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