Happy Easter from Ireland Chauffeur Travel

Wishing You & Your Loved Ones
A Wonderful Easter Break from Ireland

Below are Five “Great” Reasons to choose Ireland Chauffeur Travel as your Custom Tour Provider in Ireland.

1. Best Deals on Hotels & Activity - We constantly have Special Offers which are imaginative and unique. The unique offers are possible due to our special relationship with our suppliers which we have carefully built up over the years. We are in a unique position to offer complimentary upgrades and the "best available rooms" at Irelands best loved hotels & castles.

2. Irelands Finest Customized Itineraries - All our itineraries are tailor made to your exact requirements. We listen to your needs and then create a custom tour that matches those needs. If you need changes we go back to the drawing board until we have a tour that is tailor made. No Other Tour Operator customizes like we do. Click Here to Request a Customized Proposal.

3. Professional Irish Driver Guides - Our guides are the very best in Ireland. We have expert guides that specialize in all areas of interest from links golf, to genealogy, history to heritage. We even have specialists on pubs, gourmet dining, gardens, music & shopping. We are based in Ireland and spend the season travelling and touring so we are constantly upgrading and learning new things which we are always happy to share. Our office is brimming with "up to date" information that could fill a guide book. In fact we like to think of our driver guides as “living” guide books. Meet some of our expert Irish driver guides on this link.

4. Gourmet Dining & Pubs in Ireland- We love dining in all sorts of places in Ireland. It is one of the great pleasures of touring in Ireland from a seafood chowder at a local pub, oysters in a thatched cottage, Irish Stew by the fire in a local pub, gourmet retreats and hard to find specialist places are our specialty and again we love to share ... that’s what makes Ireland fun...Do you know where to get the best Guinness in Connemara, we will be happy to show you when you get there !!!!

5. Satisfaction Guaranteed- We receive great feedback and testimonials from our Private Tours of Ireland. We put it down to exceptional professional service, exceeding Your expectations and having a genuine interest in making your trip the best tour ever. That’s why we are always ready to talk and e-mail. We'd love to hear from you soon. See our testimonials page for feedback from over 100 happy clients...
Call Us Today to discuss Your Unique Tour of Ireland TollFree: 1 800 329 9138

Slan Go Foill
(Gaelic for “Bye for Now”)

ALL The Team @ Ireland Chauffeur Travel.

P.S - If you would like a complimenary eight minute Travel DVD on Ireland please let us know and we will put one in the post for you. It is a high quality production by the Tourist Board and has no advertising but it does have some great scenes of Ireland and some great travel ideas. Consider it an Easter Present. - Shane

Ireland Chauffeur Travel - Whats On in March & April in Ireland

The month ahead is filled with a wide variety of events around the country - St. Patrick's Day is next week (17th March) and Easter is only a few weeks later - to read about these and other events that are coming up in March and beyond click here, we have also given a selection of what's on below:
St. Patrick's Festival Dublin12th-17th March - DublinSt. Patrick's Festival is now by far the biggest annual event in the country providing entertainment for all interests and ages.
St. Patrick's Spring Fest & International Band Festival12th-17th March - Limerick CityLimerick plays host to the St. Patrick’s Spring Fest and Limerick International Band Festival with something for all the family.
Clare Drama Festival26th March - 4th April - Scariff Co ClareOne of the many drama festivals of full length plays that take place in various cities, towns and villages throughout Ireland at this time of year.
Clifden Heritage Railway Weekend27th - 29th March - Clifden, Connemara, Co GalwayClifden Heritage Railway Weekend celebrates one of the great lost railways of Ireland.
Galway Comedy Festival9th-13th April - Galway CityComedy Show taking place in Galway City over Easter.
Easter Walking Festival10th-13th April - Glenbeigh Co KerryDiscover the beauty of Kerry in late Spring, on some of the best walks and climbs in the country, in the company of experienced local guides.
Easter Egg Hunts11th-13th April - Athlone Co RoscommonAll the family can take part in fun Easter Egg Hunts on Glendeer Open Farm over the Easter weekend

New Addittion to the Ireland Chauffeur Travel Team

Orla Kelly, our Sales and Marketing Manager is now the proud mother to Patrick Junior who was born last Wednesday morning at 00.35 am. Weighing in at nearly 10 pounds there is already hope that he wil be a future rugby player for Ireland.

Patrick Junior is the third eldest male in the Kelly family to keep the name and he will undoubtbaly make a great farmer in time.

This picture is taken on his third day in Waterford.

Well Done Orla, Paddy and Patrick Junior.

Recession Has some Possitive Effects on Irish Tourism.

The global recession has hit Ireland as much as anywhere else and the tourism industry are affected as badly as other industries. The big changes to expect in Ireland in 209 are the following.

1. Better rates in Hotels. Particularly five star hotels. Luxury Manor and Castles have dropped rate by as much as 40%. This brings them in line with 4 Star Hotel rates.
2. Less traffic on the small Irish roads. This is great particularly in the honey pots of Killarney, Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula and Burren Region.
3. The locals are going back t the pubs. Believe it or not the recession has increased beer sales. Diageo who owns Guinness reported a 2% increase in beer sales in the last quarter of 2008.
4. Sales, Sales, Sales... everything from crystal, linen, woolens, ceramics, art and crafts are at unbeatable prices at the moment... it’s a good time to stock up on Irish goods.
5. Increased Competition - This means better quality and lower prices all round... the better the competition the better the quality so that’s a bonus too!!!!

We don’t want the recession to last forever but it does have some benefits to the visitor to Ireland.. and of course . The more people that come the sooner it ends for all of us.. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

We recommend the following for those looking for value in Ireland in 2009.

1. Stay at a 5 Star Hotel like Ashford Castle - Its once in a lifetime and great value at the moment.
2. Buy Water ford Crystal - This famous Irish brand may be joining the dinosaurs in extinction.
3. Enjoy a Guinness with the locals .. the Irish like to sing when things get bad !!!
4. Eat Well - People are returning to locally produced and home cooked food so expect lots of potatoes and butter
5. Make sure you use the expertise of Ireland Chauffeur Travel, Irelands leading driver guided travel service.

Shane Leahy

The Early Birds are Flying to Ireland in 2009

Ireland Chauffeur Travel looks forward to being your Tour Host in Ireland in 2009. From the moment you arrive on Irish Soil to the moment you leave all your arrangements will be taken care of by our wonderful award winning travel service. All you need to do is take the first step. We would like to present you with our Five Great Reasons to travel to Ireland in 2009.

1. "Our Tour Rates are lower than in 2008" - With lower fuel prices, competition in hotels, reduced visitor number and a slow down in inflation have all brought the price of travel to Ireland down. This makes NOW a great time to get great value on a trip to Ireland.

2. We are offering Complimentary Upgrades at Our Top Hotels in Ireland including The Merrion Hotel in Dublin, Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney, Hayfield Manor Hotel in Cork City, Harveys Point Hotel in Donegal & Glin Castle Hotel in Co Limerick. Just think of rooms with Four Poster Beds, Stunning Lake Views or in the Main Castle with a Victorian Bath and you begin to get a rosy picture. Just ask us where You would like your complimentary upgrade and we will do the rest.

3. Aer Lingus Have a Seat Sale on !! You can book Spring Flights Today from $199 each way and Summer Flights from $249 each way from Major Airports in USA. Visit Aer Lingus Website , Talk to Our Office Or Your Trusted Local Travel Agent for more information. Aer Lingus currently has Direct flights to Ireland from Boston, New York, Washington, Orlando, San Francisco and Chicago. There are indirect flights from over 100 more cities in North America & Canada.

4. We are offering Heritage Ireland Entrance Cards for All our Heritage & Premium Touring Clients in 2009. These cards allow free access to over "100 of Irelands Top Attractions" including world famous visitor attractions that feature on All of our Heritage Tours. They range from Castles, National Parks, Historic Prisons, Victorian Manor Houses, Ancient Monastic Sights & Mysterious Neolithic Monuments. Among the highlights are Kilkenny Castle, Newgrange, Kilmainham Jail, Muckross House & Gardens & The Rock of Cashel ( Pictured below) . For more information please check out our Special Offers section on our website.

5. Ireland is now officially "The Worlds Friendliest Travel Destination" as voted by prestigious Lonely Travel - Bluelist - The Best in World Travel Guide 2008. Thanks !!! To all our fellow Irishmen and Irishwomen for making Ireland such a great country to visit over the last 100 years and making our job so much easier !!!! (We choose only the friendliest hotels with the friendliest personnel on our tours of Ireland).

Call us Today Toll Free on 1-800 329 9138 or drop us a quick E-mail to further discuss your forthcoming Private Tour of Ireland. We are always happy to modify and update your Tour Proposal to meet with your exact requirements. After all we are Irelands Customized Touring Specialists.

We really look forward to hearing from you soon.

Short Tours of Ireland in 2009

Sometimes you only have a few days to cram in the best of Ireland and you want to see as much as possible in the shortest possible time. We can make it happen for you ... ruthlessly ticking off the items on your wish list with the expertise of master craftsman at work.

Among the "You cant possibly miss this" Highlights of Ireland worth considering for a raid and grab tour of Ireland not seen since the days of the Vikings are :
The highlights of Dublin and Surrounding Areas- Trinity, Guinness and St Patricks Cathedral
The Wicklow Mountains incorporating Glendalough and Powerscourt ( From Dublin)
Kilkenny Medieval City & Castle/ Graignamanagh / Inistoige / Nicholas Mosse Pottery
The Rock of Cashel / Swiss Cottgage and Cahir Castle ( From Cork or Shannon)
The Ring of Cork Including Blarney, Cobh Heritage Centre, Middleton and Kinsale
Waterford Crystal Factory, Dunmore East, Lismore heritage Town and Ardmore.
The Ring of Kerry Tour - Muckross, Molls Gap, Sneem, Gap of Dunloe and Kenmare
West Clare Tour of Cliffs of Moher, Ailwee Caves and the Burren. (From Shannon)
Galway City, Connemara coastal drive and Kylemore Abbey. (From Galway)
Newgrange , Hill of Tara and Boyne Valley Drive. (From Dublin)

Call us on 1 800 329 9138 or e-mail us on info@irelandchauffeurtravel.com and we will do the rest ... the last thing you need on a short tour si to worry about which side of the road to drive on .. let us look after you in style, while you enjoy the Emerald Isle.

Shane Leahy ...

Irish Village Embraces Obama as One of Their Own.

PREPARATIONS ARE under way for a big US election night party in the tiny village where Barack Obama can trace his Irish roots.
"Welcome to Obama Country" read two billboards on either side of Moneygall, Co Offaly, which is now hoping for its first US presidential visit.
"We're hopeful that, come Wednesday morning, Brian Cowen will be congratulating US president-elect Barack Obama and inviting him to the town of his ancestors," said local Church of Ireland canon Stephen Neill.
Historians have unearthed records showing Obama's maternal ancestors lived, worked, married and had children in the Moneygall area more than 150 years ago.
Fulmuth Kearney, who is Obama's third great-grandfather, left Moneygall for New York in 1850 to eventually settle in Ohio.
"We've never seen such an interest in any election here ever before," said Henry Healy, who claims to be a distant relation of Hawaiian-born Mr Obama.
Mr Healy, whose family has been in Moneygall since 1750, has traced his family tree to meet the Kearney Obama dynasty.
"In 1760 a Joseph Kearney of the parish of Moneygall married a Sarah Healy also of the parish," he said. "Sarah and Joseph are great-grandparents to Fulmuth Kearney who was Barack's last link to Ireland," said Mr Healy.
Residents of Moneygall, on the N7 Limerick road, are gearing up for a US election party in Ollie Hayes's Bar in the town tomorrow night.
"There's a huge amount of excitement in the area now that election week is finally upon us," said Canon Neill.
"We have Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys playing their song There's No One as Irish as Barack Obama and we hope to be celebrating with early indications from the US as the night unfolds," said Canon Neill.
"Mr Obama said he'll visit the 'little village' in Ireland that has adopted him, so we hope to be able to roll out the red carpet as soon as all the votes are in."

- This article Appeared in the Irish Times.

PS - If anybody wishes to visit Obama Country on an Ireland Chauffeur Travel Tour we will be happy to oblige. We also have Ronald Reagan Country in Ballyporeen, Tipperary ( where we are from) if Republicans wish to visit a Presidents homeland in Ireland.