which is just a couple of miles outside the city. The restaurant there provides first class meals and the bars have all the drinks you could possibly desire. If you like a gamble then the bookmakers are there at the course, and you also have the Tote. No excuses.....the Galway Races are the place to be next week ....and i will be there with my next adventurers.
The weekend after the races at the end of this month is the Bank Holiday weekend and there will not be a bed available in Galway. It is the busiest bank holiday weekend of the year and the town will be buzzing. Galway city is Ireland's livliest and best city to party in and anybody who has been there will always tell you that. It is also a wonderful young persons town with many thousands of students here from all over. The streets will be alive with musicians and performers and the night life in the pubs will be awesome. Come and see for yourself and fall in love with Galway....like many before you did. Maybe i will see you there. I might even give you a winner.

Touring Ireland with car and driver

The Mighty Cliffs of Moher.

Yesterday i finished my latest tour and said my goodbyes to Karen and Ralph in Dublin where they spent their final night. Today they are on their way home to Chicago and i wish them a safe and peaceful journey home.I have put together just some of the photos i took on this wonderful tour and i think that it is plain to see what a great time we all had. These photos were all taken during the second half of our tour, after we had finished touring Galway and Connemara and the Aran islands, but you can see the earlier part of the tour if you go back through the older posts.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to this wonderful couple for allowing me the pleasure of their company for this latest adventure and for being such great company. I know that they had a memorable holiday and that always makes me feel good. I am already looking forward to continuing their Irish adventure with them next year as they have already decided to come back then.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
On top of O'Brien's Tower at the Cliffs of Moher.
St Bridget's Well at Liscannor.
Crossing the mighty Shannon River on the ferry.
On Inch Strand on the Dingle peninsula.
Karen and Ralph at the beehive huts on Dingle.
At Slea Head on Dingle.
A view from the Conor Pass on Dingle.
Maybe it might be easier to let me drive?
Nooooooooo...that's not me......that is a horse at Killarney races.
Sitting in the sunshine at Killareny Golf Club.
On the Ring of Kerry.
Karen and Ralph with Charlie Chaplin at Waterville on the Ring.
Karen cradling a baby fawn near Waterville.
Sitting in the sunshine at Ladies View Killarney.
Torc Waterville in Killarney.
The majestic Gap of Dunloe.
Another view of the Gap.
One of the lakes in the Gap of Dunloe.
Another lake in the Gap.
Karen and Ralph having lunch in Bulman's Pub near the Fort in Kinsale.
Karen inside the Fort in Kinsale.
Part of Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin.
A passing view fo the main building at Christchurch.

Now i have a small break, i hope, and this gives me a little time to catch up on so many other things. I do have some available dates if you are looking for a car and driver/chauffeurdrive so just drop me a line as soon as possible and i will get back to you.

Regards for now

Dave

dovechauffeurdrive@gmail.com

Touring Ireland with Private Chauffeur

Ralph and Karen in happy mood in sunny Ireland.
Ross Castle on Lough Leane Killarney

Today we left Killarney behind as we made our way to Kinsale on this, the second last day, of a really lovely tour. Tomorrow we head for Dublin where we will be parting company. Ralph and Karen have been such great company and i know that they have had a really great time.

Killarney and the Gap of Dunloe

Today was a day when we all went our seperate ways. Karen went shopping in Killarney, i went racing in Killarney, and Ralph went to the Gap of Dunloe. The photos on this Blog are courtesy of Ralph and feature the Gap of Dunloe, and i could not have done a better job myself.
The Gap.

The final leg of the journey today was the boat ride down through the lakes of Killarney and here you see Ralph (nearest right) wearing his life jacket. He did have a great time, as did Karen shopping. My day was lacking in winners at the races but nevertheless i did have a good time.
Tonight they are attending the Liam O'Connor Show in Killarney and i know that they will love that. Google it and have a look for yourself.

Irish Open at Killarney with Private Chauffeur

A view of Lough Leane from in front of the club house at Killarney today. Yes, the sun really does shine in Ireland, and what a glorious day this was once again. It is not east to play golf when you are surrounded by the distraction of such beauty.
Ralph and Karen relaxing by the lake at the course. I think we may get to play here the next time Ralph comes over.


Here we have Karen, a flower beside the Hydrangeas. There is a marina here at the course and you can have your boat here and fish if you get fed up with your golf. It can happen you know.
The Club House at Killarney.
Preparations are underway at the course for the Irish Open at the end of the month. This is a part of the tented village.
More boats at the lakeside. The first fairway runs down the lakeshore in the background.

I posted earlier and had a problem with the alignment on my Blog. Fortunately i found out what was wrong and fixed it. The problem, of course, was me.