Touring West of Ireland with own chauffeur/car and driver

From the Cliffs of Moher in the sun

to the beehive huts on the Dingle peninsula in the rain

From golf on the famous Killeen course in Killarney

to a pint at Coome in the highest pub in Ireland.
That's what you can do when you travel with your own car and driver/chauffeur.
My present tour ended tonight after i left my party at Bunratty, where they will be enjoying the Irish night in the barn at Bunratty castle.
This latest tour was really enjoyable for me, and i know for them also.I like nothing better than to travel with a fun group, and we did have many great laughs together. Gigi and Larry had travelled with me before, but the rest of the party, Pam and Don, and Fr John and Fr Neil, were first timers who were tailor made for this group. Thank you Gigi and Larry for coming back to me, and for bringing such nice people to share this tour with you. You were all stars.
I will post some more pictures from this tour later in the week, hopefully.

If you want to have a very special experience, and a fun tour of your own, then feel free to contact me at any time and we will plan your own special tour for you.
I would love to hear from you.

Touring Ireland in September/October

This past week i visit the beautiful Gouganebarra, where St Finbarr set up his settlement back in the sixth century. The picture above shows me standing by the peaceful lake, with the tiny church in the background. Thus church stands on a small finger-like peninsula where many pilgrims come to pray and meditate. It is in this very place that the famous river Lee rises, and eventually flows directly through the city of Cork. Behind the church in the background is the glacial gorge, which was carved through these mountains by a giant glacier many .thousands of years ago.
My visit here last week was special and the peace there was something i would like to experience a lot more often. I think that, if you are fortunate enough to experience this, you will know what i mean.
Maybe i can take you there.

September/October are wonderful months to visit Ireland, as things begin to slow down and the busiest parts of our season are behind us. There is still plenty of daylight time,, and our Autumn weather can be lovely, not too hot, and not too cold. Will you get rain? I hope that we get our share. I want this place to stay as green and beautiful as it is right now.
Advice? Just make sure that, when you visit Ireland, you bring a warm sweater and light rainwear.

Do you feel comfortable about driving these roads? This is the road at Slea Head on the Dingle peninsula, and it is a two way road. It actually get a lot narrower around that bend. I am not saying that you will not be able to navigate it, i am just asking you if you want to.
I very often take people around the Dingle, and the Ring of Kerry circuits, people who have rented cars, but just want to have an experienced driver for a day or two to take them around these extra difficult routes. It gives you, as the driver, a chance to sit back and enjoy this magnificent scenery without having to try to watch the roads at the same time. If you just want me to look after this part of your visit, i can do that for you.

My contact details are here, so if you need me get back to me. I will do my best to accommodate you.

Chauffeurdriven vacations/tours in the west of Ireland

                                                Why the West of Ireland ?

The picture above just might answer that question. I took this during the week at Ladies View high in the mountains above Killarney. It was here that Queen Victoria stood spellbound and uttered those famous words, "This is the most beautiful view in the Kingdom".

My tours cover all of Ireland, but i find that most of my customers are fascinated by the tales they hear of the beauty of the western regions. They may wish to spend a couple of days in Dublin to explore this historic city at either the begining, or the end, of their vacation, and spend the rest of their time relaxing as they discover for themselves just how true the stories they have heard about Ireland actually are.

Visit Connemara, what we call "God's Country, which is also very often described as the "Quiet Man" country, and named after that famous movie, which starred John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

The Burren of County Clare, and the awesome Cliffs of Moher, are always high on my list, as are the Ring of Kerry, and the Dingle peninsula.

The counties of Kerry and Cork in the south west are magical to me with great mountain ranges and magnificent rugged coastlines. The islands offshore add to the beauty of this region, and there are many fine beaches with delicate soft golden white sand. Remember, we do have the Gulf stream here, which keeps the water at a lovely temperature for swimming.

St Finbarr's tiny church, and island, at Gougane Barra in County Cork.

The unbelievable Gap of Dunloe in Killarney.

  If you are planning on visiting the Emerald anytime in the future, why not contact me, and together we can plan the holiday of a lifetime for you. My experience, and my great love for my country, will ensure, that what you see, you will both enjoy, and remember.

Talk to you soon.

Dave

Chauffeurdriven Vacations in the South and South West of Ireland

I just did not have time last evening to post as my computer was refusing to connect to our hotel WiFi, and that does my head in. 
Yesterday we spent on the Dingle peninsula, but our weather was not very nice, as you can see from this picture, which i took at Slea Head.

 

Despite the nasty conditions we really did have a great day and managed to cover quiet a lot. Here you see the ladies at one of the ancient Beehive Huts near Slea Head. These were ancient stone dwellings.

Some of the communal type Beehives were connected by tunnels, like the one you see Robin sheltering in here.

From the left: Marcie, Robin, Karen, Maura Houlihan, Tea, at the back, Johnna and Kathleen, back right. I took this picture in Maura Houlihan's home near Slea Head. Her house is over five hundred years old, eventhough it has been enlarged and renovated over the years.Maura has the Beehive huts on her land and charges a paltry Euro 2-00 for a viewing. She is a real lady and a great friend.

Last night we enjoyed a lovely Mexican meal in Casita Mexicana in Killarney. This restaurant is located right in the heart of the town in the market area behind Quill's shops.

After our meal it was off on the entertainment circuit with a great selection of pubs offering the best of Irish music. Killarney has an abundance of places where you can relax and enjoy a drink.

This morning we prepared to leave Killarney behind as we visited the magnificent St Mary's Cathedral in the centre of the town. The foundations for this church were laid before the famine in 1845, but the church was not finished until early in the nineteen hundreds. It is a really beautiful church and we all said a prayer for our families and friends, and gave thanks for what was a lovely tour together.

Tonight (Thursday night) the ladies will be enjoying a Medieval Banquet in Bunratty Castle, and staying in this lovely house, Bunratty Villa, which is located right beside the Castle. I will be making my way home but i will be back early tomorrow morning in time to get them to Shannon airport for their flight home to the USA. 
I will miss my Texans.

Chauffeurdriven tours of West and Southwest Ireland 2013

                   The mighty Cliffs of Moher are a must. 

Are you planning to visit Ireland in the coming year? This country has to be top of the list for all of our fellow Irish in the USA. The bulk of our enquiries come from the US, and the West of Ireland is always their top priority. If you are looking at a holiday period of anything from 7-10 days we can work together with you and put together a vacation that will leave you with many happy memories of your ancestral land. If you can manage a longer period, then we have no trouble in adding to your plan.

The Dingle peninsula, another one of my own personal favourites. 

The beautiful lakes of Killarney are famous in song and story.

Is kissing the Blarney stone on your list? Well it is on the list of thousands of others every year, but if this is not your thing, then you will still be impressed by this wonderful Norman castle and the magnificent grounds and gardens.

Who has not seen that wonderful movie "The Quiet Man" which starred John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara? Well i see it at least once every year and never tire of it. It was filmed in the area we know as "God's country" and it is always included in my west of Ireland tours. Above you see the magnificent Kylemore Abbey but that is only one of the treats in store for you in this special region.

Ashford Castle is another of those treats where you will spend time on your day in Connemara.

The Spanish Arch, a gateway in the old wall which encircled Galway City, is a treasure as most of the wall was demolished when people knew no better. 

Kinsale harbour from the hillside above Oysterhaven Bay.

This little train is a great way to see Kinsale town. This picture was taken down by the harbour front.

The memorial to Annie Moore and her two young brothers at the quayside in Cobh. They were the first people to register at Ellis Island.

These photos just might stir your appetite enough to get you moving on planning a visit to some of Ireland's most wonderful and memorable destinations, and with our help you can cover them all in your period with us. It is worth remembering that having experts to plan for you and then to escort you around, makes all of this practical. Driving your self has many drawbacks, not only for safety reasons, but knowing how to make the best of your time in a country where getting around is a little more complicated than you might imagine, is highly important. With us your time is properly managed, and not only are you seeing all of these special places, but you are learning all about them also as you go. What could be better than that.

Now is the time to be planning from that holiday of a lifetime in Ireland  in 2013. Maybe you can get in touch with me. You just might be pleasantly surprised.