On tour with car and driver/chauffeur West of Ireland

The bronze statue at Rosses Point of the woman pleading for the safe return from the sea of her loved ones. Many fishermen and sailors lost their lives off the west coast where the mighty Atlantic was always a challenge to the best of sailors.
The old church at Knock where Our Lady appeared in 1878.
The sailor boy pointing to the entrance to Sligo harbour today.
The river and waterfall at Sneem on the RIng of Kerry.
A view of the ocean at Waterville on the Ring of Kerry

As my present tour draws to a close i am very pleased to be able to say that everybody seems to have had a great time and i will miss my new friends when i part from them tomorrow. They were great sports and held up so well to what was a very comprehensive tour. We covered almost 2000 miles in the last two weeks and visited many really wonderful areas mainly in the West and South West of Ireland. I will be having a short break before starting out on a new tour on Monday. I know that my present party really enjoyed all that they saw and loved the places that we stayed in. They found the food really good and commented especially on the great desserts we have here. The traditional bread and butter pudding was the star, and i can understand that myself as it is my own personal favourite.The Gap of Dunlo rated very highly with them despite the fact that the day was wet and cold. They also loved some of the great local characters that they met along the way, the Jarvey who drove their horse and carriage through the Gap of Dunlo, the boatman on the lakes of Killarney,the wonderful lady, Maura,at Slea Head, and the two cattle farmers today in County Mayo. When you come to Ireland make sure that you stop to take time to meet local people wherever you are.
Yesterday we toured Connemara visiting Roundstone, Clifden, the magical Sky Road, Kylemore Abbey, Leenane and finally Ashford Castle where my friends stayed last evening in Lisloughrey House. They loved this place and fell in love with the wonderful views of the Corrib Lake and the surrounding woodlands. Today we visited Westport, Castlebar, Ballinrobe, Charlestown, Sligo , Drumcliffe and Knock. This was a long trek but they never complained once and that made it a lot easier for me. I think that they could stay another week but i also know that they will be well satisfied with all they have seen when they leave for home on Thursday.
I am grateful for this job that helps me make so many new friends. God grant them a safe passage home.

On tour with car and driver/chauffeur West of Ireland

My party with Jackie and Phil at their lovely B&B, Bunratty Villa, in Bunratty.
Bunratty Villa is located within 10 minutes of Shannon airport and is always my first choice for my clients. Phil and her daughter Jackie will look after you with a heart and a half and their house is wonderful. It is also adjacent to Bunratty Castle and ideal if you are attending the banquet there as it is only a short walk away. Breakfast here at Bunratty Villa is a banquet in itself and the charges are more than reasonable. It will not do any harm if you tell them i sent you.There web address is

www.bunratty villa .com
Peggy and Clifford at the Cliffs of Moher

An old Norman round tower near Doolin in County Clare.

Corcomroe Abbey near Kinvara in County Galway

Saturday was our day at the cliffs of Moher and the above photos were all taken along the way. My present party are a joy to be with and i hope that they are enjoying it all as much as i am.

Chauffeurdrive/car and driver in South West of Ireland

One of the many magnificent old trees in the grounds of Blarney castle.
The last two days have been wonderful as we moved on to Blarney and the Blarney Castle, Killarney and the Dingle peninsula. The above photo of the donkey in Dingle which i thought was cute.



This photo was also taken in Dingle and shows this wonderful horse drawn carriage which takes you around the town and suburbs of Dingle and is something you show treat yourself to if you are in Dingle. Your guide and driver is a lovely lady who runs this little business herself and is most deserving of support. You will find her in the carpark on the seafront in Dingle.

A lovely view of the sea and beach at Slea Head.
Note the cute little lamb up on the wall as his mammy grazes below.

My party enjoying the company of Maura Houlihan in her house at Slea Head. The body of this house is 500 yrs old and there are wonderful beehive huts on Maura's land which date back hundreds if not thousands of years.Make sure to stop here, and make sure that you are at Maura's as there are other locations nearby. Maura's is the nearest one to Slea Head and you will see her two story house on your right.
This kind local man allowed me to take his picture as he walked his Irish red setters on the road near Dingle.
The majestic Ross castle near Killarney.

Yes that is me sitting with Kathy and Cliff enjoying a break in the sunshine.
The lovely rhododendrons in full bloom in the garden at Blarney castle.
The famous Blarney castle.

Touring South west of Ireland with Chauffeur/Car and driver

The view of Oysterhaven Bay from my Kinsale Carlton hotel room this morning. This is a lovely hotel in a wonderful location.
The Desmond Castle in Kinsale,on the left at the top of this narrow street,was where Charles 11 was crowned when the news came from England that Charles 1 had been beheaded by Cromwell.
When the Lusitania was torpedoed by the Germans in 1915 off the south coast of Ireland, many of the dead were brought ashore here, and some were even buried here. This is the grave of two such men and can be seen in the grounds of St Multose's church in Kinsale.
St Multose's church which dates back to the early 13th century.
The Bronze memorial statue to Annie Moore and her two young brothers which can be seen at the Liner terminal in Cobh. Annie was the first person to be registered on Ellis Island in New York harbour in 1892 after the new centre opened. She was only fifteen. My touring companion Cliff and his wife Kathy and friend Peggy loved Cobh, and are loving Ireland. They are a joy to be with.
The wonderful Cobh Heritage centre which will bring it all back to anybody with a drop of Irish blood in their veins.
The view of mouth of Cork harbour from the grounds of Cobh Cathedral. The Cathedral must have been an unforgettable sight that left a mark forever on the mind of the unfortunate emigrant.
The beautiful sanctuary in Cobh Cathedral which we visited today.

More Pictures from Chauffeur Tours Ireland

Irish chauffeurdrive tours with Dave Hogan and Dove

Cobh Cathedral on the hill overlooking the harbour and the ships as they sailed away.


Yesterday was a wonderful day as we made our way from Dublin down through the midlands where we visited the Rock Of Cashel. Then it was on to Cork and finally Kinsale where we spent last evening.

Today was a special day as we went to Cobh (pronounced Cove) to visit the town from where the vast majority of our emigrants boarded their ships on their way to America.The Heritage centre here is simply wonderful and must to visit. I always find it a movin experience and today was no different. We attended church in the wonderful Cobh Cathedal eventhough not all of my party were Catholic. They still enjoyed the service in this amazing church.The photo above tells its own story.

Queen Elizabeth 11 in Ireland

The whole world is watching this amazing event as Queen Elizabeth continues her visit to Ireland. I believe it would be hard, if not impossible, for anybody other than a Irish person to grasp just how great an occassion this is. There is no doubt that her visit to the Garden of Rememberance in Dublin yesterday, where she placed a wreath to honour all those who died in our struggle for freedom, was the most significant and momentous moment so far. She placed the wreath, took a few small steps back, and then bowed her head as a mark of respect. There were no words needed. Her actions said it all. We have all come a long way and all of those who played their part in bringing us this far deserve to be remembered. Let us hope that nobody died in vain.
The tight security has been questioned, the fact that people could not get close to play a more active part in her welcoming, was a bit disappointing but unfortunately there are those who would be prepared to destroy this visit. Let nobody tell you that the Irish people at large did not want her here. The vast majority of our people support the peace process and see this as another major step in putting the past behind us. I myself would love to see Ireland united at some point in time, but only by peaceful methods. This can only be accomplished through people working together and indeed continuing the great work both North and South that they are doing now.
The Queen made a brave decision when she decided to come here and please God she will see it though without any setbacks.
President Obama is our next distinguished guest eventhough his visit is for a bare 24hrs. Security will be tight for him also. We do live in a strange world. He will receive a great welcome also as that is how we Irish are. We welcome them all, and that goes for you too.
Come and see me if you want to see Ireland through the eyes of a proud Irishman who loves his country and loves showing it off.

Chauffeurdrive vacations in Ireland

Tom Cruise with my great friend Maura in Dingle

The above photo was taken during the filming of Far and Away on the Dingle peninsula many years ago and shows Tom Cruise with my dear friend Maura. Needless to say Maura is very proud to have this souvenir as she became great friends with Tom at that time when she worked as an extra in that film along with many more local people. She always talks about him and never fails to mention that he sends her a Christmas card every year. Maura's farm is located near Slea Head and there you will find the wonderful beehive huts whcih were inhabited by ancient farmers and fishermen, and indeed the monks of old. These are beehive shaped stone built huts and her huts are well worth a visit. She charges a mere 2 Euro for a visit and she uses her savings to travel each year to visit her offspring in New York. She is one lovely lady so give her a call when you are there.
Our weather is showery but mild and neither too hot nor cold. I personally love this weather for touring. Everything is green and many of the early flowers are blooming. This year we have seen a rise in the number of bees around which is a relief as falling bee stocks have been causing concern worldwide. The lovely Spring weather we had seems to have been the reason for this and hopefully our new bee population will be healthy and this disease that has been killing them off is on the wane. Without bees we will have no flowers and no vegetables, and it would be disastrous for mankind. This is something worth keeping in mind.
If you are thinking about coming to Ireland and considering hiring a driver/guide just send me a message and we can talk. I will make sure that you have a holiday to remember.

Dave

Chaufferdrive tours in Ireland

A sheep with her lamb at the Conor Pass in Dingle

This is a special time of the year for lambs as the newly born enjoy the improving weather. It can be great fun to watch them play as they are just like small children running up and down the hillsides. Dingle is one of those areas where you can find these mountain sheep aplenty with their lambs. This particulr land is not much good for anything else but sheep farming and these sheep roam freely until they are rounded up at particular times of the year. The mountain lands are commonage owned by the state and selected farmers in the locality have grazing rights to particular areas. You cannot just arrive and let your sheep roam the hillsides if you are not legally entitled to grazing these mountains.
All the sheep are free to roam together and are marked so that they can be claimed by their rightful owners when they are finally rounded up. It works well and farmers respect the ownership of their fellow farmers. These sheep are bred purely for their meat and there is no doubt that the meat from the mountain sheep has a much nicer flavour than the domestic sheep. You will always find lamb on the menu in Ireland and it is truly a wonderful dish whether as roast leg of lamb, or lamb cutlets, or rack of lamb, and of course Irish stew. Make sure you try it while you are here.
I continue to be busy eventhough most of my work recently is daily touring, but i have some full scale tours coming up very soon.
The excitement is building as the visits of Queen Elizabeth and President Obama draw nearer. Both of them will be welcomed with open arms by the vast majority of Irish people but i am sure that, as always, there will be a few protesters out there getting far more coverage from the media than they deserve. Let us all hope and pray that both of these visits bring nothing but joy and good will to all concerned. Our esteemed visitors represent two great nations who have in many ways helped and supported us in so many different ways. We have had our problems which hopefully are now mainly behind us and we now have elected politicians representing all side of the divide working in harmony together to heal the wounds of our turbulent past.
May God bless all concerned.
I still have dates available if you are interested in coming our way this year. Just drop me an e-mail if you want any information.

Chauffeurdrive vacations in Ireland/Car and driver Ireland

A sad reminder of the old Galway to Clifden railway line

This photo shows the bridge at Recess in Connemara which was a part of the old rail link from Galway to the most Westerly town in Ireland. They say that this line was the most beutiful journey you could take on a European rail journey. Sadly it is no more, and maybe if it was, it would be of great use nowadays both as an service for locals and a great travelling experience for tourists. The British certainly knew how to build railways and this country had a marvellous rail network which would be invaluable today if it was still inexistence.
Our weather is now showery but still really nice and mild and this welcome rain will make the country nice and green for all of you tourists coming our way over the next few weeks. If you want me then please contact me soon as my time is being constantly booked up.

A Falcon at Ashford Castle
and a Piebald pony in Tralee

If you fancy trying your hand at a spot of Falconry then Ashford Castle is the place to go. This can be fun and they are amazing birds. Just to watch them zoom through the trees in the forest in an education.
I am between tours at the moment and enjoying my break before i start again. Our weather is at last begining to show a little change and it is a lot cooler.We are expecting some rain over the next few days. That will be no harm at all as we have had multiple outbreaks of bog and forest fires over the last few days. The firemen will be the first to cheer.
The piebald pony in the lower picture is the most popular breed of pony with the travelling community here in Ireland. They are big dealers in horse trading and these horses are in great demand.
The country is gearing up already for the visit of Queen Elizabeth and also Barack Obama. These visits are something special to look forward to and i am sure that the crowds will be out in force to welcome them both.