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 tours of Ireland. Own guide and drive Ireland.

The final day, and the final photo, of my tour with Mike and Sue, and Terry and Jeff, outside the Grafton Capital Hotel in the heart of Dublin city, where they were staying on their final night.

Well all good things must come to an end, and this tour certainly illustrated this very clearly. I hate having to say goodbye, and this was one of those occasions when i found it hard to do just that. This morning, (Sat), we left Killarney as we began our long journey to Dublin. The fact that i was also feeling unwell did not help either, and this, i feel, was due to the flu vaccination i received last Monday. I had been lacking in energy, and very tired most of the week, and if it was not for the fun group i had with me, i think it would have been a lot harder. By Saturday i really was worn out and the thought of the long drive to Dublin was not a pleasant thought, on top of having to say good bye to my friends.
I did not hang around long after getting them to their hotel, as it would have made it all the harder, and i was quickly on my way on my long journey to Kinvara, on the west coast, and home.

I hope my friends had a nice holiday and that they left with many happy memories of my country. Mike and Sue had never been here before. Terry and Jeff had toured with me back in 2007 and it would be nice to think that maybe we can get together again sometime in the future.

Finally, to you, Jeff and Terry, and Mike and Sue, thanks for everything, and i hope that you had a time to remember fondly. You were a pleasure to be with, and i will keep you all in my prayers.

Your friend always

Dave

Looking for car and driver/guide in Southern Ireland/ireland West

Karen Arrives in Ireland

Time does pass slowly when you are all excited about coming to Ireland, and eventhough Karen has been here, and touring with me, last year and the year before, the excitement was still almost more than she could handle. Karen has a passion for this country and a spiritual connection with all that is Irish. She loves everything about it. She has a great interest in its history, its culture, its music, the poetry and literature and, of course, the beauty of our Emerald Isle. 
The first couple of days, Karen spent in Dublin exploring this historic city, and then, made her way to Galway in the West where we began our tour of rural Ireland. The Western seaboard is my favourite part of this country, as i have a great love for the wild and rugged landscapes, the mountains and glacial lakes, the bogs and the offshore islands, the birds and the free roaming animals. Then the many small towns, the great food in the many different types of restaurants, great seafood, wonderful steaks and delicious lamb, chicken and pork and bacon and the home grown vegetables. Where would we be without the pubs with the traditional Irish music, and most of all, the friendly people. Rural Ireland still has managed to hold onto that. In so many places today people think that you are up to something if you make an unsolicited approach. Is there something wrong with saying "Hello"? Not here in the West of Ireland, thank God.

Karen outside her homely B&B in Salthill Galway.

Salthill is the seaside resort area of Galway city and is situated on the shores of Galway Bay. Here you see Karen on the promenade with the Clare hills in the background.

The main street in Salthill where i spent many happy days in my youth myself.

Follow along as we head for Mayo tomorrow.

Touring with chauffeurdrive in the south of Ireland

Blue skies over our hotel in Kinsale this morning before we set out on the final leg of our tour.

Our first stop today was in Cobh and here you see Terry and Marianne outside the Cobh heritage centre. The Trans Atlantic liners all left from here and it was here in the early nineteen hundreds that the ladies Mom boarded her ship as a young girl on her way to the USA.This was a special visit for them.

Here you can see the interior of the departure area at Cobh terminal.

Al and Terry, Ed and Marianne, posing for a final photo in Cobh at the memorial to Annie Moore and her two young brothers. Annie was fifteen years of age when she left Ireland with just her two brothers and became the first person to register at Ellis Island in 1892.

A parting photo at Bewleys Hotel in Ballsbridge in Dublin at the end of what was a most successful tour with a happy group of people.
Safe home and God Bless.

Dave