Here are just some of the testimonials that we have received recently. Each and every one of these testimonials is genuine and we have included the names and countries/states/towns of the writers, but for privacy reasons we do not display the email addresses.
Dear Stephanie,
Margaret and I are just back from our trip to Ireland, and I want to tell you how wonderful the arrangements were. Every place we
stayed was as nice as we could have wanted and some were far beyond anything we expected. The route you selected worked perfectly for
us and gave us a great opportunity to see many parts of the country. I would not have guessed how difficult the driving would be and was very glad that you kept our daily driving distances
down. (We rented the Garmin and could not have survived without it.) We had the impression--and indeed one of our hosts actually told us--that irishtourism.com is highly thought of by hotels and B & B's and that we were treated well because of it.
We loved Ireland and its people and hope to return some day. In the meantime, thanks again for all your assistance.
Richard Wiebusch, Southborough, MA. USA
Ronan
Great Job on the Tour! Our family had a great time and was treated so well.
Hotels/ itinerary and especially the tour service - Second to none. Michael Prendergast; our tour driver was exceptional. He worked so well with the shortened trip to ensure we saw everything that would give the most thorough view of what Ireland had to offer and than some. The hotels were great and the
Staff we met were very helpful and thoughtful.
If you need any documentation or survey I would be happy to fill it out.
Thank you again and all the best.
Tom Cochran
Tom Cochran, New York USA
Tina......just got back from dropping my brother off at the Orlando Airport so he could fly back to California.
His comment on the trip was that this was the best vacation he'd ever had in his life.
I Did want to let you know that every one of your recommendations was especially sound and this tour could not have been better arranged or coordinated. Would recommend to anyone to take this exact same tour with Irish Tourism. There is not a single thing I would change with this tour and your efforts truly made this visit to Ireland wonderful. The three center tour provided us time to relax, enjoy the atmosphere of each location, and really get to talk to and enjoy the people which turned out to really be the highlight of the trip. Everyone we met was friendly, positive, and fun.
Thank you very so very much for everything. I'll attempt to send you some photos in a separate email.
Sincerely,
Ray Duncan, Ocala, Florida
Hi Stephanie
Thank you for your email – we only arrived home at the weekend so have been busy catching up at work and home.
The holiday was fantastic. Ireland is very beautiful and the people are so warm and friendly. We loved every minute of it and the accommodation you organised was excellent, especially the Manor House in Killarney which was superb and the B&B in Galway where our hostess went above and beyond what we expected. The Ring of Kerry and Connemara are just gorgeous and we would love to go back there again.
We hope to come back to Ireland in April 2010 as part of a large insurance conference. I have already given some of our colleagues your details and if you can suggest some other parts of Ireland that we can visit then we will organise this through your company.
Once again, thank you so much for everything you did to make our holiday in Ireland so memorable. We cannot fault a thing. I will try to send through some of the hundreds of photos we took (not so good on that side of things.
Robyn Udy, Wellington, New Zealand
Hello Tina,
Just returned from our vacation in Ireland and I was so impressed with the beauty and
granduer of the southwestern part of the country. Ireland truly is an
Emerald Paradise! Thank you so much for your kind arrangement to my
travel plans and your professional, courteous touch to handling all of my
questions and concerns leading up to my departure for Ireland. I enjoyed
myself immensely on the tour. Driving was every bit as hectic as the
masses have said it would be. But I survived.
The B&B's were excellent.
Thank you again for all you have done and, who knows, perhaps I can make
it back to Ireland one day. In the meantime, I will offer to my friends
and family to call / e-mail you should they ever hint to interests in
visiting Ireland for themselves. I'm sure after I show them all of the
pictures I had taken while there, many will want to book their vacations
right away!
Scott Senko, Maryland, USA
Tina,
My girlfriends and I had the most wonderful trip! Ireland was absolutely beautiful, even with all the rain. I drove and had a ball on all the narrow roads and the opposite side of the road and all!! The people were fantastic and so helpful and kind. All of the places we stayed were nice and clean and the people were friendly. We especially loved the B&B and hostess at Doolin. All of the places were within walking distance of a pub which made it nice in the evenings. We happened to be in Kilkenny the night they won the hurling championship so it was one big party in town and everyone was in high spirits. We even all got kissed by Irishmen that night! Yoohoo!! Thank you for making our vacation such a wonderful experience. We plan to come back next year, so we will definitely contact you again if we do.Thank you again, Tina, for giving us the best trip of a lifetime!
Nancy Caldwell, USA
Hi Liz,
Ireland was wonderful. I had a fantastic time. Even though it rained every day, it didn't dampen our spirits. It was much better than I could have imagined.
Bunratty was beautiful. Our other hotels were more than adequate. Our last hotel was gorgeous! I thought I was in Buckingham Palace. Our dinner there was a fantastic affair. It was fit for a king. They spared no expense to make our stay a more than memorable one. And the Irish Stepdancers! They were the icing on the cake.
Aer Lingus was A-1. They got us there on time with no problems, and returned us to the USA on time as well.
When I arrived at Bunratty, they were very nice. They said it was too early to go to my room, but they would do their best to get a room ready for me.
Then in the afternoon I went out and had a bite to eat at the Creamery. The food was delicious. Then I toured Bunratty Castle and the Folk Park.
I can't wait for my next trip to Ireland and I will start saving right away. I would definitely travel with you again.
Thanks again, Liz,
Joan McDermott, New York NY
Hi Tony! Everything was absolutely great. Thank you so much!
The accommodations were excellent, especially in Oughterard and in Bunratty.
There was nothing about the trip that was bad or "downright ugly".
We were especially delighted with our guide, Hal Craven. He was so friendly, interesting and fun to be with. He taught us much about Ireland's history, culture, landscape, people -- if and when we plan another trip, we would like to book him again, if possible. Oh yes, and the van was incredible.
We were all very happy with the trip and have already recommended your services to friends and family that are interested in taking a future trip. Thanks again, Tony. Maybe we'll see you again at Irish Fest in Milwaukee this year!
Kathy Johnson, Chicago, USA
Hello Tina,
Concerning my journey in Ireland from 13.08 to 24.08, I thank you very much because I went home charmed with my Irish stay.
I liked your splendid country and especiallly the kindness of Irish people.
All was easy forme during my hollidays and all was perfect.
I wish you well and a very good continuation.
Best regards,
Hélène Joncour, Notre Dame D'oe France
Cathal-
Meant to write sooner
We had an absolutely wonderful trip
The golf courses were great
The hotels were all better than expected
And the directions were a good as they could be(driving was quite an experience)
We're already talking about trying to do it again in a couple of years!
I'll recommend you to anyone who needs a recommendation
Thanks for all your help and a job well done!
Don
Don Ecken, Louisville, KY
We would all like to thank Irish Tourism, especially you, Ronan, for the outstanding 10-day itinerary. We could not ask for better B&B’s with friendly and helpful hosts. The breakfasts were also very large and delicious. The Academy Plaza Hotel in Dublin was also an excellent choice for convenience and quality. Although the large van was somewhat of a challenge on the narrow roads it did provide plenty of room for the six of us and all of the luggage. We drove about 1700 kilometers, including the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula. If anyone asks we will highly recommend your Company for travel to Ireland. We regret not having the opportunity to meet you and thank you personally.
Thanks again,
Dave Bender and family
Ronan, I am attaching three group photos from our great trip (June 15 to June 25). You have our permission to use them on your web site.
The first photo # 539 was taken in front of the B&B in Oughterard, Co. Galway with our 9 passenger van.
Left to Right – Alan & Beverly (my sister) Smith, Wilmington, NC; John (my brother) & Linda Bender, Springfield, Ohio; Shirley & David Bender (myself) Mesa, AZ.
The second photo # 372 was taken in McDermotts Pub in Doolin, Co. Clair across the street from the B&B.
Left to Right - Linda, John, Beverly, Alan, Shirley and David
The third photo # 420 was taken Poulnabrone Portal Tomb just south of the Aillwee Caves in The Burren while we had a little snack.
David Bender, Mesa, Arizona
Dear Ronan,
Once again, we had a PERFECT time in Ireland, and thank you and your company for making it all the more enjoyable.
Feeling right at home in our favourite hotels from past years, and the pleasant additions of Dublin and Killarney made the stay fantastic.
My nephews' first visit to Ireland has only stirred within their souls a love for their family's roots, and the desire to get back there as soon as possible.
My thanks, again, for everything.
Dennis McCormack, Massapequa, New York
Dear Stephanie,
We, first of all, send you our sincere thanks for the planning of our trip to Ireland last month. The planing was perfect, the hotels first class, the car very good and finally, the guide driver, the most wonderful person we knew in this two weeks in your country.
He is a very educated person, incridibly helpful, courteous, and allways ready to atend to our needs. You know, in a country we visited for the first time, sometimes we felt lost and a litle bit ignorants, and he tried to show us all the best you have there, including, guessing what we like to see and know. He was very patient with us, considering the language barrier, for our english is a litle bit not satisfactory.We ask you to notice our delite of having him as our companion to the company he works for.;
And to you, we say we will tell our friends who want to visit Ireland to do through your companie, and ask for your help.
Tereza Koch Cavalcanti., Brazil
Ronan
Great Job on the Tour! Our family had a great time and was treated so well.
Hotels/ itinerary and especially the tour service - Second to none. Michael Prendergast; our tour driver was exceptional. He worked so well with the shortened trip to ensure we saw everything that would give the most thorough view of what Ireland had to offer and than some. The hotels were great and the
Staff we met were very helpful and thoughtful.
If you need any documentation or survey I would be happy to fill it out.
Thank you again and all the best.
Tom Cochran
Tom Cochran, New York USA
Dear Stephanie,
We, first of all, send you our sincere thanks for the planning of our trip to Ireland last month. The planing was perfect, the hotels first class, the car very good and finally, the guide driver, the most wonderful person we knew in this two weeks in your country.
He is a very educated person, incridibly helpful, courteous, and allways ready to atend to our needs. You know, in a country we visited for the first time, sometimes we felt lost and a litle bit ignorants, and he tried to show us all the best you have there, including, guessing what we like to see and know. He was very patient with us, considering the language barrier, for our english is a litle bit not satisfactory.We ask you to notice our delite of having him as our companion to the company he works for.;
And to you, we say we will tell our friends who want to visit Ireland to do through your companie, and ask for your help.
Tereza Koch Cavalcanti., Brazil
Hello Stephanie:
The trip was excellent, couldn't have asked for better weather and the people were overly friendly.
Our favourite place was in Doolin, Susan was amazing. The four of us agreed that the experiences in Doolin; Cliffs of Moher, O'Connor's Pub, boat trip to the cliffs were our favourite experience.
We truly enjoyed our stay at the Inn in Killarney, how could you not - great rooms, great food & service. The town itself was beautiful and a nice place to spend St. Patrick's Day. While there we went horseback riding (Killarney Riding Stables) it was a nice way to spend the morning and the scenery was breathtaking.
The Hotel in Kinsale was a perfect location, overlooking the harbour. The town itself was a great town to walk and explore. We hooked up with a local, who offers tours of the town and offers a history lesson, he was a great resource while in the town.
In regards to the rental vehicle, we all agreed that the driving on the "wrong side of the road" was an interesting experience and where glad that we opted to rent an automatic vs standard transmission.
The package that you provided with all of our reservations, itinerary etc made checking in a really smooth process, we had no problems with any of the hotels, B&B's or car rental.
So in conclusion, I can only say on behalf of myself and travelling companions that we had no complaints, concerns or other wise. In fact I have advised friends and family that have enquired that the trip went smoothly thanks to your company and in more particularly because of you.
Thanks for all your help and assistance
Joseph Van Der Klugt, London, ON, Canada
Dear Stephanie,
Thank you so much for planning our outstanding holiday in Ireland.
All of the accommodations were spotlessly clean, especially the B&B on our first night, which I am convinced set the stage for everything else to be so perfect. All of the host and hostesses were fabulous. We could not have asked for better weather. Our day on Dingle was a bit chilly, but we were prepared. The only rain we encountered was overnight one night and for a brief few minutes while driving one day. Other than myself coming down with Shingles, the whole trip was gloriously memorable and the Emerald Isle now holds a very dear place in our hearts.
I look forward to a return visit to
see favorites again and to explore things that we missed. Thank you,
Thank you, Thank you again for putting together such a wonderful
itinerary for us and for arranging our wonderful lodgings.
Blessings,
Jill Jones, Kansas, USA
Liz,
We had a great time. We found the countryside gorgeous, the people friendly, the food good, and even the weather cooperated to some extent. In particular, we fell in love with Kinsale (the view of the harbor from the Hotel was magnificent) and Killarney. At the B&B in Killarney, the proprietor saw that we had booked with your agency and commented that we had
chosen the premier outfit. She told us that yours is a top-notch operation;
there is never a problem in dealing with your agency.
For the high point of our trip, we managed to get my 87 year old mother to climb the stairs in Blarney Castle to kiss the stone. It was slow going, but she made it and is glad she did. The attendant in the gift shop said they certainly didn't get many 87 year olds up there; she couldn't remember one.
This trip gave my mother a present she has wanted all her life. It was a dream come true for her, and I thank you for making it happen so pleasantly. Your choices in accommodations was superb. I usually enjoy the B&Bs when
I'm touring, but you never really know what you are getting. The B&Bs you booked were all outstanding, particularly the B&B in Killarney and the one in Dingle.
Any prospective travellers contemplating your service would be wise to book
through you.
Doug Moellering, Austin, Texas, USA
Hello Tony.
The tour was a great value for us, that you have the conversation with Peater around the farm visits.
The trip has been well planned and we were lucky with the weather. All the members of the group has a very good experience.
At last we will thank our driver, Thomas. He was the right person for us, flexible, knowing a lot, telling a lot, kindly, patient and safe to drive
We will not hesitate to recommand Irish Tourism to other guests - thank you.
Best regard
Valdemar & Grethe, Denmark
Hi Tina
Sorry I haven't got back to you sooner. You did a wonderful job with our hotels/B&Bs. Our only wish was that we could have had more time at each stop. However we covered a fair bit.
Our only disappointment was that we didn't have time to go to Kylemore Abbey. We hadn't bargained on the large amount of travelling and sightseeing we were doing from Limerick over to Cliffs of Moher, through Burren country then out to Clifden. We dropped our gear off at the B&B in Clifden and drove out to Kylemore but it had closed and next morning it didn't open till 9.30 by which time we felt we wouldn't have time to get all the way back to Dublin for Tom and Andrea to catch their flight. So all in all that was mismanagement on our part, we would have been better off staying in Galway and seeing what there was to see round there. There'll be another time.
So thank you very much for the part you played in organising our holiday and also for refunding Margie and Andrew Logan's share of the accommodation.
Diane, NZ
Dear Liz,
Just a few lines to tell you what a wonderful holiday I had in Ireland on the Mystical Tour. I really enjoyed every moment of it. Such a nice group of folks and so friendly. Our guide and driver, Michael, was excellent, very informative and helpful. I learnt so many more things about Ireland and the people in one week, much better than the books I had read. I have so many happy memories of the tour, we were also very lucky with the weather, and shall certainly look forward to another trip in the future and will certainly recommend your tours to my friends.
Thank you again for all your help.
Very best wishes,
Thelma Roe., Pistoia Italy
Hi Tony!
We had a wonderful trip and all the guys thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it. Thank you for putting together great itinerary. We did have have the normal Irish Weather for a few days (Ballyliffin) during the second half, resulting in us passing on playing at Castle Rock. But that was O.K with us.
We had great weather at Portrush - just as it was at County Down. Though I played better at Rush than at Down - I think Down is more superior to the Rush! I am certain this debate will never end!
With regard to the hotels - all of them were great - Ballyliffin Lodge, Bushmills Inn were exceptional. As I did mention to you we did not have hot water in the morning at Sandhouse Hotel. But those thing do happen.
Joe was great, punctual and very obliging to all our requests. He did take us on some side trips ....Bushmills brewery, Giant causeway.........etc.
THANKS AGIAN FOR PUTTING TOGETHER A GREAT TRIP!
Shall keep in touch!
Regards-Radha(:-)
Dr. Radha Krishnan, Vienna, VA
Hi Stephanie,
We recently returned from our honeymoon that we booked through you and I wanted to write you and thank you for all your assistance and help in planning this trip. We had an AMAZING time in Ireland and plan on returning sometime in the near future again. We will DEFINITELY use Irish Tourism Dot Com again as well, and I can't tell you how awesome the package was and what a GREAT job you did for us!!!
Other than the hotel in Killarney, all of the other hotels were EXCELLENT, and in particular, the Castle in County Clare, and the hotel in Bunratty, these were our absolute favorites!! The Hotel in Dingle also gets an honorable mention!!
The breakfasts were all excellent, the car rental went very well, and your tour booklet that was included was outstanding!!!
Again, THANK YOU for all of your assistance, and we promise to be repeat customers!! You will hear from us again when we return to beautiful Ireland!!!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
Terry & Jean Murphy, New Jersey, USA
Tara: just got home from Ireland. The peoples of Ireland are great, had a great time,even in the rain. The B&Bs were very nice. Towers had one of the best hambuger and chips Ive had in many years. The B&B in Bunratty fabulous comfortable and the owners are very nice. Id like to thank you for your help and I have alot of pictures of my trip and would be willing to share with Go Ireland, if so send me a mailing address and I'll forward a CD. Thanks again..
G Nelson, Summerset WI
Dear Irishtourism.com
Try as we may we could not find anything downright ugly, or even bad for that matter. We had a lovely time, all the places we stayed were great, especially the accommodation in Cong. Ann was lovely and helpful. A lovely place, food and landlady.
It really was a good way to tour Ireland and we enjoyed it greatly. The people are so friendly and helpful, especially when Geoff was injured.
Hopefully we shall return one day and continue where we left off. Thank you again for all your help.
Best regards
Cynthia and Geoff, Boston Ma
Stephanie,
Our vacation was wonderful. The lodgings in Kilarney and Kilkenny were incredible! My sister and I found the B&B in Kilarny especially to be everything we were hoping for in our vacation. Mary was a delight! The food was wonderful and her knowledge of the area was exactly what we needed to give us direction with our plans. Service at all of the places we stayed was above par but Mary went above and beyond. The views from our B&B in Kilkenny were worth the stay entirely. I only wish we'd had more time to soak in more of that town as we did in Killarny. Thank you for your diligent work in making our trip everything we hoped it would be.
Our time in Ireland was relaxing and refreshing. Thank you once again for the lovely time.
Melissa Vinyard, San Pedro, Califormia
Hi Tina,
We had a wonderful time in Ireland! The hotels were lovely, and we especially enjoyed the manor houses. Top-notch food and service! The travel itinerary you sent us provided lots of options for our daily adventures and was an excellent reference. Driving wasn't nearly as scary as I had imagined! It took about a day to get the hang of it but were both quick learners and the car was returned without a scratch. The hardest part was keeping our eyes on the road with so much beautiful scenery! We were very lucky to have excellent weather during our trip so we got to enjoy some hiking, horse riding and golfing.
Thank you for your help in organizing an incredible and memorable holiday!
Jim & Kat Dillon, Westminster, Colorado
Ronan: What a fabulous trip.. Lynette and I were so pleased with everything you had arranged. Of course, we did not get to see many areas as thoroughly as we would have liked, but that simply means we need to come back. I will fill you in on more impressions later but at the moment you may note for the record, that upon our return I will be playing golf.. Had a good look at Portmarnouck, Royal Port Rush and Lahinch. I can’t wait to get back and hit a few!!!!
Hope you are well and again thank you so much!
Fred
Fred & Lynette Crawford, Houston,Texas
Dear Tony ~
Thank you for your Note. We arrived back in California last Friday evening and are now emerging from the jet lag fog. Thank you for checking in to be certain that all was going well while we were in Ireland. I appreciate your asking for feedback. I was planning to write to you.
First let me mention that John Fleming, our driver/guide, was superb. We thoroughly enjoyed his company throughout the week. He was consistently punctual, flexible and unfailingly courteous. He offered wonderful suggestions about places we might like to see. When he offered suggestions he never pressed us to follow his recommendations. But he was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable that we quickly discovered we especially enjoyed all that he suggested. Since John is from County Kerry he gave us a wonderful perspective, from many points of view, about the area. Also, we never had concern about his driving skills. We feel ourselves very fortunate to have made John's acquaintance and to have been in his very capable hands for seven days.
We so enjoyed the variety of accommodations you arranged for us, Tony. Hayfield Manor, Loch Lein Country Hotel and Ballynahinch Castle all were superb and their staffs welcoming, friendly, and helpful. Each property was furnished beautifully and we felt well cared for and relaxed at each place. The one disappointment was Hotel Gresham in Dublin. This hotel was so far below the caliber of the others that we were happy we had only one night there. I assure you that the staff at Hotel Gresham were very nice and helpful, but our room was totally lackluster. David looked at some of the other vacant rooms on the floor and noted that at least our room was larger than others. The furnishings were 1960's utilitarian, non-distinctive (think Soviet era blockhouse architectural style). We overlooked the roof and ventilation system of the building next door. The bathroom was big enough for one only. After our experience at Ballynahinch and other places this accommodation was a low point. I would not recommend that you reserve at this hotel for others.
Believe me, Tony, our disappointment with the Dublin hotel in no way affected our overall experience of the tour you arranged. Thank you very much for all the effort you put into making certain that we were pleased with your arrangements. I will mention your request for photos/videos to David to see if he has something to contribute to your website. Also, I am willing to be a "solid reference" for you and Irish Tourism if someone who is thinking of booking with you would like to talk with a person who has experienced your service.
Thank you again, Tony. You and John made our visit to Ireland a truly memorable experience.
Sincerely,
Bonnie and David Sachs
David Sachs, Palo Alto, CA.,
Hi Stephanie!
I’m writing to tell you that we had a fantastic time in Ireland. Vehicle was really good – collection and return went smoothly. All the accommodation (and our hosts) was excellent (although I’m not sure they could quite take in the fact that our family of 8 were all on holiday together, with an age range from 18 to 79!). We’re now all on diets after the magnificent Irish breakfasts every day – back to the ‘real’ world is hard! The Spring weather was kind to us – one day was a bit grim, but that was the day we were staying at Westport so we took advantage of the leisure facilities there.
The ‘highlight’ was our meeting with a seal pup –I think it was at Malin Beg – am enclosing a couple of photos – one of the pup with my 18 year old son who, despite being a ‘grown-up’, was delighted that the seal came out of the water to spend about 40 minutes with us!
Thanks to you and Ronan once again for your excellent and efficient organization of our trip.
Best regards,
Annella
Annella Hall, Chelmsford, Essex,, England
Dear Tony,
We've had a wonderful tour thanks largely to your meticulous planning and choice of accommodation. The hosts were all extremely helpful and friendly - and, by the way, they spoke highly of your organisation.
As requested, I have attached a few photos, some of my husband and me - we're becoming less photogenic as time goes by, so there aren't many! Also, something went wrong with our camera towards the end of the holiday, so I couldn't take any of Galway, which we loved.
One disappointment - not in your hands, but perhaps you communicate with them - was the information at the Kerry National Park Visitor Centre at Mucross. They don't sufficiently meet the requirements of walkers. As in our own Peak District National Park, I was expecting to see racks of maps, booklets and leaflets on suggested walks of all kinds. There was nothing of this kind and all the assistant could suggest was a limited number of low level walks. Well, we don't come to the lovely, mountainous landscape of Kerry to walk on a tarmac path round a lake! She did mention another car park higher up which we decided to go to out of curisosity and when we got there I saw a walker who seemed to know what she was doing, and she told me how to get up Torc Mountain. That turned out to be a highlight! When we went to the Visitor Centre a couple of days later, I spotted an insignificant, hand written description of how to get up Torc Mountain at the bottom of a notice board, but if it was there on our first visit, it hadn't been pointed out to me. Yes, I know, I must write to them myself!
On the last lap from Galway to Dublin, we felt that Newgrange might be a bit too much, so we called in at two places not far off route - Tullamore Heritage Centre, where a generous sample of Tullamore DEW, or Irish Mist are included in the admission price, and Trim, where we were in time for a very interesting guided tour of the castle.
Thank you again for a lovely first taste of Ireland. We hope to come back.
Best wishes,
Hilary Whitemore
Hilary Whitemore, Derby, England
Hi Liz,
Thank you for your part in making my Irish Traditions tour such a success! The tour was beautiful!Our tour guide/driver, Tadgh Murphy, was outstanding! He was informative, friendly, funny, patient ... everything you would hope for (and almost never get) in a tour guide.
I'm going back! Again, thanks Liz! I'm very impressed with CIE, Irish tourism, Ireland, everything green!
Jeanice Davis, Houston TX
Hi Stephanie,
Had a wonderful time. Everything was great. The B &B and hotels were wonderful. I would recommend booking with Irish Tourism. Thanks for setting up a wonderful experience for us!
Sandy Wing, Illinois, USA
Everything was wonderful! I do not have one thing to complain about. The vouchers were extremely easy to use and we never had a problem getting into any of the B & B's. All of the B & B's were wonderful...very clean, great people and excellent food. We were very happy with the entire experience and will definitely use the service again!!! Thank you for all of your help.
Kind regards
Robin Weidinger, Detroit, MI
Hello, Tara!
We just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our Hike and Bike Tour last week in Ireland. We loved the Kerry peninsula, and in particular, Kilarney National Park.The biking part of the trip went flawlessly, except for us not being accustomed to riding on the left side of the road. Thank heavens we were mostly on not very busy roads! The Friday boat and jaunting car trip on the Kilarney Lakes and through the Gap of Dunloe were a real highlight! Thanks so much for all your assistance. Even the weather cooperated to help make wonderful memories for us of our Irish adventure!
Take care!
Steve and Ruthanne, Ardoch ON
Tony,
I just wanted to thank you for you assistance in planning our golf getaway weekend.
We had a great time while in Ireland. We met some interesting people, had some great food, and most of all played some great golf in great weather!
Michael Rosenzweig
Michael Rosenzweig, New York, NY
Thank you for your wonderful assistance and for sending us on our way. We all enjoyed our travels and we took many of the roads less traveled to our next distination. The lodging throughout the vacation was wonderful and we enjoyed each place and the people there were wonderful. Your company did an outstanding job with everything you recommended.We saw rainbows, had wonderful weather (except for 2 days) and met some relatives. After 53 pubs, many pints of Guinness and some lively conversations we were ready to board our plane and come home thourghly happy with our Ireland Vacation.
Thank you!
Robyn & Dan Scott, Virginia, USA
Hi Stephanie,
We had a great time and P.J. was the delight of the trip! The itinerary was just right for a first time. I am absolutely thrilled that we spent most of our time out in the country. The hotels in Galway, Dublin and Killarney were very nice. The people at the hotel in Killarney were exceptional and they really went over and above to take care of us. The view was spectacular and it made up for being so far out of town.
We had a great time and plan to come back again and fly into Shannon (as you had suggested) and stay in a Castle. P.J. got us reservations for tea at the Castle on Monday and we had a blast. What a beautiful place! Thanks for a great trip.
Sandra., New York, USA
Hi stephanie,
Our time in Ireland was simply wonderful.
Aislinn and I have had the greatest time.
the bed and breakfasts were of a particularly high standard.
the only small problem we encountered was with the car rental company eurocar, but we didnt mind that one bit.
We really appreciate that you guys were there to support and advise us during that and after a couple of hours we were on our merry way driving a car from a different rental company.
By the way, i've noticed that you have returned the money for the car rental. thanks for the great great service.
We are definitely returning to Ireland.
Highest regards.
Martin and Aislinn.
Martin Caarels, Zaanstad, The Netherlands
Hi Stephanie,
Sorry it's taken me so long to get back with you. My sister and I had a fantastic time on our trip. The weather (with the exception of the morning heading to see Clonmacnoise and then heading to Dublin) was absolutely great. We were able to see the Cliffs of Moher within an hour or so of arriving in country. We did run into a spot of trouble leaving Doolin when I got the car stuck while trying to allow vehicles coming in the opposite direction more room, but fortunately, someone was kind enough to stop and help get us out. We also ran into a small traffic jam on our way to Galway on one of the smaller county roads when a flock of sheep escaped from the field, but we thought it was great. Other than that, there were no problems driving around. We managed to see the Burren, the Aran Islands, Connemara, Galway, and Bunratty Castle (the medieval banquet was great, highly recommend the experience) while out on the west coast. It was cold and rainy when we were at Clonmacnoise, but it was worth freezing to check out the ruins. We both had a blast in Dublin, and were able to see everything we wanted by using the Dublin Tour's Hop-on Hop-Off bus tour. Being able to walk five minutes down the street from the hotel to Trinity College (where we checked out the Book of Kells and the archives), pick up the bus and paying for the ticket once on board made traveling around the city very convenient (and the bus driver/tour guides were a riot). In a single day, we managed to tour Trinity College, Dublin Castle, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Guinness Warehouse, Kilmainham Gaol and cruise Temple Bar (hit up the Hard Rock Café too). As for our accommodations, you did a great job with the selections! Our time spent at the Connemara Hotel was awesome- everything from the facilities to the dining was fabulous and Henry and Elaine were gracious hosts (so sweet and accommodating). Our Dublin Hotel was just as fantastic, and we loved its proximity to Trinity College and Temple Bar! The only negative I could think of is that there were places on our "to see" list that we didn't get to, and am already looking forward to the opportunity to return to Ireland in the future. We have told our friends and family about your wonderful service.
I took several hundred (no exaggeration) pictures and at least an hour of video footage during our trip, and would be more than happy to send a few of them for the website.
Thank you for all the help in planning the visit.
Kristen M. Cangelosi
Kristen Cangelosi, United Arab Emirates
Dear Tony,
Thanks for your email, and thank you for all your hard work in making our stay in Ireland such a pleasurable time. We really had a great
time. Thank you so much once again,
Regards Steve.
Steve Durston, Somerset. U.K.
Tina,
Just a quick note to let you know we were very impressed with the quality of the B&B's we were provided with on our recent self drive tour! We had such a great time, inspite of the rain. Ireland is a beautiful country! The people were just GREAT!!!! I have recommended Irish Tourism to a some people we met while traveling. They were doing things on their own and were impressed how relaxed we were because we didn't have to worry where we were staying! I hope they use you on their next trip. We certainly will!
Thanks, again for a wonderful Holiday!!
John & Loretta Kennedy, MO, USA
Stephanie,
A quick note to tell you we had a wonderful trip through the south of Ireland and to thank you again for coordinating it and setting us up with such nice accommodations. The Hotel in Dublin and the B&B in Killarney were exceptional. Mary and Der Doyle were warm and welcoming hosts and enhanced our visit to Killarney immensely.
We will be sure to contact you when we are ready for our next tour. Again, many thanks for your outstanding service.
John & Beverly McAllister, Virginia, USA
Dear Liz,
With a few exceptions, we all enjoyed a great vacation(particularly the golfers). We played 11 golf courses in 14 days and all of them were in good condition.
Our only bad hotel experience was at the Albany Hotel in Edinburgh. Once we got a few issues resolved, that also went fairly well.
The transportation was great, and we are all very happy that we decided to use a hired driver for this trip. I don't think that we could have gotten our luggage in any vehicle that we could have rented.
Cathal did an excellent job in arranging this trip. In addition to dealing with 6 demanding people, he handled all the arrangements to our satisfaction. I think that any problems encountered were out of his control.
I think, taking all things into consideration(people, hotels, golf, transportation, food, etc.), that we preferred Ireland to Scotland.
Best Regards,
Bill Watkins
Bill Watkins, Lexington, SC
Hello, Liz -
We had a wonderful trip - some credit has to go to the phenomenally beautiful sunshine day-after-day while we were there.
We had no bad luck - and some exceptionally nice B&Bs, well located, competent and friendly hosts and attractive rooms. A few were 'lesser', but no specific complaints.
Thanks for the good service -
Jean Wagenerr, Northfield, MA
Hi Liz
We had a wonderful time on the tour. Weather cooperated and our tour guide Denis Hurley and driver John were the best. The hotels were first class. We saw and learned so much about Ireland, it is a beautiful country. So thank you for all of your help, you have been most kind.
One favour, if you have the brochure of the Irish Classic Tour I would appreciate you mailing me a copy for my album.
Ann & Steve Robinson, North Vancouver, BC
Hi Stephanie,
I wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our holiday. Thank you for all your efforts!
Our hotels were beautiful and we especially enjoyed meeting our driver Frank Higgins from Meath.
Please pass on what a wonderful driver he was. He was so full of information, history, ideas. We learned so much in that short time.
Thanks to both of you!!!
Lauren Wackernagel, Michigan, USA
Kerry Gems
"I had a grand time. The walks were varied and challenging and the scenery marvellous. Bridget was knowledgeable about the sites and history and did a great job in leading the group. The service is outstanding. The accommodations are lovely. I appreciated having free internet available. Breakfasts are excellent."
B Haselbeck,, St Paul MN
Stephanie - we had a FABULOUS time. I guess we brought our sunny Colorado weather to Ireland, because during our stay we had exceptional weather. Our favorite place was the Castle. We were so pleasantly surprised by the fact that it was situated on an island, and we were offered a private car ferry ride. Our room was a three-room suite, decorated in Victorian style with all the old world charm and splendor. The staff there were just ultra efficient! We kept calling it our 'fantasy island'.
Our next favorite was the Country House in Killarney. The owners were so warm, friendly, inviting, gracious and really made us feel at home. The view was stunning and the manor was very quiet and peaceful.
I guess our least favorite was Dublin, but again, it was raining the day we arrived. We had trouble finding the car rental return at the Dublin Airport, and we drove around in circles for 30 minutes before finally calling the rental agency. Someone there said they had just changed the entrance to it, so we didn't feel so bad after learning that.
Speaking of car rental, I am SO glad you reserved a GPS unit for us. We would have been completely lost without it. Although you provided the great ordinance map with the large roads, all the smaller roads would have been a navigational nightmare. And just as luck would have it, they gave me a five-speed manual shift car. What a challenge! We finally just started laughing about my driving errors and had fun. I did take out the full insurance on the car because I didn't want to be responsible for any damage.
Most of our pictures are of the countryside and there are very few of us. If you want background pictures, then I'll be glad to share a few. Oh, the dinner/show at Abbey Tavern was outstanding.
Thanks for helping us build such fond memories and sharing your charming country with us. Best, Val
Valerie Webb, Broomfield, Colorado
Hi Tina
I wanted to write to say thank you for arranging our trip. Everything went beautifully, and all of our hosts were also very happy to work with Irish Tourism. Everyone of our hosts were so friendly and helpful, but especially Karen and Alan Priest at Brookside, and Brigit and Liam in Kilkenny. All of the accommodations were excellent.
We understand that we were very lucky with the weather which was outstanding; indeed it rarely rained for any length of time until we got to Dublin at the end of the trip, and even then, it did not interfere with our plans. Apparently it rained almost every day in Ottawa while we were away, but today is beautiful and sunny.
We will have marvelous memories of our trip. Thanks again for your excellent assistance.
Lynda
Lynda Gibson, Ottowa, Canada
Hi Tina
Well we are back from our holiday and feel quite rested.
I need to get a complaint off my chest first of all. The Hibernian Hotel in Kilkenny, oh my gosh. If this is a 4* hotel I will eat my hat. The beds didn't get made, they just straightened out the covers over the top. We used 2 glasses our first night there and they were never renewed. There were shouting and laughing outside the pub (smokers) and the same inside so loud. Then some of them came up to their rooms and were shouting from one end to the other to each other. So it was about 3am when we finally got any sleep.
Now to the positive. ALL of the rest of the hotels you sent us to were awesome. Not one complaint can we find about any of them. They couldn't be helpful enough we were truly looked after. In Killarney, what a lovely couple and a truly well run hotel. They catered to anything we may want.
The information you sent us on things to see and places to go was really valuable to us. On the whole we can't thank you enough for a wonderful holiday and an awesome experience. We have already recommended you to others and have no
hesitation in doing so again.
Thank you all
Margaret and Kevin Bonas
Margaret Bonas, Calgary, Canada
Stephanie
The trip exceeded our expectations.
We enjoyed the route. As you may recall, due to festivals, you sent us in the opposite direction from the normal route for the pub and folk
tour. We found that this worked quite well since the historical part went from the early beginnings to more recent times.
The hotels were outstanding. We were really impressed with the Hotel in Doolin, Killarney & Dublin. We had no trouble driving around Ireland, except in Dublin where the
street signs are non-existant. We were aware of the Dublin situation, based on your advice.The combination of the two really helped us
decide the sites to visit, where to eat and the pubs known for the music.
Linda and I are both looking forward to a return visit and would like to consider going to the west coast area around Kerry and Dingle as
well as the northern portion.
We hope to be able to do the trip in a year or two.
Thanks for all your work and input.
Gary Wignall, Ontario, Canada
Dear Tina
Many thanks for your email. We had a wonderful time in Ireland, far exceeding our expectations whatever they may have been. We have seen a lot of UK but there is much which is unique about Ireland. I can assure you there was nothing "bad or downright ugly
The small hotel west of Killarney at Fossa was wonderful. Beautifully situated.
We could have spent another full day at least at this place and then toured the Dingle Peninsula.
I have no hesitation in highly recommending all of the B and B's and manor house hotels. The hospitality of very one was great.
Many thanks for all your assistance and communications.
Graham Marlin, NSW
Hi Tony:
First of all, we want you to know that we had a wonderful experience on our coach tour last year. We were especially impressed with our tour director, Michael Hogan. He was so friendlly, imformative, and provided us with a very good impression and background of Ireland, which is why we have every intention of returning again next fall.
Best Wishes to all,
Gil & Jan Wagner, North Carolina
“This turned out to be one of our best holidays. Everything went as planned thanks to your preparations and you even checked up on us during our walk; a nice detail. Our hosts, indeed everyone we met, were a joy.
The walk itself was splendid. Spring in Ireland! The trails are some of the best we’ve come across, well maintained and clearly marked.”
G. MacLeod, Florida USA
Hello Liz,
My recent trip was excellent! The voucher system worked out fairly well. I had made reservations at only our first two destinations as I wanted to be a bit flexible as to how long we stayed anywhere. Therefore, arriving in a town and then attempting to find anyone of these addresses was a bit challenging. All of the B&Bs we found were excellent, we even found very helpful people at those locations we didn't stay...making phone calls to find us accomodations...very helpful.
Thank you for all of you help, we had a wonderful time!
Susan, Chicago IL
Hey Tony
Thanks again. Yes, we heard about the lousy summerr many times over. But we were lucky to get 4 of our 5 scheduled rounds in which isn't bad anywhere. And I arrived home with some Pro V1's still in the bag!
We would love to return to Ireland with our new found expertise in links golf!! Hopefully......
Best wishes to you and your great staff.
Chuck
Charles Rich, Mobile, AL
Hi Tony: First of all, we want you to know that we had a wonderful experience on our coach tour last year. We were especially impressed with our tour director, Michael Hogan. He was friendlly, imformative, and provided us with a very good impression and background of Ireland, which is why we want to return again next fall.
Gil & Jan Wagner, North Carolina
Dear Liz - it's Jill Johnson here. I just wanted to let you know that we had an excellent time on our trip and that I will be recommending it to all! Ireland is absolutely beautiful! Our tour guide Dermud is an amazing guide, and the trip was planned so perfectly. Anyway, thank you for such a wonderful trip.
Jill Johnson, Weehawken NJ
Hi Tony, The trip you helped us plan was fantastic! The only room we really didn't like was at the Royal Dublin, we made an upgrade ourselves, but it was't anything great. The room at Faithleg was incredible, the castle was the same or better. The bed and breakfast that you chose were great, with great hosts! I found the driving a little tense but I got used to it. We had the time of our lives. We loved Ireland and the people. I will highly recommend your service to anyone I know that is traveling to Ireland. Thank you so much.
Oh yea, the golf courses were all fine to. With Regards, Glenn Schlehofer
Glen Schlehofer, Connecticut
Dancing to Dingle
‘ It was a great holiday, very well organized and great fun. Our tour leader was really helpful. This is my third time on a tour and I’ve never been disappointed in any way.’
J. Caruana, Chicago IL
Hello Stephanie!
We did enjoy our visit to Ireland and I am happy to share my thoughts with you! Our first B&B in Kilkenny was spectacular! Our hosts, Val and Tom went above and beyond for us. Of course, being the typical American tourist, I broke a tyre and Tom helped me get it fixed. Val was wonderful about showing us where to go and helped us plan our first few days itinerary. We really enjoyed our time there.
Killarney & Galway were also nice B&Bs. Our hostess in Galway, Marie also went above and beyond in helping us get around. The B&B was very nice and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Castle in Connemara was wonderful!!!!!
Thank you again!
Marion Westerling, Louisville, USA
Dear Tina,
I enjoyed Ireland very much.
The weather was very fine. All the hotels were perfect. The B&B in Galway was nice. The location of the B&B in Doolin was ideal, the owner was extremely charming and helpful, the breakfast was very good.
My trip was excellent !
Eliane Lesanne, France
Dear Liz,
We had a wonderful visit to Ireland. Each bed and breakfast was better than the one before. All places were beautiful and clean and the hosts were most welcoming. We loved the experience!
Sincerely,
Vickie Stanley, Topsham, ME
Hi Tony-
I don't know if you remember me, but you helped me set up a surprise tour of Ireland for my parents. Anyway I just wanted to let you know they had a great time. They just got back and can't stop talking about it. Just wanted to say thank you for all the work you did to get me the tickets by Christmas for them.
Thank You again,
Tyia Kemnitz, Rubicon WI
Dear Tina,
We had a great holiday in Ireland.
The B & B in Kilkenny and Killarney were very good. Great hospitality. Both not far from the town centre and yet in a quiet neighbourhood.
The Hotel in Dublin was also ideally suited.
The information we got beforehand from Irish Tourism was very extensive and informative. It was a great help by the planning of our cartrips in Kilkenny and Killarney.
In a word: nothing than praise.
We surely come back to Ireland, because there is still a lot to see and do.
And when we do, we will certainly use the assistance of Irish Tourism.
Kind regards,
Wim Vervoort, Netherlands
Stephanie:
Thank-you for following up.We had an absolutely wonderful time. We loved Ireland so much that we are already starting to plan a return trip next summer. All of the accommodations were just great. We loved Dingle Peninsula the best and Funghi. With all the B&Bs, we walked out to eat except in Galway which I thought was an easy shot down to the seaside promenade and into the old town. In Dublin we caught the local bus into downtown from a bus stop right around the corner from the hotel. Speaking of Galway we really liked the host in the B&B.
Again, thank-you for your selection and booking of excellent accommodations that provided such a wonderful trip for us and for my mother. Everything worked out like a charm with the itinerary.
Laurel Williams, Florida, USA
Liz,
My husband and I participated in the Irish greeting tour in July and we want to compliment your company and particularly our driver and tour director Brian Hanrahan. Brian was very knowledgeable about Irish history and shared that with us as well as singing Irish ballads and jokes. Brian made the tour so much fun as well as educational. We have never taken a tour like this and we were somewhat hesitant since we have traveled extensively in England and Scotland on our own, but we would certainly participate in a tour like this again. It was well-planned with lovely places to stay, good food, wonderful sites, and a great group of folks on the bus.
Our thanks to Brian again for such a wonderful experience. I was not sure how to address this e-mail so perhaps you can send it on!
Sandra Via, Richmond, VA
Dear Liz,
Thank you for your interest. Yes, we enjoyed our visit to Ireland very much. The scenery was great and the people we met were fantastic. We loved your rich history and culture. And even the thing we feared most i.e. driving on the left, we managed succesfully thanks to the very good system of road signs and warnings.
Last but not least, let me thank you for enabling me and my wife one of the finest holidays we ever had. Keep up the good work and all the best!
Dejan Novosel, Maribor, Slovenia
Hi Stephanie,
We had a great time and our driver P.J. was the delight of the trip! My son Drew, (19) and daughter Diana, (29) absolutely fell in love with him and were so disappointed when he dropped us off in Dublin. The itinerary was just right for a first time visit. I am absolutely thrilled that we spent most of our time out in the country. Your suggested tour was exactly what I was looking for. The hotels in Galway, Dublin and Killarney were very nice. The people at the hotel in Killarney were exceptional and they really went over and above to take care of us and the view was spectacular.
We all had a great time and plan to come back again and fly into Shannon (as you had suggested) and stay at Ashford Castle and a couple of other castles too. P.J. got us reservations for tea at Ashford Castle on Monday and we had a blast. What a beautiful place! Thanks for a great trip.
Sandra Doty, Dallas, TX.
Dingle Way
‘ I found this to be a very well planned holiday from beginning to end. All B&B’s were very good and better quality than expected.’
M. Thake, Manhattan Ny
You guys are great. You listened to what we wanted and helped us put a trip together that pretty much exactly matched our vision. Everything was exactly. We had no problems whatsoever. Every course was waiting for us, and they all knew we wanted caddies. The lodging and driver were excellent. I really liked that you were responsive to our needs but also not afraid to make a recommendation if you felt strongly about something. Great job. I’m sure we’ll do more of these and will do it with you. If you ever need a reference, feel free to use my name.
Thanks for all the great help! Every person in our group had a fabulous time.
Barry Lundquist
Barry Lundquist, Falmouth, ME
Tina,
I would like to thank you for setting up our trip to Ireland. We all had an amazing time! the accomodations were very nice and we had no problems with the rental cars. We really lucked out and did not have a SINGLE day of rain.
This was my second time to Ireland and a first for a couple of the friends, they all loved it.
Charles
Charles Spaulding, Gilbert, Arizona, USA
Dear Stephanie:
I just wanted to follow up with a huge Thank You to you for helping plan our wonderful trip to Ireland! We had a fabulous trip and the best decision of all was hiring the chauffeured coach. Our driver Joe O'Connor was absolutely terrific. He answered every question we asked, was extremely patient with us and provided us with such a wealth of information that we never would have learned on our own. The accommodations were great - especially the castles! We hope to return one day and maybe spend more time in the Northwest (County Mayo - where the McHale's are from). We would certainly be in touch with you again. Please pass the word on to Joe how much we enjoyed his guidance and wisdom.
Julie McHale, Annapolis MD
Hi Liz
Just thought I would drop you a line or two following our trip to Ireland and our CIE tour (Taste of Ireland Sept. 8 to 13th 2008)
We had the most wonderful driver, Harry Crofton on our trip. He was not only personable, charming (and very handsome,) but his knowledge of the history of Ireland and his general sense of pride in the country and its achievements was most impressive. Everyone on that bus was ‘educated’ in such a wonderfully positive way, it helped us all forget the terrible weather outside! Nothing Harry could have done about that.
I thought the tour was very worthwhile, marvelous accommodations, terrific food and amiable hosts. An unexpected visit to Jameson’s where my husband was chosen as a taster was a nice surprise.
I would certainly recommend this Taste of Ireland to anyone with limited time to spend. I was very impressed with the new and improved Ireland, lovely roads, food and accommodations. Unbelievably expensive though, but for our part, well worth it.
I did phone Paul O’Neil in CIE Dublin to tell him how much we had enjoyed Harry Crofton, but thought it would do no harm to mention it to you as well. If there are commendations out there, Harry should get one.
Thanks Liz for all your help in setting up this trip. Now if I could just get rid of the jet lag I would be fine!
Take care and may you enjoy the golden colours of Autumn in Ireland
Pat & Chuck Benedict, Calgary, Alberta
Again, we were pleased with all the advance reservations made on our behalf. No glitches with any arrangements. The car, hotels, and golf courses were ready for us; and we had plenty of time to maneuver our way around. We plan to use Irish Tourism again and would recommend it.
Susan Fritsch, Grand Rapids, MI
Hi Stephanie,
We were very happy with the service provided by your company on our trip-In general, we found the accommodation to be very good - both the hotel in Dublin and Kinsale were well located and with good amenities. The B&B in Doolin was amazing - Mauve was a really good host, the house was very
homely and her breakfast the best we had in Ireland. The B&B in Bunratty was very nice as well, as were the owners, they were kind to put out breakfast in the morning for us
because we were leaving very early.
Arpanraj Kothari, New York, USA
Dear Tina:
First, thank you so much for doing an outstanding job arranging our trip to Ireland. I absolutely would recommend you to any friend planning a trip to Ireland.
The first B&B in Cashel had such a friendly proprietor and a totally wonderful breakfast menu. The hotel in Kinsale was well situated, had very nice rooms, and again, a great breakfast where I got to try kippers. The B&B in Dingle had a really lovely breakfast room and such a sweet young hostess. Once again we had such fun chatting with the other guests at breakfast. We were SO lucky to stay in Doolin for 2 nights. We had the perfect room with a great view of the cliffs. In Trim, we couldn’t believe our luck to be looking right out at the castle just across the street! It was a great location for seeing Newgrange. We also enjoyed the Hill of Slane in that area. The Dublin hotel had the smallest room but it was very adequate.
We had a great trip and hope to return to Ireland someday.
Thank you!
Deborah Waddell, Ohio, USA
Connemara, Burren & Aran Islands
“ Fantasic! Great routes. Much appreciation for all the office staff, for creating the possibility for me to attend on very short notice. Endless thanks for a generous, knowledgeable, patient and good humoured walking guidance from Ulrich. Plus excellent direction towards evening music venues. Again many thanks.”
S. Hartley, London England
Hi Liz,
I cannot speak highly enough of the service we received from our 3 nights in Ireland.
.
The standard of the accommodation was outstanding and the breakfasts we received were absolutely brilliant.
We hope to come again some day and of course our time in Ireland was by no means enough - we have decided we need at least a couple of weeks in Ireland.
Kind regards and thanks,
Mary Walters, Queensland Australia
Hi Tara,
I wanted you to know we had a wonderful time and you have a beautiful country. We saw many of the sites you suggested and loved just traveling around from town to town.
Regarding the details: Kilkenney and Galway were great, wonderful accommodations, nice fitness centers, and a splendid breakfast. . We loved Killarney and noticed how many lovely hotels were near the state park. Thanks again for all your help,
Sue, Long Island NJ
Connemara/Burren/Aran Islands
" Our trip exceeded our expectations in terms of the breadth of information, history, culture & geography of Ireland. We can’t wait to come back!".
C Willcocks, Manchester UK
Dear Tina,
We just wanted to say how much we enjoyed our recent holiday to Ireland.
We very much appreciated all the help and advice we received from your office which meant that our first visit to Ireland was a real treat.
All our accommodation was very comfortable and we were warmly greeted and given whatever assistance we needed.
We chose to follow most of your suggested itinerary and so were able to enjoy a real flavour of what this beautiful country has to offer its visitors.
We would definitely visit again.
Thank you once again for helping to make our holiday so special.
Alison & Margaret Jackson, Gloucestershire, UK
Dear Stephanie and all those who helped me plan this trip,
The 3 ladies from Pennsylvania (Elaine, Carol, and Mary) arrived home yesterday evening ... on time, in good spirits, and in good health :-)
Thanks to you, our trip went without a single hitch! The accommodations were fabulous and the service everywhere was excellent. The kindness and generosity of the Irish people has not changed since last I stepped foot in Ireland twenty four years ago! The towns have obviously enjoyed great prosperity, as we noted beautiful homes and construction everywhere we went! BUT the people are as warm and friendly as ever!
The country roads are as narrow and winding as I remembered, and everywhere the flowers were in bloom. Even the sheep in Connemara, though perhaps fewer in number, still reign over the roadways :-)
Perhaps I'll return ... I can hope. Mary and Carol send their thanks as well.
Sincerely,
Elaine Troisi, Pennsylvania, USA
Dear Liz –
It's Jill Johnson here. I just wanted to let you know that we had an excellent time on our trip and that I will be recommending it to all! Ireland is absolutely beautiful! Our tour guide Dermud is an amazing guide, and the trip was planned so perfectly. Anyway, thank you for such a wonderful trip.
Jill Johnson, Weehawken NJ
Liz—
This email is overdue. But here it is finally.
I want to thank you for the wonderful help you gave in arranging a beautiful vacation for me and my friend. We LOVED Ireland. It is a gorgeous country and the people were warm, welcoming and fun. The tour was really beautiful. The hotels were lovely. Our tour guide, Dominic Dixon, was excellent. The bus was very comfortable. It certainly whetted my interest and I hope to come back again soon.
Thanks again for all your wonderful help.
Have a lovely day,
Mary, Tucson AZ
Hello Ronan -
I was an appreciative participant in the group tour you set up for David Bender and his relatives from 15 - 26 June. I'd like to reassure you that the accommodations you set up for us added greatly to our enjoyment and the overall itinerary worked out really well.
I'd particularly like to compliment Tom and Val, our first-night hosts at the B&B in Kilkenny. They had to deal with our first-day tiredness, the day-late arrival of one couple in our party and our start-up orientation quandaries. Tom took time to help me to reprogram the GPS system in the rental van, which came with the wrong instruction book, from French to English.
The Hotel you chose in Dublin gave us a luxurious, ultra-modern finale to the trip. I certainly appreciated the great location as well.
Again, good job -- my wife and I were more than satisfied.
Alan Smith, Wilmington, North Carolina
Liz—
This email is overdue. But here it is finally.
I want to thank you for the wonderful help you gave in arranging a beautiful vacation for me and my friend. We LOVED Ireland. It is a gorgeous country and the people were warm, welcoming and fun. The tour was really beautiful. The hotels were lovely. Our tour guide, Dominic Dixon, was excellent. The bus was very comfortable. It certainly whetted my interest and I hope to come back again soon.
Thanks again for all your wonderful help.
Have a lovely day,
Mary, Tucson AZ
Tina,
I just wanted to tell you that Mary and I had a fantastic trip. Thanks for your company's itinerary--it was very helpful.
The B&Bs were all well done and the owners very friendly and accommodating. You have a lovely country, and we were sad we had to leave.
John & Mary Jackson, Tennessee, USA
Hello Liz.
Now that we are all back and settled down again I thought I would
just let you know how much I enjoyed our tour. We all did in fact. The
weather was beautiful, which helped, but the tour itself was well planned
and very enjoyable. I appreciated being able to stay in a couple of B & B's,
which are always more interesting than hotels, although they were excellent
too. Our tour director, Eamonn Murphy, was wonderful. His knowledge of Irish
history is superb and I looked forward to his talks each day. I have already recommended it to a couple I know who are going to Ireland next year.
I definitely hope to travel with you again sometime.
Thank you,
Lorna Thompson, Calgary, Canada
Hike and Bike
‘ Just the right combination of waking and cycling. Service for the style and price of the holiday was first rate!’
M. Sharwood, Australia
Liz,
Everything was great. Your customer service was exceptional and the convenience of prepaying and just handing over a voucher to the homeowner on arrival made the experience that much easier.
The website and the book of the B&B was a helpful tool.
Thank you for all your help and we really did enjoy our stay in Ireland. On my return visit, I plan on contacting you again for our accommodation needs.
Brenda Eaton, Williston, VT
Liz,
I wish I could offer suggestions for improvement on you B&B service, but it is not possible to improve perfection. We failed to keep a list of our B&B hosts, which is regrettable as I would like to contact them now and express my thanks for their hospitality. Each was clean and comfortable, and our hosts treated us like visiting family. The voucher system kept the financial details at a distance, adding to the sense of a 'visit' rather than a rental. From Boyle to Barna to Doolin to Shannon, all get an A++ from us.
We both plan to visit Ireland again, and will certainly use your services.
Dave and Briana Countess, Dyersburg TN
Hi Liz –
just returned home from London last night so wanted to touch base
with you to let you know how much we enjoyed our Ireland tour. Of course
the weather even made it better - we said we brought the sunshine but then
again the other people on the tour also said they brought the sunshine! No
rain at all while we were there.
Our driver/guide (Eamann -spelling?) was GREAT! To hear how Ireland became,
was and is was wonderful. The contrast in the scenery in Ireland is
starling, beautiful and spectacular. I had so many 'favorite' places!
Had a most wonderful time and would recommend to anyone!
Sincerely and with much thanks!
Pat Martell, Edmonton Canada
“ I enjoyed my holiday very much, the scenery around the Kerry Way was breathtaking, people very friendly and communicative”
K Schreiber, Germany
I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNTY TO THANK YOU AND YOUR GROUP, ESPECIALLY BRIAN RICE , THE GREAT TOUR DIRECTOR FOR PROVIDING SUCH A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE IN THE TOUR OF YOUR MAGNIFICIENT COUNTRY FROM THE 6th OCTOBER TO 10th OCTOBER.
SHELAGH AND I CANNOT STOP TALKING TO OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL IRELAND AND WE WILL ENCOURAGE MANY MORE SOUTH AFRICANS TO VISIT YOUR HOME COUNTRY.
PLEASE THANK BRIAN ON OUR BEHALF, FOR ARRANGING THE DELIVERY OF THE BINOCULARS THAT WE LEFT BEHIND IN THE HOTEL AT KILLARNEY.
ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU AND BRIAN FOR A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY IN IRELAND
BEV FAULDS, South Africa
Dear Tina
Thank you for your email, Overall the Tour was very good, especially the choice of places to stay. The mix was very appropriate and their location was excellent.
The hospitality at the Hotel in Waterford The two B&Bs and the Manor in Connemara was worth an extra star !
The Hotel in Dubiln was excellent except for the parking, where the hotel gave us
two overnight vouchers but we had to pay for daytime parking to the tune of
27 Euros. If we had been told in advance that daytime parking was to our own
account it would have been no problem.
We can however say that it was a very enjoyable trip the pros far outweighed
the cons !! and the weather was mostly fine.
When we make another trip to Ireland I shall certainly contact yourself and we will recommend Irish Tourism to friends who are thinking of taking a driving holiday in Ireland.
With best wishes
Mark Tozr, Devon, England
Tina:
I can not tell you how absolutely thrilled my husband and son were of the vacation they experienced. Your company was fabulous and the accommodations were the same. They were very glad to have traded up to the automatic though. My son looked the wrong way crossing the street in New York coming back and almost got hit by a car going down what he thought would have been the WRONG side of the street (too funny). Thank you again for making this so easy and enjoyable for them.
Kevin & Colin Hughes, Idaho, USA
Stephanie,
My husband and I had a wonderful time in Ireland. It was such a beautiful and relaxing vacation. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. We can't wait to come back in the near future.
The itinerary was put together nicely. The road directions were easy to follow. I can't sing the praises of the accommodation you chose for us. Each went out of their way to make us feel at home. The staff at Irish Tourism went out of their way to answer any questions or concerns that we may have had along the way as well.
In all, we would definitely use Irish Tourism on our next trip to Ireland. Once again please accept my personal thanks for the hard work you put into planning our fabulous vacation!
Lacey Horvat, Pennsylvania, USA
Hi Liz –
just returned home from London last night so wanted to touch base
with you to let you know how much we enjoyed our Ireland tour. Of course
the weather even made it better - we said we brought the sunshine but then
again the other people on the tour also said they brought the sunshine! No
rain at all while we were there.
Our driver/guide (Eamann -spelling?) was GREAT! To hear how Ireland became,
was and is was wonderful. The contrast in the scenery in Ireland is
starling, beautiful and spectacular. I had so many 'favorite' places!
Had a most wonderful time and would recommend to anyone!
Sincerely and with much thanks!
Pat Martell, Edmonton Canada
“ Good value for money and an excellent mix of new friends of various nationalities”
J Brindley, Devon England
Thanks Liz,
It was a great trip and all the B&Bs we selected were delightful.? No comments for any changes necessary.? Really, really great service and trip.
Thanks!
Beth Birmingham, Chadds Ford PA
Hello Liz. Now that we are all back and settled down again I thought I would
just let you know how much I enjoyed our tour. We all did in fact. The
weather was beautiful, which helped, but the tour itself was well planned
and very enjoyable. I appreciated being able to stay in a couple of B & B's,
which are always more interesting than hotels, although they were excellent
too. Our tour director, Eamonn Murphy, was wonderful. His knowledge of Irish
history is superb and I looked forward to his talks each day. All in all the
tour was great value for money. I have already recommended it to a couple I
know who are going to Ireland next year.
I definitely hope to travel with CIE again sometime.
Thank you,
Lorna Thompson, Calgary Canada
I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNTY TO THANK YOU AND YOUR GROUP, ESPECIALLY BRIAN RICE , THE GREAT TOUR DIRECTOR FOR PROVIDING SUCH A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE IN THE TOUR OF YOUR MAGNIFICIENT COUNTRY FROM THE 6th OCTOBER TO 10th OCTOBER.
SHELAGH AND I CANNOT STOP TALKING TO OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL IRELAND AND WE WILL ENCOURAGE MANY MORE SOUTH AFRICANS TO VISIT YOUR HOME COUNTRY.
PLEASE THANK BRIAN ON OUR BEHALF, FOR ARRANGING THE DELIVERY OF THE BINOCULARS THAT WE LEFT BEHIND IN THE HOTEL AT KILLARNEY.
ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU AND BRIAN FOR A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY IN IRELAND
REGARDS
Bev Faulds, Surrey UK
Hi Liz,
Yes we had a great time and the vouchers were ideal to use. I would highly
recommend them. We will come back as we didn't see everything.
You served us very well!!
Thank you very much!
Pat and Katie, Luverne MN
“ It was as described in the brochure but I wasn’t prepared for the spectacular scenery on the walks. The walks were challenging but enjoyable.”
S and C Ronson, Houston Tx
Hello Liz,
Our tour guide/bus driver was Tommy O'Rielly and he was extremely knowledgeable about Ireland in every category. He was very willing to answer even some of the stupidest questions with great pride for his country of Ireland.
The trip to the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren were filled with rain and fog and we had to buy a lot of postcards to fill in the gaps. Tommy was great at keep our spirits up until the end of that day.
I will definitely recommend to anyone that you put on a first class tour. We all found the accommodations fabulous and very unique with a lot of character.
Regards,
Dorothy Watt, Sylvan Lake Alberta Canada
Hi Tina,
Thank you so much for following up with me. We had a lovely time in Ireland and everything went very well (after our 1st crazy day of driving on the left!!). The car was ready when we arrived and all of the accommodations were excellent. We particularly enjoyed the Country House in Killarney – The owners were very welcoming and the food and accommodations outstanding. We would definitely use your service again and have recommended it to friends and colleagues. Thank you so much for all of your assistance and prompt responses to my questions.
Catherine Tompkins, Ontario, Canada
Hi Tina
We have just returned from our overseas trip and the Ireland part seems so long ago now.
On the whole the bed and breakfast accommodation was very good.
The instructions on how to get to the properties was helpful and the only criticism was that the accommodation was not as close to the towns as we would have liked.
I would have no hesitation in recommending Irish Tourism to anyone organising a trip to Ireland.
Once again, thank you for all your help in organising our trip. The only down was the weather, but I don't think you could do much about that!!
Lynn & Bryan Harris, Australia
Tina:
Franci and I had a wonderful time in Ireland and the tour you arranged for us was great. The castles were incredible and the hotels were top notch. The country was even more beautiful than we had imagined and the people everywhere were very friendly. We left wishing we had more time in Ireland—but now we can just plan on coming back.
For me, the high point of the trip was a Saturday morning 8 mile guided hike through the mountains at Ashford Castle. There were 5 of us on the hike. We hope to take another tour with you. I am thinking of the literary tour of Dublin.
Joseph W. Hamaker, Florida, USA
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that we went on this tour for our honeymoon, and we loved every minute of it!!!! Ireland is a beautiful place and it was nice to feel some connection to our grandparents who had left Ireland so long ago. The main reason for my writing is that I wanted to recognize Tom McCoy, our guide, and Pat Hanrahan, our driver. Tom was exceptionally professional, humorous, exuberant and knowledgeable about Ireland and we learned so much from him. Pat was equally as knowledgeable as well as his exceptional driving skills. These two gentlemen made us feel right at home and that there was nothing they wouldn't do to accommodate us. God Bless them!!
Kathleen & Michael, Chicago IL.
For my first group tour this met and exceeded my expectations as far as the actual activities are concerned. There was a good balance of walking, sight seeing and entertainment.
K Fobes, Florida USA
Hi Liz
Thank you for your follow up on our trip. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed each B&B. Unfortunately we left your coupon book at home by accident so we missed the discounts at many of the stops, but that did not stop us having a wonderful time. We were lucky to be there for the 10 straight days of sunshine and warm weather in early June which wasn't what we had expected so that added to our pleasure. Everyone was wonderful to us and we enjoyed our complete circle of the island.
Thanks for your help.
Al and Lynda Williams-Terres, Goleta CA
Hello Liz,
Our tour guide/bus driver was Tommy O'Rielly and he was extremely knowledgeable about Ireland in every category. He was very willing to
answer even some of the stupidest questions with great pride for his country of Ireland.
The trip to the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren were filled with rain and fog and we had to buy a lot of postcards to fill in the
gaps. Tommy was great at keep our spirits up until the end of that day.
I will definitely recommend to anyone that CIE does put on a first class tour.We all found the accommodations fabulous and very unique with a lot of character.
Regards,
Dorothy Watt, Sylvan Lake Alberta
Hello Liz,
I would like to pass along to you my thanks. You are a marvel at your job, our trip was excellent, the food and accomodation superior, the trip great with I hope many lasting memories. Thank you for you time and excellent arrangements.
Sharon Scruton, Ontario Canada
Hi Liz.
We thought Ireland was the most beautiful country we have visited to date and our trips have been many! It took a few days to get used to the "wrong" side of the road, but we persevered and eventually became accustomed.
The B & B's at which we stayed were quite varied and most were clean and comfortable. All of the hosts were very friendly and most hospitable.
We wanted to bring the pubs home with us and the colorful experiences we had in them.
If I had it to plan all over again, I would do the same thing.
Thank you again. We love Ireland!
yours sincerely,
Judy Kirby, Longview WA
My husband, friends and I just came back from our Ireland trip that started on June 27th. I wanted to tell you what a wonderful time we had. All our accommodations and tours were wonderful. We really experienced Ireland's beauty and people. Our tour guide, Brian Hanrahan, was the best. To see the country through his eyes enhanced the experience. He was so attentive to the group and his knowledge and passion for his country showed clearly. Thank you again for a great experience.
Maria and William C, Texas
Dancing to Dingle “ I was cared for very well, I was given excellent history about Ireland and lots of information. Noel was an excellent leader and he made my tour a lot of fun”.
B Nelson, Calgary Canada
Dear Tina,
We had an absolutely wonderful trip to your country! All of the arrangements were great and I would like to give you some feedback. Dublin has a wonderful transportation system (Bus) and we took the Airlink Bus into the city and it was much less than using a cab. Our hotel was off O'Connell St & easy to find. The hotel accommodations were fine-they even let us get into our room early & we got a few ours worth of sleep before venturing out.
All of our accommodations and their locatios were great, Limerick City seemed for us the hardest to find our way--although once we checked into the hotel--what a beauty!! A very plush accommodation & we did enjoy staying there.
All in all, Tina we had a great trip--all of your arrangements were wonderful and we would certainly recommend contacting you for anyone we know planning a trip to Ireland.
Good to hear from you,
Christine Silvestri
Christine Silvestri, Pennsylvania, USA
G'day Stephanie
Thanks for your email and interest in our level of satisfaction to our recent trip to your Country.
The entire trip was outstanding.
We found RyanAir easy to use and offering an excellent and well honed service. The itinerary was right and the accommodation was good with a special mention to Tom & Val Rothwell at Kilkenny. Tom & Val were exceptional and set the scene for a memorable visit for us. They provided a service and a welcome that was far and above that what was expected.
We chose to drive on more minor roads than major and so avoided the tourist rush and probably saw more than most. We sought and accepted the advice of our hosts and without exception was right.
The only thing that we would do differently would be to spend another day in Dublin and probably drive in the opposite direction.
In conclusion, all thanks must be given to you for your professional and informed assistance that you provided to me during the planning time of our trip. This was most appreciated and made our holiday to Ireland easy and enjoyable.
Kind regards
Quentin Short, Western Australia
My wife and I took your Romantic Ireland tour from June 21 to June 28. I wish to express my deep appreciation of your guide on that trip, Liam Murray. His knowledge of the country is wide and deep, and he conveyed this in a most enjoyable and meaningful way. His instructions to the group were clear and complete, and coupled with your excellent driver, Damien, we were able to enjoy our trip to the fullest, which we did. We will recommend your company, and Liam, to all our friends here, and will do so again when we return.
John and Barbara Wallace, New Jersey
I am so happy that my daughter and I were on the tour. I couldn’t ask for much improvement, our guide Nathan was above and beyond”.
B Hodge, Utah USA
Dear Liz-
We had a wonderful time on our visit to Ireland. Everything was exceptional. We enjoyed our 2 weeks driving around the country and the B&B's we stayed in with the vouchers were all terrific and the hosts very helpful. Accommodations, food and owners were great. All were very different but we enjoyed them all.
Thank you so much for your help and service and we will recommend you to anyone we know heading to Ireland.
Sincerely,
Keith Williams, Eagle River AK
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that we went on this tour for our honeymoon, and we loved every minute of it!!!! Ireland is a beautiful place and it was nice to feel some connection to our grandparents who had left Ireland so long ago. The main reason for my writing is that I wanted to recognize Tom McCoy, our guide, and Pat Hanrahan, our driver. Tom was exceptionally professional, humorous, exuberant and knowledgeable about Ireland and we learned so much from him. Pat was equally as knowledgeable as well as his exceptional driving skills. These two gentlemen made us feel right at home and that there was nothing they wouldn't do to accommodate us. God Bless them!!
Kathleen & Michael, Chicago IL
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for following up. I wanted to thank you again for all of your wonderful suggestions and bookings. The detailed itinerary was a huge help in planning our days.
The accomodations were really great, with one exception: Cassidy's in Dublin was pretty shabby, but this was offset by its location close to everything downtown.
The castles were lovely, each with their own charms and flavours. My daughter's favourite place to stay was probably the Killarney B&B. The breakfasts were terrific, and the hosts extremely welcoming. As far as photos go, .....are you on Facebook? I've posted 3 albums so far of our trip, and you're welcome to view them if you add me as a friend.
Again Stephanie, thank you so much for your hard work. I won't hesitate to suggest your company to others venturing into Guinness-land.
Cheers, Sue
Sue Taylor, Victoria, BC
We had a wonderful time. We appreciate how much we got to do because we were on a tour. Also, our guide Nathan was great. He made it fun for the whole group and was instrumental in making everything very enjoyable.
S Smeester, Bonn Germany
Hi Stephanie.
We wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed our wondeful visit to your beautiful Country! We saw Powerscourt and Bantry gardens in the sunshine and Waterford Crystal and had the Medieval banquet at Bunratty during the rain so everything worked out well.
We could not have asked for nicer B&Bs and your choice of hotels was excellent. The Hotel on the first night in Dublin was an especially good choice as the service was great and the meal of lamb and Guinness was a great introduction. You did a great job as the accomodation selections were much better and in nicer locations than we would have picked on our own! You can tell from the number of greats that we had an especially good trip and Ireland will be on the top of our list for a return visit! We have told our friends about your wonderful service and I'm sure many of them will avail.
We would like to thank you for all the help and planning of a lovely visit! We felt like home!
Maurice & Marie Glavine, Qatar, Canada
Hi, Tina.
Thanks so much for all you did for us. Our trip waswonderful!! Our luggage was delayed two days, and that wasn't fun, butwe did eventually get it, so that's good. We really liked the places we stayed. Our only regret is that we didn't stay put for longer periods.
It was hard to check in and out of our lodging so often, but that was our choice! Next time, we'd like to pick a place and stay for 3 or 4
days and wander out from there. Thanks again, for setting this up for us. We had an incredible trip and do hope to return with the kids someday!
Colleen, Illinois, USA
My husband, friends and I just came back from our Ireland trip that started on June 27th. I wanted to tell you what a wonderful time we had. All our accommodations and tours were wonderful. We really experienced Ireland's beauty and people. Our tour guide, Brian Hanrahan, was the best. To see the country through his eyes enhanced the experience. He was so attentive to the group and his knowledge and passion for his country showed clearly. Thank you again for a great experience.
Maria and William C, Texas
Just returned from the Irish Welcome with my daughter and two of her friends. It was an incredible tour, great highlights, hotels and food. But, we all have to say the best part of the tour was our guide, Tom Keane. His knowledge of Irish history, his personality, wit and kindness made our journey through Ireland magical. He is a huge asset to the company and we would highly recommend anyone to take this tour. Thanks Tom, for the best vacation ever.
Mary Dee, Austin TX.
Dear Liz
Just a quick hello to say thanks so much for organising our Irish trip - the B&B system worked great and all the folk we stayed with were friendly and welcoming. I'll provide you with a list when I get back to the UK as didn't take those papers with me. However, we both had a lovely time (and thanks for organising the weather also - it was sunny except for one day - your skills are tremendous!!)
Regards ...
Eleanor & Frank Vermeesch, Penshurst New South Wales
Hi Liz,
Our trip to Ireland was amazing. We had a wonderful time, and all the places we stayed took our vouchers. All the accommodations were top notch and the descriptions from the B&B books you included were very accurate.
Our favorite stay was in Killarney. Thanks again. We will definitely recommend the B&B route to others who ask for advice on how to travel and where to stay in Ireland.
Deanna, Mesa AZ
My family and I enjoyed their Tour from June 18 to 25, 2008. Jim Daly, our driver/guide/historian and all around good guy, was more than we could have asked for. Not only was his knowledge of the country amazing but he was a great driver and he went above and beyond to make our first trip to Ireland the best vacation of our lives. He felt like family by the end of the trip. We can highly recommend your Tours. Thank you!
Joy G, Cincinnati Oh
My wife and I took your Romantic Ireland tour from June 21 to June 28. I wish to express my deep appreciation of your guide on that trip, Liam Murray. His knowledge of the country is wide and deep, and he conveyed this in a most enjoyable and meaningful way. His instructions to the group were clear and complete, and coupled with your excellent driver, Damien, we were able to enjoy our trip to the fullest, which we did. We will recommend CIE, and Liam, to all our friends here, and will do CIE again when we return.
John and Barbara W
John and Barbara W, New Jersey
Tina,
Just returned from our trip a few days ago and had a great time
The Hotel in Killarney was ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING!!! It is a beautiful property with an incredibly hospitable couple running things. The rooms were huge, the beds very comfortable and there was plenty to do in the area. Blarney Castle and this stop were without a doubt the top highlights of the trip.
Ireland is such a beautiful country filled with incredibly nice people that only made our stay even more enjoyable.
Matt Girard, Colorado, USA
Dear Stephanie
Now that we are back from Ireland I feel I must send you my thanks.We had a very enjoyable time and a lot of it was down to the hard work that you did on our behalf. The accommodation that you booked was excellent.We also were very impressed with the itinerary you provided for us. We managed to get a lot of it done.The trip that you booked us round The Ring of Kerry was really good and The Irish Night in the barn at Bunratty Castle was also very enjoyable.
If we decide to come and visit another part of Ireland, you may be sure that our first contact will be with Irish Tourism.
Thank you once again
Best wishes
Mary Sherlock, Lancanshire, UK
“ I loved the entire trip! Nathan was a wonderful tour guide – very helpful, informative and made the trip spectacular. Every day was a new adventure, it was awesome. The guest Inns and their owners were excellent”.
J Lander, Austria
Hi Tina,
Thanks very much for your note - we both had a really great time and even struck relatively lucky with the weather! All the accommodation was good but the place you put us in in Kerry was outstanding.
Many thanks and I'm sure we'll be back sometime!
Aidan, Florida, USA
Having traveled extensively over the past 30 years, I will have to say David Yeats, our tour director, was absolutely the best! David demonstrated excellent knowledge of people, places, history, culture and music. His keen awareness and ability to connect with each person on the tour was awesome! He ensured everyone, young and old, had a wonderful time! Our trip was fabulous because of all the effort and patience David put in to it.
Jack and Lacinda Green, New York
Just returned from the Irish Welcome with my daughter and two of her friends. It was an incredible tour, great highlights, hotels and food. But, we all have to say the best part of the tour was our guide, Tom Keane. His knowledge of Irish history, his personality, wit and kindness made our journey through Ireland magical. He is a huge asset to the company and we would highly recommend anyone to take this tour. Thanks, Tom & CIE for the best vacation ever.
Mary Dee, Austin TX
Hi Liz,
Just received your e-mail and I wanted to let you know that we throughly enjoyed our trip to Ireland. Your help in providing the vouchers was really appreciated. You arranged to have them at our first overnite spot and they
were waiting for us. All of the B&Bs we stayed in were great.I have to say that I love Ireland! It is everything that I expected and more! You are so lucky to live there! I plan to encourage everyone that I know that
plans to visit Ireland to use your service as it couldn't have worked out better. Thank you again for all your help.
Carolyn Folke, Weiser ID
We had a great week – good hiking, good food and a great leader with a wonderful sense of humour. Would highly recommend your tour company”.
M Johnston, Morristown NJ
Wonderful trip. Everything we wanted and more. The history and scenic vistas were wonderful, we truly enjoyed the tour. Our guide was just wonderful. We’ll be back again!”
K & J Senecal, New York Ny
Hi Liz
Thank you for your email. No complaints... no really!!! A wonderful time was had by all and the vouchers worked a treat. It was lovely having the freedom to move around and cover so much of Ireland, now we know why it's called the Emerald Isle. We cannot fault Irish Ferries either very relaxing trip both ways. You even managed to provide good weather for us which was a bonus. We loved Ireland, the people are lovely so helpful and welcoming and the food was very good. You certainly provide all that you promise.
Good Luck and Thank you for your help and advice.
Pamela Goodman, Devon England
My family and I enjoyed a CIE Tour from June 18 to 25, 2008. Jim Daly, our driver/guide/historian and all around good guy, was more than we could have asked for. Not only was his knowledge of the country amazing but he was a great driver and he went above and beyond to make our first trip to Ireland the best vacation of our lives. He felt like family by the end of the trip. We highly recommend CIE Tours. Thank you!
Joy G, Cincinnati Oh
My 17 yr. old son and I took this tour in June, 2008 and I would just like to tell you what a fabulous time it was. Not only was our tour of 22 people more personal and intimate as a group, but our driver/guide, Liam Murray, was wonderful. He added so much to the total package every day - all day and even into the evenings that I know we wouldn't have had the same experience with anyone else. What a wonderful man and what wonderful memories he gave us of Ireland!!
Katie Tallon, Youngstown OH
Steph
We had a great time. The hotels and the Bed and Breakfast were wonderful. The people at the B and B were so nice and helpful.
The agenda helped a lot. There were so many things to see and we didn't get to see everything but what we did was great.
We can't thank you enough. We have talked to some people who are looking at going to Ireland in the near future and have recommended
that they work through you guys.
Again thank you for everything. It was a wonderful experience and it really helped that everything was booked a head of time and we didn't have to worry about anything.
Take care.
Sue Schoeberl, IOWA, USA
Hi Tina,
They had a great time. They loved the Manor House in Kerry and the Ring of
Kerry Tour, and the car worked out well. Thank you for
checking in and for all of your assistance in putting this trip together for
them!
Amy, Colorado, USA
Dear Tina,
We thank you a lot for this pretty arrangement that you have done for us. All accomodations have been pretty, clean and with a good service. We had a very beautiful time in your country.
For our next visit to Ireland we will surely come back to your kind assistance.
Friedrich & Martina Gerlitz, Germany
Tina-
We had the most wonderful time in Ireland. The country is beautiful and the people were so friendly. The castle was an unbelievable experience and the lovely bed and breakfast in Dingle was a wonderful surprise. Denise and her family were very gracious.
I can't name our favorite part of the trip because we saw so many great things. Dingle was breathtaking as well as the cliffs of Moher, We kissed the Blarney stone, found some great restaurants in Wexford. We also visited many a local pub, castle and ancient ruin, and got a kick out of driving our car on Inch beach at low tide.
We have all sung your praises for the wonderful arrangements and I am putting other people in touch with you who wish to make similar trips to Ireland in the future. Thank you for doing a great job.
Lynn Ryan, Connecticut, USA
I just returned last night from the 9-Day Scottish Dream Tour that began in Glasgow and ended in Edinburgh. Sidney was our driver and exemplifies the word professional. He was a total gentleman, courteous and engaging throughout the tour. Never once did I give a second thought to my safety while on the bus while he was behind the wheel. His operating skills made the trip totally relaxing. Richard, our guide, set a very high standard against which any other tour guides I meet in the future will be measured against. A few of the many terms I can use to describe his conduct during the tour are: courteous, knowledgeable, gregarious, thoughtful, accommodating. He always made the time to answer my questions, as well as those of the other tour participants, and he worked diligently to ensure that the tour flowed smoothly.
Stan Leahy, Quincy MA
Having traveled extensively over the past 30 years, I will have to say David Yeates, our tour director, was absolutely the best! David demonstrated excellent knowledge of people, places, history, culture and music. His keen awareness and ability to connect with each person on the tour was awesome! He ensured everyone, young and old, had a wonderful time! Our trip was fabulous because of all the effort and patience David put in to it.
Jack and Lacinda G, New York
Dear Liz
Every thing was great around Ireland It was all good - no problems B & B's were great and the people were so friendly - the weather was even nice some rain only 2 days
The voucher system worked well - we usually only booked one day ahead and only had to ring around a bit on Fri and Sat nights
We also toured Scotland - Wales - England - finished up in Greece - But Ireland was the pick - so pretty and green and the history .............................
Thanks for everything - the package deal was a good price
Rick and Wendy Hargreaves, Tumut New South Wales
Guide was amazing – could not have done it without him! Entire staff was awesome! Never had a holiday run so smoothly.
S Stayer, Sidney BC
We met a wonderful group of people! We hope that we’ll all keep in contact. Ireland is as wonderful as I had hoped and better still. Our guide, Nathan was great and we truly felt he was one of the group. The walks were beautiful and not too hard or long. I haven’t laughed so much for a long time. Thank you!”
K Spencer, Manhattan NY
Hi Liz
First, lets me say that we were pleased that the voucher package was waiting for us at our hotel in Dublin. The Michelin Map was an unexpected bonus!!
And we were very pleased with our accomodations and the hospitality of our hosts. We stayed in Drumcliffe for 2 nights, Galway for 2 nights, and Ennis for our last night. We are going to recommend your website to others.
Chris & Eileen, Ewing Nj
My 17 yr. old son and I took this tour in June, 2008 and I would just like to tell you what a fabulous time it was. Not only was our tour of 22 people more personal and intimate as a group, but our driver/guide, Liam Murray, was wonderful. He added so much to the total package every day - all day and even into the evenings that I know we wouldn't have had the same experience with anyone else. What a wonderful man and what wonderful memories he gave us of Ireland!!
Katie T, Youngstown OH
We experienced the 9-day Ireland Tour with Tim Murphy and Joe Clancy in May of 2008. It was the trip of a lifetime! Everything exceeded our expectations. From the moment we landed in Ireland we felt that we were a part of the Ireland family. The accommodations were phenomenal, the food was fabulous and the entertainment was delightful. The stories and the history that Joe shared with us made our experience complete. His extensive knowledge, beautiful sense of humor and understanding of tourists made him an exceptional host. Our driver, Tim, was incredibly skillful, witty and delightful, making a perfect sidekick for Joe. We had a three generation trip, thank you for making this trip truly a gift for all of us.
Natalie Anderson, Tucson Az
Hi Tara,
We had a great time in Ireland, thanks in a large part to your B&B bookings.?
We easily found our way by Air Coach form Dublin Airport to the Hotel. The people were very helpful, the room was?fine and the buffet breakfast was good as well.
The B&B in Doolin was a wonderful surprise as we could see the Cliffs of Moher from our room. The breakfast was good enough to be be a dinner since there were several fish selections.
Last but not least, we had a wonderful time in Bunratty. The B&B was lovely. The breakfast was wonderful and the family was gracious.
Thank you for all your help. We shall highly recommend your services.
Denise Gawkowski, New York, USA
Dear Stephanie,
I would like to send my sincere thanks your way for such a great job in organising our Irish tour. Everything went smoothly. the car was perfect. We absolutely loved the B&B in Kinsale (we wanted to stay longer - and the Galway B&B (Marie is an incredible hostess, and her breakfast was the best by far). Your detailed manual and the Ireland Lonely Planet book we brought along complemented each other well. All the folk we ran into were very kind and helpful, full of information. We got a real kick out of our conversations with the taxi drivers in Dublin.
Thanks again for all your professionalism and efficiency. Much appreciated!
Miriam & Nancy Fugfugosh, Geneva
Dear Tina,
We have just come back from our self drive tour of Ireland and had a wonderful time, you are very lucky to live in such a beautiful country. The accommodation was extremely good all the way round and we did not encounter any problems anywhere with the arrangements made by you.
We would like to thank you very much for a well arranged holiday and for all the help you gave us along the way.
Best wishes
Rosemary amd Roger James, Cornwall, UK
I just returned last night from the 9-Day Scottish Dream Tour that began in Glasgow and ended in Edinburgh. Sidney was our driver and exemplifies the word professional. He was a total gentleman, courteous and engaging throughout the tour. Never once did I give a second thought to my safety while on the bus while he was behind the wheel. His operating skills made the trip totally relaxing. Richard, our guide, set a very high standard against which any other tour guides I meet in the future will be measured against. A few of the many terms I can use to describe his conduct during the tour are: courteous, knowledgeable, gregarious, thoughtful, accommodating. He always made the time to answer my questions, as well as those of the other tour participants, and he worked diligently to ensure that the tour flowed smoothly.
Stan L, Quincy MA
Hi Liz,
We had a blast! Thanks for checking in. Over all - we had some wonderful places
I have to admit - that after all our travels - I still can't drive a stick shift! I managed to kill the van at some very interesting places! I managed to stop traffic in one town not only on the two streets, but on the sidewalks as well! My new nicknames are 'clutch and lerch'!
I have to admit - everyone was more than welcoming. We ended up the last night at Bunratty - and after closing two bars, we ended up 'crashing' a wedding! Actually, we heard the music and when we got in the hotel, the mother of the bride invited us to come in and join the party. Had a wonderful time - ended up leaving the hotel at 4:00 in the morning!!! Did also answer the age old question - what do men wear under their kilts! I learned more than I wanted to!!
Have a great day. Talk to you soon.
Danielle, Mckinney TX
This is my first IrishTourism.com trip and if they are all to this standard you have nothing to worry about”.
A Hey, Victoria BC
We experienced the 9-day Ireland Tour with Tim Murphy and Joe Clancy in May of 2008. It was the trip of a lifetime! Everything exceeded our expectations. From the moment we landed in Ireland we felt that we were a part of the Ireland family. The accommodations were phenomenal, the food was fabulous and the entertainment was delightful. The stories and the history that Joe shared with us made our experience complete. His extensive knowledge, beautiful sense of humor and understanding of tourists made him an exceptional host. Our driver, Tim, was incredibly skillful, witty and delightful, making a perfect sidekick for Joe. We had a three generation trip, thank you for making this trip truly a gift for all of us.
Natalie H, Tucson Az
Hello Tina,
Yes, we really enjoyed our trip to Ireland!
Excellent combination of Hotels and their locations, Best accommodation was the Hotel in Killarney & Kinsale.
Thank you for organizing our trip to Ireland.
Best regards
Elmar Rhoe, Bayern, Germany
Stephanie,
Everything was wonderful!!! The itinerary was well planned and gave us all kinds of ideas. The little discount book was also quite useful in helping us find things to do. I have already recommended your services to a co-worker and he is booking a trip with you for July. I appreciate everything you did and look forward to visiting your beautiful country again. Thanks for your patience and time in making this a perfect holiday.
Brian & Christy Fradette, Germany
Hi Tina,
I was actually just getting ready to email you when I saw your email. My husband and I absolutely had time of our lives on our trip...if it wasn't for our dog waiting for us at home, we might not have come back! We felt like it was a great mix of relaxing and seeing all the great things Ireland has to offer. We could not be happier with how the trip was planned and turned out for us. I have attached a few pictures for you. Thank you so much for all of your help...you really helped make this amazing trip so easy and enjoyable for us!
Again thanks for helping us plan such a fabulous vacation!! ~Patty
Patty Fisher, St. Louis, USA
Hi Tina
We had a great trip. Thank you for your assistance. The combination of Hotel, B&B & Manor House was great (especially the Manor House in Killarney). The cities you recommended were well suited to the overall route we wanted to travel and I would never have found the quality lodgings on my own. We didn't exactly follow the roads/itinery that were provided and struck out on our own instead. We enjoyed the backroads more than the faster less senic routes. Our only glitch was with the rental car company. I gave them the voucher and agreed to some extra insurance, but they charged me for everything as if I didn't have a voucher. It just took a few minutes after we returned the car in to resolve the problem, but I shouldn't have had the problem.
Thanks again for the great trip.
Deborah & Steve Kephart, California, USA
Dear Stephanie,
On behalf of my husband and myself, can we tell you that we had the most wonderful time in Ireland? What a lovely piece of earth (Heaven?)you have inherited from your forebears! We enjoyed the people we met, at the B and Bs, in the pubs, on the streets, etc. We felt immediately relaxed there, and will come again. We especially appreciated the B and Bs that you chose for us. All were lovely, clean, with good breakfasts, and even better hosts. Please pass along my thanks to them, and again, thank you. We will do this again! I just wish there was an IrishTourism.com in every country!
Dave and Shauna may have more specific comments, but, as this was our first experience with this kind of trip (and, we preferred it to the more formal "Tour" experience, though our guide and bus driver were "top drawer"), you have set the bar high.
Thanks so much.
"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hands."
Mardi and Martin Robson, Manitoba, Canada
My husband, Michael, his dad, our daughter and I just completed your Scottish Isles and Glens tour with Robert Park as our tour guide/driver. We wanted to say that he was outstanding!!!. We appreciated his help at all times with our 88-year-old father, with all the information, the stories and humor. He certainly went out of his way to help anyone, answer any questions and provide us with great entertainment. He is to be commended highly! We also want to say that C.I.E. Tours did a wonderful job in selecting the driver, the hotels, and sights. We loved every minute and can't wait to get on our next tour, hopefully, to Ireland. Thank you.
Diana, Australia
Hi Stephanie
We have now returned from our wonderful holiday in Ireland. Your expertise in accommodation selection, advice and together with the Personal Itinerary provided ensured we made the most of our visit.
We would like to particularly commend the choice of accommodation in Killarney.
With so many choices along the way and limited time this included many features in the one location. We were able to take in quite a few of the opportunities offered/ suggested and appreciated having the information to hand.
Once again, thank your for your assistance.
Kind regards
Viv & Alan Robinson, Queensland, Australia
Hi Stephanie, I would just like to say a big thank you for all the
arrangements that you made. We had an absolutely wonderful time and the
accommodation was superb. The accommodation at both the B&Bs was clean
and very well appointed. The accommodation in Kinsale was spectacular
with water views from every room in the house. The Dublin hotel was
centrally located and offered everything we needed.
Thanks you again for the wonderful you job you have done.. Keep up the
great work....
Emma Reynolds, NSW
HI Stephanie,
Everything was lovely. I particularly liked where we stayed in Doolin
and where we stayed in Cashel. We couldn't have been happier with our accommodations and the itinerary you provided was extremely helpful. Thank you so much for all your work. I
will be certain to recommend you and use you in the future. I would also
be interested in travel deals from irishtourism.com in the future.
Eleanor Greene, Massachusetts, USA
Dear Tina,
So sorry for the late response. We just got back to Park City and are leaving again tomorrow....but we adored the trip!!!!! You did the most outstanding job. From the detailed itinerary to the destinations and hotel selections, everything was perfect.We were both blown away by Ireland's magnificent scenery and the warmth of the people. One of the best trips we have ever taken.
I dont have time to go into details right now, but hopefully in a week or so, I will write or call if you want more information!
Thank you again,
Wendy Roberts, Utah, USA
Hello Stephanie
Just a short email to thank you for arranging our Silver anniversary Southern I reland tour the B&B's were perfect in both cleanliness and service Helena & I thouroughly enjoyed the scenery and the "craic" as we adoptive irish call it can't say I like the Guiness though,we will definately be telling all our friends and relatives if they are thinking of touring Ireland to book through your company thank you once again.
Thomas & Helena Duncan, Scotland
Stephanie,
The trip in Ireland was very good and met our expectations.
All arrangements made by you was very good and the attractions suggested were as described for you. We visit all places that the time permmited and without any stress or discomfort. The hotels and B&B met our expectations too.
I do not have any problem to drive and found the places.
The detailed informations sent by you give me all that I needed.
Congratulations for your and thanks very much.
Ney Dos Santos, Brazil
Hi Tina,
First, be assured that I will be recommending Irish Tourism to all my friends, business acquaintances, etc. You did a fabulous job of putting together a wonderful itinerary and the written material and maps you provided were invaluable.
Kinsale was a wonderful place to start. The Hotel was easy to find and perfectly located to walk around Kinsale. We particularly enjoyed the hotel pub's restaurant for a meal and drinks. And breakfast was fabulous!
As I said earlier, of course the Manor in Killarney was a huge hit and our favorite. I honestly did not want to leave. Our hosts were helpful at every turn. Breakfast there was wonderful as well. I am so glad we booked the bus tour of Ring of Kerry so that I could enjoy the scenery too!
We also loved the B&B in Galway. The owners were not there, but Kathleen and Anne were and we were treated like royalty! And the only day we had rain while we were in Ireland was our 2nd day in Galway, but it didn't stop us from Kylemore Abbey and Connemara National Park.Finally on to Dublin via Newgrange. Once again, a perfect selection of hotels - great breakfast and enjoyed dinner both nights in each of the restaurants. . We can't wait to return!
Lynn, Thomas & Michael Dempsey, West Peoria, USA
Hi Stephanie,
We were very pleased with the route you prepared for us and the b&b's, as well as the two hotels were all excellent and we very much used and enjoyed all the suggestions in the book you gave us. The people were wonderful.I am amazed that you all live with such narrow roads! That was a harrowing experience for us, but the Irish people were the friendliest I have ever met.
Thanks,
Tina Robbins, Arizona, USA
Hi Tina!
Dan and I had the time of our lives.Ireland was everything we hoped it would be and more. We had no problems at all with any of our reservations. We appreciated the clean and comfortable B and B's. We especially enjoyed Briget and Liam at the B&B in Kilkenny. We can't wait to plan our next trip and will certainly use Irish Tourism again!
Sue & Dan Ireland, PA, USA
Hi, Stephanie!
My husband and I really want you and Irish Tourism to know that we thoroughly enjoyed our trip.
We LOVE Ireland—such a beautiful country, great people! We saw lots of countryside, coastline, villages large and small. It was awesome!
All of the B&B’s were just wonderful. All of the innkeepers were just great. All of the Irish breakfasts were fabulous!! I bought a recipe book and can’t wait to try Irish brown bread!
We found Irish Tourism on the internet, and it was a leap of faith to go with a company we had not heard of or had not been recommended to us. We would highly recommend Irish Tourism to anyone thinking of a self-driving tour to your beautiful country. Even though we were on our own and not in a tour group, we never felt that we were ‘alone’ in a foreign country.
Thank you for helping to make this one of our most memorable experiences!
Lisa & Seth Crippen, Virginia, USA
Hi Tina
We enjoyed ourselves immensely and felt that you did a great job of customizing our trip to, admittedly, very exacting specifications.
I wanted to especially point out what a nice visit we had in in Killarney. The room was quite luxurious, and you managed to book us in the room with what had to be the best view in the whole place.
Our visit to the Cliffs of Moher was the highlight of the trip. We found a place to park along the road north of the visitor center, followed a hiking path, and were able to walk along the top of the cliffs for almost two miles literally by ourselves. Amazing and beautiful.
We also greatly enjoyed bicycling around the Dingle Peninsula.
Thanks again for everything. The personal itinerary guidebook was easy to use and very helpful-- especially the abandoned castle ruin at the beach on the Dingle peninsula that wasn't in the regular tourist guides. When we start planning our next trip to your lovely country we will certainly call you first.
Philip Cox, Idaho, USA
Stephanie,
I couldn't be more pleased with the trip you helped put together for us. The accommodations were extremely pleasant and appropriate, and your input and advice was right on!
I would strongly recommend your services to anyone traveling to Ireland. Thank you so much for all your help! My husband will forward a few photos he took along the way that you may be able to use in some of your promotional materials if you'd like. He's a professional photographer and photography teacher and took some nice shots.
Bonnie & Paul Cotter, North Carolina, USA
Dear Stephanie,
This is the second time we have used Irish Tourism, and were again delighted with the accommodation, and felt it was good value for money as well. I think we can genuinely rate the holiday as a great success.
.
I will certainly recommend your company to anyone.
Keep up the good work!
Peter & Lynette Coetzee, South Africa
Hi Stephanie,
I greatly apologize for just getting back to you now, the last month has been quite hectic!
We had a wonderful time in Ireland, so much so that I'm trying to convince my wife that we should move there one day! As far as feedback, everything was great and we enjoyed having the hotels booked in advance for us so we could show up at our leisure. I think the only negative thing I can think of is that perhaps the detailed itinerary was too detailed for the time we had.
Unfortunately, we do not have any video from when we were there, however we do have plenty of pictures. Is there a size limit on the picture files? We have an SLR digital camera so each picture is 5-10MB. And would you want pictures of just the scenery or pictures with us in them? Let me know and I'd be happy to help.
Cheers!
Denis
Katie & Dennis Gallagher, Orlando, Florida
Hi Tina.
We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of Ireland and are already trying to figure out when we can go back!!! The info you sent on the local areas, the pubs, music and historical sites on the road was so thorough. The accommodations were good as well. The only complaint I have was that we had way too little time in Ireland, so will need to rectify this with another trip. Thanks for all the information, accommodations, maps, directions and suggestions. It was truly the best vacation we’ve had and look forward to working with you again to see even more of your lovely country. Feel free to use me as a reference or recommendation for anyone looking to take this tour in the future!
Thanks again,
Sue Prill, Tennessee, USA
Hi Stephanie,
First I want to thank you for all you did to make our visit enjoyable. We had a great time and wish that we could have spent twice as much time at each location. The people are so friendly and made us feel so welcome.
We did get lost a few times but that some times adds to the experience. Fortunately we had our cell phones set up to work in Ireland so we were able to call the B&Bs and they talked us in. We look forward to returning someday and have already recommended Irishtourism to our friends. Again thank you very much..
Richard & Carolyn Cobb, California, USA
Dear Stephanie
We did very much enjoy our trip to Ireland. All in all, we thought that the trip was well planned. We loved the Castle, that was a real treat to stay there on our first night in Ireland! We also thought that the Hotel in Killarney was very nice and we had a lovely large room overlooking the lake.
We really appreciated the day by day suggested agenda -- both the scenic plan, as well as the more direct one. We never accomplished all that we hoped --there is so much to see and do. We have decided that we must return.
We think that Irish tourism really contributed to our good experience. We definitely would recommend you to friends who are planning Irish vacations.
Thank you!
Mary Picard, Virginia, USA
Hi Tina,
First of all, let me say that you, personally, did a fabulous job. You were attentive, knowledgeable, and very accomodating.
-Secondly, we were very impressed with Irishtourism.com. Everything was arranged and there were no glitches or hidden costs on anything--in some cases, we didn't even have to present our vouchers, we simply had to give the inn-keepers our names and we were taken care of. Everything was very easy, from the very first e-mail I sent to you.
-Thirdly, the Irish people are FABULOUS! Everywhere we went, everyone was very friendly and welcoming.
-Fourthly, the food was terrific everywhere. We really enjoyed the pride exhibited in the Irish produced foodstuffs.
The only problem we had was with the rental car, and you jumped right on that as soon as we brought it to your attention and the situation was resolved. Great customer service.
The accomodations were wonderful. Our favorite was the Manor in Killarney.
We enjoyed the trip tremendously, we thank you for the great job you did, and we will heartily recommend Irishtourism.com to anyone going to Ireland for a visit.
Thanks again for everything,
Sally O'Toole, California, USA
Hi Tina
We had a great time!! Thank-you so much. The hotels were good and it was nice to have a place available at the end of the day.
The rooms were good and the breakfast delicious.
Others we know that had gone to Ireland did have some problems with ccomodations, so I am very happy to say we did not. Thank-you so very much
for that.
Ireland is beautiful.The people were all so very nice and helpful. I would definitely want to come and visit again. There is so much more I would love to see.
Thank-you again, Tina. I would work with you again.
Jill Ohland, MN, USA
Hello Tina,
The trip was fantastic. Ireland is a beautiful country and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously.
In terms of feedback my husband and I would like to say that your customer service to us is to be commended. We arranged it all at the last minute and you were quick to reply to my many queries, change hotels as requested and give directions.
The hotels were all very nice. The B& B in Kinsale was excellent as was the Manor in Killarney- I would go back for sure. The view from the Hotel in Doolin was spectacular.
The Notice regarding car rentals was very useful. We knew exactly what to expect and knew exactly what we were going to get in terms of insurance before we got there.
I would recommend your services to others.
Regards,
Lynda McNeil, Quebec, Canada
The holiday was a success , specially as far as the weather went , only two days rain in Killarney . the accommodation was on the whole ideal, you have my thanks for a first class job .
The holiday gave us a better idea where to concentrate on for future holidays , eg , instead of Galway , I might have a tendency to try for somewhere up in Connemara , beautiful country up there ! .
Anyway thank you again , I will not hesitate to give you a call in future .
George Mclay, Scotland
Stephanie,
Thanks for checking in with us. We wanted to thank you for the great itinerary you put together for us. We were able to see so much in only a few weeks.
The accommodations were all very good and we wanted to be sure you kept the Waterford B&B on your list. We loved this place, they had the best breakfast of the entire trip. The best B&B atmosphere though was the in Doolin, wonderful people there.
We did want to let you know that the worse place we stayed was Darby O'Gills (yes, it was our pick). The pub was fine but the rooms were sub-par and the breakfast was terrible. If anyone suggests a change like we did we would recommend you steer them away.
We've attached a few pictures for you (we didn't take any video, sorry). These are of us at the Giants Causeway, Carrick-a-rede Ropebridge, Powerscourt Gardens, Glendalough.
Let us know if you would like more photos. Tom took almost 2000 photos over the course of the trip although there are not that many with us in the picture.
Thanks again! Cheers!
Karlyn and Tom
Karlyn & Tom, Olympia, Washington, USA
Dear Tina
John and I would like to say how much we enjoyed our holiday.
Thank you for booking our accommodation, all of which was excellent, and for all the other information you provided.
Jean & John Clarke, UK
Dear Stephanie
Thank you so much for organising our trip to Ireland, the hotels were fine and in a good location. The B & B's were excellent with the landladies very friendly. However, the one Item you neglected to control was the weather. (You need greater powers).We spent 5 hours walking around Muckross Gardens, Farm and the National Park in Wellington boots, Golf waterproof trousers and jacket with our Umbrellas up, Just! As the wind and rain was so fierce.
But after all that we did have a good time, Thanks once again.
Fred & Pauline, Surrey, UK
Hello Tina!
We'll we are back in the states now, very reluctantly I must add. The country was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be. The accommodations were wonderful.
Thank you so much for your care, guidance and professionalism. I truly want to return and will contact you first when the chance arises. Blessings from our family and Slainte forever.....
Don Moak, California, USA
Dear Stephanie,
After all the planning and anticipation, our holiday in Ireland has come and gone.
I am writing to thank you for your assistance. We had a great time. All the hotels and B&Bs were great and everyone treated us very well. It seems we were their first Maltese guests!
Our favourite places have to be the Hotel in Dublin, the B&B in Kinsaleand also the B&B in Doolin. In fact we wish we could have stayed longer at these particular two!
With regards to the car, we were very satisfied with the service.
I would definitely recommend your services to all my friends.
Best regards
Sandra, Malta
Tina:
Ireland is a beautiful country and we had a great time. Staying at the b&b's worked out great. The only thing I would of changed was where we stayed in Dublin The hotel was nice but it was to far from the city center. We used taxis and the bus system but it would of been nice if we were within walking distance of town. The whole crew has alot of good memories from Ireland now and we will make it back there some day. Thank you for all your help.
George J McKeon Jr, Arizona, USA
Stephanie,
I just wanted to drop you a line to tell you what a wonderful time we had on our trip. The B&Bs we stayed in were great, especially in Killarney. Mary Doyle was a wonderful hostess, who went above and beyond to ensure that we enjoyed our time there, and the accommodations were top-notch.
Thanks,
Meg Ryan, Florida, USA
Dear Tina,
Thanks so much for all your good planning for our Ireland trip. We had
great accommodations, thanks to you - convenient, comfortable, considerate,
and very tasty breakfasts too. We particularly loved the spot south of
Donegal, so welcoming and homey! And the hotel in Dublin was first class
and in a perfect location. The car worked out well too, and we put lots of
miles on it! I would recommend you to anyone planning a trip to Ireland.
Linda, Florida, USA
Hi Tina,
I had a great time in Ireland! I am looking forward to a return visit. Of course I will be contacting you when I do. Having my hotel rooms and rental car set up in advance made the trip so much more enjoyable. All I had to worry about was what to do and see from all of the choices.
I got to see some beautiful sights & made some new friends.
I even got to experience rush hour traffic.
The only problem is that the week did not last long enough. Many thanks to you and the team at IrishTourism.com!
Kevin Chrisman, Virgina, USA
Dear Tina,
This trip to Ireland will be an experience that we will never forget. We had a great time driving through the country. The scenery was beautiful. The hotels we stayed at were perfectly located near the center of the towns and cities. Each place had it's own charm. The pubs recommended in the itinerary had great mixture of people, music, food and of course beer. With the help of the itinerary, we were able to find some great coastal roads, towns and the nooks and crannies that led off them. It gave many good suggestions. Even though, we could not do it all.
Thanks again for all your help in setting this up for us.
Warm regards,
Rosalie and Joseph Abbate, New York, USA
Hi Tina,
The service provided by Irish Tourism was exemplary.
Everyone's expectation of vacations is different I'm sure. Our favorite spot was in Kilkenny with Val and Tom at the B&B. It was more in line with what we thought to experience when traveling in Ireland. The other cities did have aspects to recommend them, especially as all of the B&B owners were helpful and eager to assist us in finding sites to visit and giving us background information on their locales.
On the whole, I felt that we had a very positive experience using Irish Tourism. Thank you for everything!
Sheri Brearcliffe, Oregan, USA
We had such a great time, the bed and breakfasts were so nice and the host so friendly. We particularly liked Doolin with the views of hillsides and the great pubs. The only bad was the hotel in Dublin--it was not bad but it was a bit away, the hotel in its self was great, service wonderful it was just the distance from town and we understood this.....we drove all over and saw so much and we're already planning on a new trip.
Thanks so much for the help and I would definitely recommend a GPS we got one with the rental car and it was worth every cent of the rental. I will also recommend your travel service to the friends I have that are planning a trip to Ireland--I envy you living there all the time.
Have a wonderful day.
Linda Chase, Florida, USA
Hi Tina,
It was interesting. Just the other day I was describing our visit in detail to a friend and he asked what was the negative (he's one of these persons that thrives on the contraversies of life) and the only negative I could think of is that there were places on my to see list that we didn't get to! The accomodations you arranged for us where just wonderful.You have picked B&B's run by people who just love interacting with visitors and they make guests feel so welcome. . My son did a very competent job driving us on the left hand side of the road. Tina, I will be back to you for my next trip. We had only gotten as far as Dunmore East when I knew I would have to visit Ireland again. There was no bad and certainly no ugly. The weather even cooperated! We had rain one day. Thank you for your help with our very memorable trip and I will be back with you for my next adventure.
Amy Over, Pennsylvania, USA
Stephanie
Our trip was a great experience.
For our first visit to Ireland we were very happy with the variety of accommodations and the pace of the trip.
The narrow roads were an experience and I could see my wife cringing against the hedges knowing there was a wall on the other side of the hedge she was two inches from.
I made an unscheduled climb to the top of Croagh Patrick and was glad I did. The view from the top made the climb worth it. My old legs told me I should have been training.
In Kilkenny we came across a re-enactment of Finnegan’s wake late one night in a little pub. That was a hoot. Finishing in Dublin was the way to go. A visit to the Book of Kells at Trinity was fascinating.
Thank you for your efforts and a great experience.
Charlie & Lois Clarke, Alberta, USA
Hi Tina.
We had an absolutely fantastic time in Ireland. All the Hotels and B&Bs were superb and a great mix. Your information regarding the route was invaluable and very thorough and informative.From a personal point of view we probably covered too many miles which didn't allow for enough relaxation and sight seeing.
Apart from getting slightly lost in Dublin we had no problems locating hotels.
You guys are a first class outfit, far superior to any high street travel agent. We will definitely use you for any future trips and mention Irish Tourism to anyone who hears about the holiday.
Many thanks for organising a great holiday.
Regards
Stuart, California, USA
Dear Tina,
We did enjoy Ireland very much, what a beautiful country and what lovely people! The weather was lovely too, that helped
The tour was excellent! It was the perfect way to see the best of Ireland indeed and to get a good impression of the country.
Your choice of accommodation was excellent, very nice rooms and friendly staff everywhere. In particular the managers of the guesthouse in Killarney and the B&B in Galway gave it a personal touch!
Thanks again for your itinerary and great service. We'd recommend the tour to anyone who wants to visit Ireland for the first time. We left with fond memories of Irish hospitality, stunning countryside, folk music and, of course, guiness & whiskey
Best wishes and kind regards,
Hanneke Blijham, Netherlands
Tina,
We had a terrific time in your wonderful country!
On our first day we stopped near Kildare to look for Tully National Stud (our son's name is Tully), but were unable find a sign saying "Tully National Stud" to take a picture beside - but did find a sign "Tully Bull Performance Test Centre" which was an adequate substitute picture.
Kilkenny was a nice start to our holiday – The Accommodation was a nice start to our B&B experience.
On our way to Killarney we stopped at Cahir Castle and Swiss Cottage.
We had a great time pubbing and eating and pubbing some more in Killarney. Once again the accommodations were very comfortable for the lot of us!
We drove to Dingle and through Tralee and on up to the ferry across the Shannon River en route to Doolin. The Cliffs were breathtaking and well worth the time. The wind was blowing a gale at the top ... glad there were fences there at this point!
Doolin was far and away our favorite place to stay... we walked all around the Burren Country - went to see Doolin Cave and the Great Stalctite of Doolin ... nice. Of course, ... The B&B was, again, excellent.
Thank you for a wonderful trip. The Irish people we encountered were all very friendly and helpful.
Al Causey, Florida, USA
Hi Stephanie,
Our trip was fantastic! We had the best time, and would certainly visit Ireland again. If circumstances allow, the self drive tour is
definitely the way to go. We saw so much more that we wouldn't have seen if we went on a scheduled tour. All of the hotels and B&B's
were perfect. We decided that we really enjoyed the coastal areas, and would probably spend more time on the coast if we were to visit again. We actually made the trip to the Cliffs of Moher
after we arrived at the B&B in Bunratty, and are very glad we made the 1 hr trip. It was definitely worth it! Many thanks to you for
your help in arranging such an enjoyable visit to Ireland. I will highly recommend Irish Tourism to anyone I hear has an interest in
visiting Ireland.
Thank you and best regards,
Dennis Blick, Conneticut, USA
Hi Tina
We had a great time. Everywhere was really good. The accommodation was all very good. We would certainly have liked another week at least as the 7 nights was definitely not long enough with the amount of driving we had to do from Belfast, but our time was very limited so maybe another time we will come for much longer so we can see more and stay longer in the various places. So much to see in and around Killarney....just loved the Country House Hotel in Killarney.
Thanks again Tina, we were delighted with everything.
Regards,
Beth Clarke., Western Australia
Hi Tina
I am glad to hear from you. We had a marvelous time and I was so impressed with the accommodations that you booked for us - thank you so much - first - they suited our needs exactly - particulary the pools and the Hotel in Kilkenny had a children's program which suited our youngest and we loved all the locations. We will all very fondly remember our time in Ireland and my oldest boys would live there in a heart beat. I can not wait to contact you to plan my next trip!
Thank you so much
Bev Baxter, Ontario, Canada
Dear Stephanie
We have now returned from Ireland having thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
I would like to put on record that I found absolutely everything a first-class experience.
Your own friendly and efficient help and advice following my initial enquiry set the pattern for the holiday. The material provided by your company was as complete and extensive as could be.
We found nothing but friendly and cheerful people wherever we went.
Your selections of accommodation were excellent, especially the Country House in Killarney.
Thank you again. I hope that we will avail ourselves of your services again.
Regards
Michael Baylis, London, UK
GREETINGS Tina,
We had a wonderful experience thanks to your help/planning. The travel book you created was a useful guide for my navigator & day planner. The lodging was great. The hotels (Kilkenny and Dublin) were roomy and very comfortable. The B&B's in Killarney & Galway deserve high praise as they were SO pleasant, warm and generous with their time. The food was fantastic as well.
Thanks again for ALL your help. You've been GREAT to work with -- and very kind with your time.
Tom Carney, Nebraska
Stephanie,
Well, there was no downright ugly.... except for 8 out of 9 days of rain.... but thats mother nature for you ... we still had a great time.
The B&B in Salthill was very nice. Very roomy, the owner and staff were very friendly and accomodating.
The Killarney Manor House was top notch.... what a view from the front porch.
The Hotel in Malahide was situated perfectly just outside of Dublin.
All in all we had a great time, with great accommodations... and I have already suggest you and your company to a co-worker looking to go sometime next year.
Again, many thanks from all of my family.
Michele Cells, New Jersey, USA
Thank you for organising our delightful holiday in Ireland. Everything went without a hitch...the accommodation, the car and especially the wonderful weather you turned on for our week.
Two B&B's were particularly outstanding.... the one in Killarney and Tom and Maries place in Galway were especially wonderful, but all B&B hosts were great ambassadors for your wonderful country. They were all so helpful, friendly and charming and such a contrast to the more impersonal attention which seems to be given in hotels.
Thank you again for all the information you sent us which was most helpful in providing a background and a bit of history to all the places we visited.
Keep up the great work!!
Maureen & John Critchley, London, England
Dear Stephanie,
First of all, many thanks!!
Ireland is very beautiful, wonderful..., We had a marvellous week in your country, although the weather was not very good some days.
The hotels were good, especially in Dublin. We got a suite instead a normal room, because all double standard rooms were booked these days.
About parking, there were no problems. In Killarney and in Galway the parking was free
The Ring of Kerry tour was impressive, but it was raining all time.
We are thinking about flying Ireland again to visit the island more slowly.
Once again, thanks for all and for your interest. See you in IRELAND!!!
Carmelo & Belen Cosin, Madrid, Portugal
Hi Tina,
Please forgive me for not writing my thanks sooner.
My mother and I had an absolutely wonderful time in your lovely country. Ireland is all we had hoped for and more. Using your services was so very helpful. Thanks for arranging our route and B&B's, and for all the great sight-seeing information. The B&B's in Kinsale, Doolin, and Galway were quite pleasant; clean, nicely decorated, comfortable, good food, and the hosts were very friendly and helpful & the Manor in Killarney was outstanding.
We will recommend you to our friends and family.
Elizabeth Buckley, Kentucky, USA
Stephanie
I meant to send you a thank-you. Accommodation was fine, we were very happy with everything except that the weather was a little bit Irish.
I will certainly contact you guys if we ever save up enough to pay another visit. We loved Ireland, but our weak dollar makes it a challenge.
Thanks again for all you did, I'll be recommending you to anyone who is heading your way.
Ray Bryars, California, USA
Dear Ronan,
Many thanks for the itinerary, i can only say if we will enjoy Ireland in the same way we enjoyed your companys service we will have a wonderful time.
I myself am a General Manager of one of the largest tourism companys in Israel and i can only say thank you for the wonderful service your company has provided me you can be proud at the standard of your staff and there kindness and patience with every request.
Please give my best regards to Tony
Simon, Israel
Hi Stephanie,
We had a wonderful time in Ireland. It rained heavily the first day in Doolin but we just did things indoors. Susan Daly sure set the bar for the Bed & Breakfast Inns. Susan and Katie were wonderful people and really made you feel welcome. This was my first time overseas and with their kindness I was able to feel comfortable. All of the bed & breakfast stops were wonderful.
The lodge for our anniversary was absolutely wonderful. The food and service were great.
The pubs were also interesting. We had a treat in Westport. We went to Matt Molloy's and it just so happened that he was there and he played that night.
The trip was a success and we would like to go back some time and visit another region. I would recommend your service to anyone. Thank you again.
Kathy Wolf, USA
Hello Tina
We had a wonderful time in Ireland. You have a beautiful country.
The vouchers were great. I just handed them to each hotel or castle and they had everything that they needed.
The Hotel in Kenmare was very special. The people were nice, the hotel was very
warm and friendly and the room was great along with the grounds.
Everything was perfect.
We also loved the Castles.
Thank you for a great memorable time.
Tammy Stevens, Colorado, USA
Stephanie,
It was a wonderful trip. Loved Ireland. The marvelous countryside, green as in the legend, full of sheep, cows, hedge rows, hills and old castles. Loved the pubs and the music and all the friendly people. And of course the marvelous coast.
The accommodation in Killarney & Clare were absolutely charming. The accommodation in Clare was probably the most beautiful hotel I have ever seen. The furnishings, gardens and setting are truly extraordinary and the food was first-rate.
The Hotel in Galway was delightful, and as Ronan said, the "buzz" in Galway was terrific.
I would add that for me the single most thrilling experience on the trip was visiting Thor Ballylee and Coole Park and reading Yeats while there.
Could have used another week. Good reason to come back. Next time I'd like to see Dublin and that part of the country.
Thank you
The Williams, USA
Thank you for your e-mail and we are very pleased to tell you that we thoroughly
enjoyed our 8 days in Ireland. The hotels and B & Bs were excellent and gave us a good variety of accommodation. Everywhere your people were extremely friendly and helpful and the food was brilliant.
I would recommend your website and ease of booking to anyone.
B Wilkinson, USA
Excellent!
Most excellent!
My trip was wonderful. I'm an experienced world traveler. Ireland made my 30th country. Right now I'm in Shanghai.
I was most impressed with all of the B&B's with which you arranged. I was a bit nervous about taking a hotel in Dublin, but it turned out to be delightful and in a perfect spot for touring the city. The B&B in Killarney in particular was wonderful.
The descriptions of the routes I was to take were excellent. I had a "Lonely Planet" travel book, but I pretty much relied on the material you sent.
In short, my trip was Excellent, and I appreciate your helping to make it so.
I hope our paths cross again.
Lee Whitlock, Kentucky, USA
Stephanie
Just wanted to say thank you for booking us a wonderful trip. Each of our accomodations was excellent. Just perfect. You seemed to give us
a great variety of the hotels, always in the heart of things, which we loved, and the Castle was really fun, and the two B&Bs, were the best part of all, much to the surprise of my husband who originally wanted all hotels.
Please give our very best regards to the accomodation owner in Sligo. I think the hostess just was so special, and the breakfast so elegantly served, we consider it our very best experience while there.
Thanks again to yourselves. It was great.
Jane & Kevin West, USA
Stephanie
I apologize for not responding to you earlier. I want you to know that we loved our time in your beautiful country. The gorgeous greens and deep blues were unforgettable as was the hospitality of the people! All of our accommodations were excellent. Especially in Killarney & In Doolin.
We are looking forward to our next trip! Thank you for your help.
Mary Voss, USA
Apologies for not sending this to you earlier, but we just wanted to drop you a line to say a very big THANK-YOU for all your help with planning & booking our honeymoon trip to Ireland.
We had a great time, and the accommodation was just perfect. Each hotel and B&B looked after us perfectly. We really enjoyed Kinsale and had a great meal at Man Friday. The Castle in Connemara was also awesome, especially the setting.
Thank-you again, and we will definitely suggest your service to anyone traveling to Ireland who wants a hassle free, well organised trip.
Adam & Nicky, Cape Town South Africa
My wife and I had a wonderful experience in Ireland and wish to thank irishtourism for setting the trip up. Our accomodations were spectacular...especially in Killarney & Clifden where we enjoyed water view rooms. The food at these places was great.
We would return to Ireland in a minute and plan to come back some time. A special thanks to RONAN for helping with our tour.
Phillip Van Reken, Germany
Stephanie
Just want to thank you for a great itinerary and the good selection of hotels and B & B's. We pretty well followed your recommended routing and sites. Best B & B was in Kinsale. It was difficult to find but the owner came down the hill to lead us to her place. She was great and the view from our room was outstanding. One thing really stands out in our minds, that being the genuine friendliness of the Irish people. We felt quite at home.
If the occasion should arise, I would not hesitate to recommend your company to anyone contemplating a trip to Ireland.
David, USA
Tina
The trip was simply lovely and we will recommend Irishtourism.com to anyone at anytime! We loved the selection of places to stay and suggestions of what to see. Great job! Thanks!
Pamela, USA
Hello Ronan,
Well, we are safely back from Ireland. My sister-in-law and I had a wonderful time and were very impressed with your arrangements for
us. We loved the north and the Inishowen Peninsula.
I think our favorite area was Connemara region. How lovely. Also, our night on the Aran Islands was a blast. Joe Watty's pub had a terrific group playing traditional music. And our bike ride out to Dun Angues was great. We agreed that we probably wouldn't go back to Dublin. We liked Galway better and it was big enough of a city. But seeing the Book of Kells and drinking our pint on the 7th floor of the Guiness factory was worthwhile and fun!
I just want to say thank you again for your help in making this a fabulous trip.We will be going back there someday and will definitely be contacting you again.
Pamela Trask, USA
Stephanie
I'm only too delighted to get back to you following our really successfuland enjoyable trip to Ireland recently. In fact I meant to thank Tony Keane for all his help since my initial enquiry last June/July.
Our driver from Enfield coaches, Pat Walsh, was delightful. The standard of the transport provided was very high and perfectly suited to the size of our group.
In Dublin the accommodation and breakfasts were of an equally high standard.
Tony Keane was absolutley indispensable to me in planning this trip. Apart from booking and aranging the accommodation and transport for us, Tony also gave me the names of several useful contacts and provided us with sample
itineraries all of which were invaluable.
From my point of view it has been an absolute pleasure working with your organisation and i look forward to having the opportunity to work with you again. Thoroughly efficient and extremely good value.
Thank you very much indeed.
Helen Tobin, Middlesex, England
Stephanie
We are back safe and sound!! It was a wonderful tour thanks in large part to your efforts in helping us arrange a great trip. The schedule and the places you had lined up for us to visit were absolutely exceptional. The hospitality at each overnight stay was great. Our Grandson especially liked the castle in Offally. What a great trip for him at his age 14! I'm sure he will remember the trip for the rest of his life. Ireland is special to us because I'm Irish on both sides of my family!
We are already thinking about our next visit to Ireland.
Thank you once again for all you did to make our trip a most enjoyable, pleasant experience!
PS Thank you for following up-- that means a lot to us!
Jean, Dick Dobson and Cameron Henry, USA
We had a once-in-a-lifetime, dream vacation in Ireland. We loved all the B&B's you chose for us. The castle was the best of all. I was surprised when you booked us for two nights in Galway until we got there and had trouble leaving and needed four more days. Marian's in Waterford was our favorite B&B with the one in Galway a close second.
We found the Irish people to be wonderfully helpful and kind which was good since we were lost most of the time. We deliberately stayed on the minor roads and had quite an adventure learning to drive ourselves about.
Pat & Roy Thompson, Texas, USA
I just wanted to thank you for putting together the trip for Pam and Vance Green and me. Our trip was absolutely wonderful. Staying the B&Bs and the Manor Houses allowed us to really meet "the people," and they were so nice. I can't wait to come back. Again, thanks for all your hard work. Linda Wilkerson, Oklahoma City, OK
Linda Wilkerson, Oklahoma City, USA
Your assistance in planning our self drive through Ireland, made our trip a memorable one. We enjoyed every part of Ireland; especially the people and the nightly pints of Guinness. Staying at the castle the first night in Ireland really gave us the feel of Ireland immediately. The Castle in Cong was magnificent. The 5 B&B's were all wonderful. All the owner's were very welcoming and made our stay very enjoyable. We must say the B&B in Waterford was beautiful and the owner gave us a wonderful history of Ireland.
We will definitely call on you to help plan our next trip to Ireland.
Thank you again.
Carol & Patrick Thesing, Texas, USA
Stephanie;
Thanks for the note. I was already going to prepare you a summary of my trip anyway and now will be more detailed. This was an incredible trip, there is no doubt. Irishtourism really knows it's stuff. I am grateful to you and your company. There were definitely a lot off lessons learned and if you want I will send you a copy of what I wrote for my own benefit. I will be recommending Irishtourism to anyone traveling to Ireland in the future.
Tim Tate, Florida, USA
Hi, our trip was fantastic. The weather was surprisingly dry and warm. The places you booked for our accomodation were fabulous. We started to look forward to every night to see what new place we would be in. We especially loved Kinsale, a little nook in Ireland we never would have gone to.
We managed well and would recommend your company to others, as were impressed with the accomodation, recomendations and food! Thank you for a great trip.
Katie Sweeting, USA
Dear tina,
A quick message with some feedback on our honeymoon in Ireland. in a word: perfect! We absolutely loved the people, the places, the countryside--all of it. We stayed in 3 Castles. Our favorite, by far, was the one in Connemara. The staff there was so helpful and accommodating and genuinely kind people. The food was excellent, the room was beautiful, the grounds were gorgeous--all amazing. The other Castles were also amazing.
Many thanks to you!
Suzanne Sunada, Hawaii
Dear Stephanie
Let's say it quick and easy: Whenever we will travel again in Eire (this
could be possible soon) we will have the pleasure to contact you and Ronan
as provider again. Great value, fine personal contacts and great assistance
in fullfilling individual wishes. A personal remark: 3 nights in Dublin is
at least 1 too much, even more when all nights are at the end of the trip.
Walter, USA
Stephanie:
You and Irish tourism did an excellent job on the
accommodations. Every place we stayed at was
wonderful. Ireland is a beautiful country and you did a fine job of making our stay very memorable.
Janice Stuart, USA
Hi Tina,
Thank you for booking such a lovely trip to Ireland! I absolutely loved it!!!!!! My favorite hotel was the Country House in Killarney. It was beautiful, and the owner Paul, was wonderful! He gave us great advice of fun things to see and do in the area.
Everything went acording to plan, and I will be returning very soon. I will definitely recommend Irish Tourism to my family and friends!
Thanks,
Jasmine
Jasmine Avalos, Safford Arizona USA
Hi Tina,
Our trip was wonderful. The only thing that I would have changed was
the B&B in Galway. It was not within walking distance to any pubs or
restaurants. The house was beautiful and very clean but the lady of
the house was a little cold. Her husband and son were fantastic. Maybe
we just cought her on an off day. We went out to the Aran Islands
(Innis Mor) and loved every minute. That was probably the highlight of
our trip. Everything was fantastic. I would like to thank you again
for all your help, and I will be recommending your company to anyone I
know going to Ireland.
Lindsey Stefanishion
Lindsey Stefanishion, Alberta Canada
Hi Stephanie:
We had a great time in Ireland, everything was perfect and we have not complaints about
anything.
The hotels and the bed & breakfast were fantastic, and it was very easy to find them
with the explanations you gave us. And the owners were very attentive.
We really enjoyed the whole week, and we are thinking about coming back another year so
we can visit the north of Ireland.
The only problem we had: It`s very difficult to drive on the other side!!!! Although it
was very funny too.
Thank you for everything. I hope we can come back soon.
Virginia Pazos, Cantabria
Tina,
I must tell you everything was wonderful. It was a pleasure working with you and staff.
All items discussed were accomplished with excellence. Your choice of hotels and B&B's really made a difference in our visit. Each were very helpful in making sure we made the most out of each day. We shared your travel itenerary with them and received many compliments on the information you provided.
Tina, thanks again for changing the last evenings reservations to another location for us. I certainly have enjoyed working with you and would not hesitate to use your services in the future.
Ron Skaug, Wisconsin, USA
Stephanie,
Everything was great. I could not be more satisfied. I have recommended Irish Tourism.com to several people. I told them to try and e mail or speak with you. Thank you so much for planning a wonderful itinerary for us.
Pam, USA
Dear Stephanie
We had a wonderful time thank you very much and think Ireland is a very beautiful country. Even the weather was pretty good too! All the
B&B's were first class and we were made to feel very welcome. The hotels were also very good and well situated. Your directions were
very helpful and we had no trouble in finding them all.
The itinery you planned out for us was first class and enabled us to see a great deal of Southern Ireland in the 11 days.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH - WE WILL RETURN!
Rose & Tony Winter, England
Hi Stephanie,
We had a fabulous time on our recent visit! We had a bit of trouble getting out there, but that was the airline, not your shortcomings. You helped out tremendously when we had to change our itinerary due to a family death and then the late airplane. The accomodations were wonderful and the staff very friendly. We especially enjoyed the first night stay at the hotel in Cashel. We will be back again next year! Thank you for your help.
Rayna Winchell, Florida, USA
Stephanie,
We have returned from Ireland and want to thank you for an absolutely perfect trip!
Your selection of accommodations was superb!
Just FYI: all accommodations provided hair dryers in the rooms.
Again, thank you so very much for all your help and for making this truly a most memorable Ireland vacation.
Everything was to perfection!!!
Fran, USA
Hi Stehanie,
We had an absolutely wonderful time in Ireland. The itinerary and directions were great. All the accommodations were great. The host and hostess in Galway were especially nice and helpful also. We didn't really have any bad experiences other than the normal stuff you put up with when you travel..
Oh one last thing. Our flight arrived at 5:30 AM and the Hotel let us check in around 7:30 AM. That really helped us as we rested and it seemed like we had an extra day because we were able to rest then enjoy a bit of Dublin before we started going to other cities and towns.
Thanks you for everything. We hope to return someday.
Kathy White, USA
Tina and Liz -
I wanted to write and let you know how much my sister and I enjoyed our trip to Ireland November 14-24. We had such a wonderful time. Your country is beautiful and it was a lovely place for us to make our first visit overseas. The people in Ireland were so friendly. We enjoyed all the extras you booked for us a well. The Ring of Kerry tour was something I am glad we didn't miss. The Medieval Banquet at Bunratty was great.
The accommodations you booked us from the bed and breakfasts, hotels and the night in the Castle were the best. The proprietors of the bed and breakfast establishments were so friendly and it felt like we were staying with family.
If I ever have the opportunity to recommend a company to help plan a trip to Ireland, I will most definitely tell them about IrishTourism.com. Your help in making this trip the best it could be is truly appreciated.
Renee & Michelle Wade, Virginia, USA
Stephanie:
We spent 3 weeks in Europe and our trip to Ireland was the best. All of the B&B were great. The only problem we had some times was finding the place but that was part of the adventure. We rented a GPS for the car and that was a life saver, I would highly recommend this to everyone. It was an extra 100 Euros but well worth the expense.
We ended up getting a suite at the Hotel in Dublin which was unexpected the room was huge, in comparison to the other small rooms we had in other parts of Europe. We really enjoyed this hotel.
We liked Kilarney the best, I would have stayed there the whole week. Galway is such a growing city, a bit busy like Dublin.
Rick VanGoethem, Wisconsin, USA
Stephanie,
We thoroughly enjoyed our Irish vacation. Our hotel choices were wonderful, and there was not a snag with our reservations. Thank you for your assistance.
The only change that we might have made was to have a less ambitious itinerary. Our aim was to see as much as we could in such a short
period of time, but, as a result, we weren't able to spend enough time in each location. Now that we've been there once we definitely know
where we'd like to return to on our next visit.
We are grateful for your assistance.
Dolly Trager, Illinois, USA
Tina,
Glen and I want to thank you for arranging our accomodations while we were in Ireland. We loved the B&B's. We truly enjoyed the accommodations in Doolin Co Clare and Bunratty Co Clare. We felt very welcome in their homes.
We are looking forward to another trip to Ireland. Next time probably Northern Ireland and again away from the city life. Thanks again!
Glen & Kathy Toner, Arizona, USA
Tony,
Sorry I am answering this so late.
You did a super job of planning our trip to Ireland. You gave us a good selection of places to visit and things to do. We enjoyed Kinsale for the coast line and the tour that gave us a verbal history of the area. The fish at "The Shack" was medium priced and superb. The gardens in the National Park in Killarney were beautiful. It is a good place to take pictures. Your Irish people are wonderful to tourist. They were helpful and friendly. Driving through the countryside was charming. Steve did a great job driving on the left side of the road but turned the car in at the Dublin airport. We loved Dublin. So I was glad we added that. We saw the gardens there and two art galleries. Steve and I have many good memories of our trip to Ireland. Thank you.
Louanna Emery
Louanna Emery, Dallas, Texas
Thank you Stephanie! I have been meaning to write you a note and have been so crazy with work since we returned. The trip was unbelievable! We had a wonderful time and loved every minute of the trip.
The house in Clare was our absolute favorite B&B, followed by the one in Kilkenny. The only B&B we were not thrilled with was the one in Galway (no longer being used by IrishTourism.com). We loved the trip and would do it again in a heartbeat. Ireland is just wonderful. Ihope to come back one day.
Oh, I forgot to give Brigit our B&B voucher. I wanted to make sure I told you so that she doesn't get in trouble for not turning it in to you.
Could you please send me a copy of all of the B&B's addresses? I would like to send them each a note.
I will get you some pics as soon as i get them downloaded and we did take some video but its not loading right on the computer so if i can get that too i will send it your way.
Thanks again Stephanie!
Andrea Stevens
Andrea Stevens, Plantation, Florida
Dear Stephanie,
I had a great time in Ireland. The pace of the tour you put together was just right, all of the hotels were were excellent. I had time to play a little golf at Ballybunion and Lahinch. The roads are a bit narrow, which certainly makes driving exciting at times, but I had no problems and I drove a lot of regional and local roads. I want to return as soon as possible and I am already working on that.
Richard, USA
Dear Tina:
I just want to tell you that we really enjoyed our vacation in Ireland and the places you chose for us to stay were exactly what we were looking for. The Hotel in Kinsale was terrific, as well as the one in Ennis.
The B&B in Dingle was very nice and Denise, the owner was especially nice. The Hotel in Dublin had absolutely the best breakfast we had in Ireland, or here at home, for that matter. We also had dinner there and found the quality of the food and service surpassed anything we expected - the food service was on a par with a luxury hotel in Manhattan.
Again, we want to thank you for the great job you did for us in a very short
timeframe. We will be sure to contact you for our next trip, and recommend
that our friends use your service as well.
John & Joan Taylor, MA, USA
Stephanie,
We had a phenomenal time and you put us in some great spots! Hmm…the only thing I can think about is that we weren’t sufficiently prepared dress wise for dinners at some of the hotels. I guess we go on holiday here and want to get away from business dress of all kinds, so probably just a difference that I wasn’t aware of. Anyway, our favorite hotel was in Connemara…great service, personable, and impeccable.
Thanks again for your help and for setting up a great holiday for us.
Steven Llyod, Rhode Island, USA
Hi Stephanie,
First I would like to say thank you so very much for booking us an amazing vacation. Jess and I loved the trip and I can speak for the both of us when I say that we want to come back.
The trip from Dublin to Waterford along the coast was beautiful and we took the scenic route.
The next day we went to the crystal factory. After more scenic driving we arrived at our destination in Killarney. The Doyle's were great people, really friendly and accommodating.
Then came the drive to the Cliffs of Moher which was a tour in itself.The Cliffs did not disappoint and again the weather cooperated as we could see the Aren Islands.
The Lodge in Connemara was the most accommodating stay I have ever had in my life.
All in all I would really like to thank you for making our honeymoon a fantastic and unforgetable experience. Your operations at Irish Tourism are top notch and I would recommend your services to anyone.
Jay Smith, New York, USA
Hi Stephanie,
Happy that you are following up... I was going to write you to tell you just how fabulous a time we had in Ireland. All of the accommodations were just great and the entire trip went like clockwork. Everyone we met were just wonderful.. And that GPS system was a life saver. I would highly recommend your services to anyone I know.
Valerie Hufnagel, White Plains, NY USA