Chauffeurdrive Vacations in Ireland for 2012

A mountain stream in full flow as the rain comes down.
A pie-bald mare with her newly born foal.
Well, it is Winter after all.

A cold day at the Cliffs of Moher, but what a lovely place to be on a sunny Summer's day.

At last we are begining to feel the cold blast of Winter eventhough we have not quiet hit freezing point yet. Things are quiet at last for me and i can now enjoy a well-earned rest after what has been a busy year once again for me. This is the time of year when i spend most of my time dealing with enquiries for next year and it is reassuring to see that it looks good at this point in time. With the Olympic games in England next year we are expecting a huge contingent of Americans coming our way and we are confident that many of them will spend quiet a lot of their time in Ireland. Many people who would have been coming to visit England, if the games were not on, are expected now to turn their attention to Ireland as we will not have all the heavy security problems that people are going to experience in the UK. It could turn out to be a real bonus for us. We always get our fair share though and i do not think that next year will be any different.
If you are coming our way then maybe now is as good a time as any to make your enquiry.I will help in any way i can.

Dave

Chauffeurdrive Vacations in Ireland for 2012

I took this photo during the Summer on a hot hazy day (yes really). I was standing on the beach at Inch on the Dingle peninsula looking across at the Iveragh peninsula and the Ring of Kerry on the other side.This is really lovely beach and a great place for a swim. There is aslo a lot of surfing done here so if you are into that you can come here and rent a surfboard.
This is the view i have from my kitchen window (that heifer is not always standing on the wall though). This guy was a bit of a thrill seeker as he was precariously perched on top of that loose stone wall eating the lush ivy which they like so much. The good news is that he managed to get down safely after he had his fill.
This sad memorial stone is dedicated to the poor little children who were buried on this beach near Carraroe in Connemara during the famine. Connemara was one of the worst hit areas during the famine and burying the dead was a huge problem for the poor starving people who had barely enough energy to carry their children as far as the beach. Digging a grave in the sand made the physical side of it easier but there was nothing to relieve the mental torment. Maybe worth just comparing our lot now to theirs? Our recession would(for them) have been a life beyond their wildest dreams.
The Puck Goat (ram) pictured here is the King of the "Puck Fair" week in Killorglin every year. It dates back to Pagan times when this was an annual festival where people came from far and wide to gather together for trade and festivities of all kinds. The goat was the King of the Fair and today we carry on that tradition every year with this great festival of song, dance and music during the Summer. A goat is captured from the mountain and he is placed on a high platform in the centre of the town. He is the King for the week. Do not worry about him at all.....he is well looked after and released back onto his mountain after the week is over.....maybe a little hung over from all the Guinness, but in good health otherwise.
I can never look at this wreck of an old fishing trawler without picturing her in her heyday. What a proud vessel she must have been, and now, just a sad reminder of bygone days. It is hard to look back at her without looking back at my own younger days.....but the memories are good.

I took this picture in St Mary's Cathedral in Killarney. It is a prayer that i find helpful when i am finding my work load heavy. Maybe you can read it if you enlarge the picture. No matter what denomination you are, i think you might find it nice.

November has been a pleasant month in general so far and the weather has been very mild for this time of the year. We have not had any temperatures down to freezing point as of yet and, compared to this time last year, we are really doing well. Every day that goes by now shortens the Winter, and that really is a bonus.

Planning a trip to Ireland is not easy for people in general, especially those who have not travelled a lot. I find that many people who write to me have been doing a certain amount of research, and that is not a bad thing, but taking advice from people who were here for a week or so, and want to plan your trip for you, is not always the best idea. I work with my clients from day one and try to find out their ideas and the places that they most want to see. Then i incorporate them into my own plan with my own ideas and put the lot together in a way that is practical. Doing it yourself is really full of hazards as you really have no idea of distances and road qualities and all the other things that crop up to upset your plans. When somebody takes me on i always tell them to try to leave the end plan to me as employing me and doing it yourself is like "Having a dog and barking yourself".
One hundred miles might seem very little when you know that in your country you can cover that in an hour and a half. It does not work like that here. It is easy for me to plan a tour because of my experience and i know what is sensible and i know what is just plain ridiculous. Most people who hire cars end up stressed out as their plans are just not practical and they just try to do too much. I can cover a lot more ground in half the time as i do not need maps, i do not get lost, and i know the places that are worth stopping off to see and the places that are not. There are many books and travel magazines that promote stuff that i would not bother with. You only have so much time here and it should be well spent. With me it will be. I do get a lot of enquiries from people who do not travel with me and i do not mind giving them advice. Many of them would love to be able to come to me but for different reasons they just cannot. Sometimes it is a financial thing, sometimes it is just because one of the party feels that hiring a driver and guide is unescessary and that they will do it themselves, but many of them regret that as they end up stressed out, not only from the driving but from all of the tension in their passengers, not to mention back-seat driving. Many of them find to their regret that financilally it was a disaster as they have accidents, and even if the accident is a minor one, their deposit is gone. So much for saving. With me everybody can relax and enjoy the scenery. I have two ladies coming to me next year who were here before and who told me that this time they want to have somebody with them who" can tell them what they are looking at " as as they go. The last time they loved everything but did not know half of the time what they were looking at. This time i am sure i can help.
If you want to know more just message me.

Dave

Chauffeurdrive Vacations in Ireland for 2012

Today is the feast of Christ the King, and this statue, standing in the centre of Killarney, commemorates that feast. At night it is beautifully lit and stands as a reminder that, despite our present problems, the King of Love reigns supreme while our earthly kings have feet of clay.

Enjoying a jaunting car ride.
What a lovely little thatched cottage. This one is also a little cafe in the grounds of the Killarney National Park.
I took this photo as i strolled through a forested area in the National
Park in Killarney.

The enquiries continue to come in for 2012 and it is great to see that at this early stage. I am very hopeful that things are on the up again. People seem to be regaining confidence in the powers that be that they will eventually get to grips with the hard choices they have to make and help businesses to function once again by making the necessary finance available to them to help them survive and grow. The irresponsible behaviour of our banks during the so-called good times has led now to them going completely the other way, now lending money to nobody but to those who do not really need it. O how nice it would be if we did not need them at all.
There are still many people who do have savings but who are afraid to use them as they are afraid that they might need them if things get even worse. I think that many of them are now begining to feel a little more confident and, when they do, there will be more money in circulation once again. I certainly cannot complain about my business this past year and with the positive signs i am now getting, and with the bookings i have already secured, next year looks very positive.
Ireland is still the place that burns in the heart of many Americans and a visit to the land of their ancestors is something that most Irish Americans have to experience. They have grown up listening to the songs about Dublin, Galway, Killarney, Donegal, Mayo, Tipperary, Cork, Clare, and many more famous Irish nameplaces. Who doen't know "It's a long way to Tipperary" or, "Galway Bay" or "Molly Malone"? Well if you don't then you are not Irish, but then many non-Irish know them also..
All of these placenames stick in the memory and become places that must be visited somewhere in a lifetime. When the visit becomes a reality , people are not disappointed. I always ask people, as we near the end of a tour, if Ireland was what they expected it to be, and they always tell me that it was that, and more. To describe your own personal feelings about Ireland is like trying to describe the love you feel for your own family. Your attempts at doing it just never seem to convey the depth and affect those feelings have on you and your heart. Ireland affects people in a way like nowhere else. People who have toured with me in the past still write to me expressing their longing to return again, and many of them do just that. They send their friends, their relatives, their children, instilling in them the same desire to experience this country that seems to have a spiritual affect as much as a visual affect on people.
I think that the feelings that i get as i travel with new found friends, the enjoyment i get from their obvious excitement and delight, and the sadness i feel sometimes as we say our goodbyes at the end of a tour, make this a vocation for me that i am grateful for. Unfortunately it is not always that way as there are people who seem incapable of enjoying anything other than the material things of life and my tours with them become more like work than the spiritual journey i really enjoy. It has to be about a love of the country, a love and understanding of its tragic history, a love of its traditions, its stories and its music, its people. If that is what you want then i would love to be the one to make that journey with you.It is what i enjoy most and what i do best.
If it is your dream then maybe now is the time to at least have a look at the possibility of making that dream come true. Having your own car and driver and someone who knows and loves his country and its traditions and history, and who takes great pride in sharing it with you, does make a private tour so much more intimate and meaningful.
It will not cost you anything to make an enquiry, it might mean everything in the long run.

Slawncha Wah (Spelt phonetically)

Good Health

Dave

Chauffeurdrive Vacations in Ireland for 2012

No.....this is not my limo.....but what i nice way to travel if you do get the chance. This fellow is standing in the centre of Killarney waiting for his next passengers to arrive. He will take you on a jaunt around Killarney and show you the sights. Ross Castle is special, as is Muckross Park and Muckross House. I seem to spend a lot of time promoting Killarney but i suppose that is because it is a very special place and surrounded by many wonderful places for you to visit. It is a great base if you intend to tour the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle peninsula, the Gap of Dunloe and many other lovely destinations. The town is alive at night with a great variety of entertainment in the many "musical pubs". This town won the "Tidy Towns" competition this year.

Our soccer team has qualified for the final of the European Championships next year after a great play-off triumph over a gallant Estonia last night. Well done lads, and hard luck Estonia....we know what it is like to be runners up.

I know that Thanksgiving is at hand in the USA and i do find that many people over there send me greetings, eventhough we do not celebrate that here. It is still very nice to be remembered and thank you for that. To all my friends over there, an early "Happy Thanksgiving".

I am surprisingly, and happily, "very busy" dealing with enquiries for next year. It is early, but you know what they say about the "early bird". I hate disappointing people, but it happens all the time. There are only so many weeks in the season and lots of people share the same holiday dates. It is never easy saying no, especially when people really want to come to me. I do get a lot of referrals from people who have travelled with me in the past and who recommend me to their relatives and friends. As the years go by this happens more and more often and that is only to be expected as my customer base expands. I operate on my own and find this best as i can deliver personally on my committments. If you are interested just drop me an e-mail and i will take it from there.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Dave

Carolyn and Bill at Muckross House in Killarney.

This is a most stately home in Killarney, and well worth a visit. There are guided tours throughout the season and the house and its history are special. This is where Queen Victoria was supposed to have spent a couple of weeks during her visit to Kilarney but, due to her husband's sudden illnes, had to leave only a short few hours after arriving. Its location on the shores of Lough Leane in Killarney is magniificent. Make sure that you take in the farmyard tour when you visit here.
The tour of the farms is one of my own special retreats. It is refreshing to spend time walking around enjoying these old homes and the farm animals. There are a number of old cottages of varying sizes, the one above being the large farmers cottage.

These pigs are just some of the animals you can see here. There are also the magnificent cart and plough horses, geese, and chickens and ducks, donkeys and Irish Wolfhounds.

This is the inside of the medium farmers cottage. Here you see the fresh bread being baked on the griddle over a peat and log fire by real Irish country women. Better still....you can sample it....and i always do have my fill ....with real homemade Irish country butter, made here on the farm also. There is nothing to compare with hot break and the butter melting into it. Now i'm getting hungry just thinking about it.
This picture shows the labourer's humble cottage. This one now has slates but it would have been thatched in its day. The interior was very modest with a small kitchen come living room, a central fireplace with one chimney, and a couple of tiny bedrooms.

This picture shows the outside view of the medium farmers cottage. This was a fine home really and would have been considered to be such. Here you had a large open kitchen when you walked in the front door, and bedrooms at either end. There was also a loft area, which was known as the shelf, where members of the family could sleep. This would have been a warm area as the rising heat would heat the place. It was normally the younger family members who slept on the shelf and if a girl failed to find a husband she was said the have been "left on the shelf". Now there is one for you.

Where would they have been without their turf (peat). This is what we all burned here in Ireland years ago, and what a nice fire it made. The blacker the turf, the better it was, as the back turf was older and more condensed, and far better quality than the lighter brown turf. There are still many homes here in Ireland where turf is regualarly burned. When you grow accustomed to the smell of a turf fire it is very pleasant, and for me that smell stirs up many happy memories.

Last evening i had the privilege of entertaining our Taoiseach (Premier), Enda Kenny, at a function in a retirement home not far from where i live. As you may have guessed, he is the one with the tie. I used to be involved in the entertainment business but in recent years i just do some voluntary work such as this particular event last night. You could never find a more appreciative audience than the seniors citizens and i always enjoy these functions.


To mark the occasion of his visit there were small Irish flags, one of which he is signing for me in this photo. This was my first opportunity to meet with the man who has not been in the job that long but who has so far been a part of a refreshing change since the old regime were ousted at the polls. This has been a far from easy time to take on the job of premier due to the economic situation but this man has stood firm and hopefully is leading us out of our present difficulties. He does deserve all the support he can get and i personally would wish him well.

This photo i took recently at the Cliffs of Moher which are very much in the news lately. These Cliffs have been short listed as one of the final 28 selected modern wonders of the World in the competition for the Modern Seven Wonders of the World which will be finally selected inside the next few days. If you want to vote for the Cliffs just log in to the voting site at www.modern7wonders of the world. They are truly worthy of your vote.

The western seaboard of Ireland is my own favourite part of this wonderful country and make sure that you include this area in your plans.

I often have guests staying at Ashford Castle and Falconry is one of the attractions that you can enjoy if you choose to stay here.

This bronze atatue of a goat is in honour of King Puck, that famous goat who is King of the annual Puck Fair in Killorglin County Kerry every Summer. This festival dates back to Pagan times when a goat was selected annually as the King of the fair and people came from far and wide to trade and to party for the duration of the festival. Nowadays it is a fun affair with the finest of Irish music and revelry. People come from all over ther world to share in the celebrations. They still capture a goat from the mountains and he is placed on a raised platform in the centre of Killorglin where he is King of the fair for the few days. He is well looked after and released back onto the mountain after the festival is over. It could only happen in Ireland.