Contacts Available for Interview In Ireland
Tourism
Ireland’s themes for 2008 include:
Green on the Screen
Ferocious Mel Columbkille Gerard Gibson, bedecked in a bit of tartan kilt and his face painted blue, led the charge across the Curragh Racecourse into ancient battle. The blue ‘woad plant’ dye on Gibson’s face was his war paint and he was playing the role of the legendary 13th century Scottish hero William Wallace. Rubber arrows flew through the air and plastic swords clashed as extra warriors from the Irish Army Reserve on mechanical horses recreated the historical battles of Wallace with the English at Stirling and Falkirk. No local seemed to mind the director’s use of poetic license when the Irish switched sides to fight with their Scottish cousins at Falkirk even though they were, in fact, historically, somewhere else. The movie was Braveheart and most of it was filmed on location in Ireland on the plains of Kildare, and in the scenic hills and valleys of Wicklow.
Trim Castle, the largest Anglo-Norman castle on the island, and the nearby medieval Cistercian Bective Abbey in Co. Meath, also feature in many scenes. Braveheart won five Oscars and made it for heartthrob Mel and those knees that made grown women swoon in the aisles.
The highland desert of Wicklow has captured the imagination and been inspirational for many a film director. There are driving tours and a map that takes you round the sites of three major films that were made in Wicklow (Braveheart, Excalibur and Michael Collins). The film sites are dotted around the county and you will experience some amazing vistas of barren stark landscapes and verdant valleys, which have been used as backdrops for many fine epics on the silver screen. The Arthurian landscape of Sally Gap was the setting for the filming of Excalibur, and King Arthur himself tossed the famous sword into the dark and serene lake at Loch Tay. Ireland’s largest waterfall at Powerscourt near Enniskerry also appears in John Boorman’s Excalibur. For the recent futuristic movie Reign of Fire, a mock medieval fortress popped up overnight at the site of an old lead mine at Wicklow Gap. Fire breathing dragons roamed through the misty heather only to disappear with the castle overnight without a trace when filming was done.
The real Hollywood is not far away in the west of Wicklow (the Hollywood of California was named after this small rural town). The Hollywood Inn has been a popular haunt for filmstars waiting for low mountain fog to lift, and for wannabes waiting for a role as an extra. Some scenes of Dancing at Lughnasa, starring Meryl Streep, were shot in the town.
Wicklow’s towns have also made frequent appearances on film. Bray was used for scenes in My Left Foot, Michael Collins and The Commitments. A house on the main street in Greystones was used in Angela’s Ashes. The Railway Bar in Rathdrum is in the background when Liam Neeson as Michael Collins gives one of his great orations.
In 1956, Youghal in Co. Cork was the setting for John Huston’s film adaptation of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick starring Gregory Peck. You can view some film memorabilia and pictures from the set in the Moby Dick pub in the town centre.
The opening sequences of Saving Private Ryan are perhaps the most famous scenes filmed in Ireland. Lauded as the most accurate depiction of the horrors of war ever, the film was showered with awards at the Oscars. Director Steven Spielberg chose the golden sands of Curracloe Beach in Co. Wexford to set the Normandy landing at Omaha Beach early in the morning of D-Day. The bathers were banished from the beach and it was littered with the trappings of war. During filming Spielberg and Tom Hanks regularly enjoyed a drink and a game of pool in the Furlong Village Bar near the beach.
Depictions of Irish rural life on film haven’t always been flattering, but the scenery depicted has certainly been true to life. The Quiet Man, directed by John Ford in the 1950s, depicted a rather idyllic and stereotypic view of rural Ireland, but the film was very much a classic of its genre. John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara were the leading actors and it was filmed in Cong in Co. Mayo. Some cast members were lucky enough to stay at the majestic Ashford Castle Hotel, and some of the scenes were shot in the castle grounds. Much of the surrounding dramatic scenery depicted in the film is still the same today as it was then. There is a Quiet Man Tour of some film sites in the town, and you can visit a replica of Thornton’s traditional thatched cottage a few miles down the road.
Bull McCabe, played by Richard Harris, was perhaps the most extreme caricature of the rural Irish male farmer. His pride and his passion for the scrap of land he owned in The Field led to his ultimate downfall. The unique landscape around Leenane, Co. Galway, at the mouth of Killary Harbour (Ireland’s only fjord) is where Jim Sheridan’s film was located. The lovely Renvyle House Hotel nearby is where Harris and his co-stars stayed.
The Dingle Peninsula was the setting for two romantic epics from different eras. David Lean’s Ryan’s Daughter was filmed near Dunquin in the 1970s. The beautiful and contrasting Inch Strand and Coumeenole Strand feature prominently in the action. Two decades later Ron Howard’s film Far and Away, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, was made in a landscape that hadn’t changed much since then.
Dublin features in many films but the most acclaimed was My Left Foot by the leading Irish director Jim Sheridan. Daniel Day Lewis was inspiring as the multi-talented Christy Brown. The film won two Oscars and remains the most successful wholly Irish-produced film. After seeing the film and then wandering around Dublin’s streets, it is easy to see how successful the city’s regeneration has been in the last decade.
The incredibly ornate Crown Liquor Saloon (a former Victorian gin palace) in Belfast was at the centre of the action of Carol Reed’s 1947 suspense drama Odd Man Out starring James Mason. Divorcing Jack was also filmed in the city in the late 1990s. Jim Sheridan’s film trilogy about the troubles in Northern Ireland (In the Name of the Father, Some Mother’s Son and The Boxer) were shot partly in Belfast. The opening scenes of Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game were shot in South Armagh.
In recent times, there has been a vibrant home-grown film industry both north and south of the border, and you could come across a film crew anywhere as you travel about the country. This is manifest in the growing international reputation of the many annual film festivals held in the major Irish cities.
Irish fiction has translated to film with great success. Maeve Binchy’s bestseller Circle Of Friends was filmed in picturesque Inistioge in Co. Kilkenny. The novels of James Joyce have graced the screen with much acclaim and success. Filmed in Dublin, the most popular is undoubtedly John Huston’s last film, The Dead. The setting was an old Georgian house that has recently been renovated as a tourist attraction and is situated on the Liffey just beside the appropriately named James Joyce Bridge.
In Angela’s Ashes, the film of the book by Frank McCourt, the city of Limerick was actually portrayed by building a set on Benburb Street near Collins Barracks in Dublin. Limerick is decidedly more prosperous than depicted in the film, as it has become the Silicon Valley of Ireland with a thriving computer and technology industry.
Dublin’s streets were also the setting for Alan Parker’s wonderful uplifting movie, The Commitments. This hilarious film was adapted from the novel by Dubliner Roddy Doyle. It doesn’t really provide an insight into the Irish music business, which is resoundingly more professional than depicted. You are unlikely to encounter a manager the like of Jimmy Rabbite or the notorious philanderer, Joey the Lips Fagan, at one of the live music venues in Dublin, but you can always shut your eyes and dream. The music will be good and it is likely it will have soul.
Contacts:
For walking tours on sites featured in The Quiet Man film, contact Margaret & Gerry Collins, Quiet Man Walking Tours;
Tel: 094 954 6089; www.quietman-cong.com.
The House where James Joyce set his book The Dead is at 15 Usher’s Island, Dublin;
Email: info@jamesjoycehouse.com, web-site: www.jamesjoycehouse.com.
For tours of Wicklow film locations, contact: Wicklow Film Commission;
Tel: 0404 20176, Email: wfc@eircom.net.
Film Festivals:
Dublin International Film Festival is in February.
Email: info@dubliniff.com, web-site: www.dubliniff.com
Belfast Film Festival is in June.
Email: info@belfastgfilmfestival.org, web-site: www.belfastfilmfestival.org
Cork Film Festival is in October.
Email: info@corkfilmfest.org, web-site: www.corkfilmfest.org
Derry film festival is in November.
web-site: www.foylefilmfestival.com
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GHOSTS & GHOULS IN EERIE ERIN
My skeptical neck felt chilled and tingled. It was unusually cold in the pub and much colder than outside. I was pleasurably lost in the rural labyrinth that is Tipperary and needed directions. No better place to ask for directions than an Irish pub. “Spooky in here,” I said to the bar manager Vinny Murphy. “Some people say they’ve seen a ghost,” he replied. “I don’t believe in them,” Vinny added almost dismissively showing me his pictures of himself and some famous people who had just dropped into this horsey pub near the world famous Coolmore Stud. “I know what I felt,” I snapped even though I was surprised at the words coming out of my own mouth. I was truly spooked. The irony was not lost on me that they also run the town’s undertakers out of McCarthy’s Pub in Fethard.
So much seems to be haunted in Ireland it beggar’s belief. From castles, pubs, houses, ruins and even the hedges (filled with wailing fairy banshees) there always seem to be some story or rumour of some spirit afterlife activity.
Irish folklore is full of tales of the dead and undead. This is the land that sparked the imagination of author Bram Stoker who wrote Dracula. Since time immemorial we have been fascinated with our own mortality and the spirits of the Otherworld. In myth, fairies act as a conduit for the souls of those who pass through from this world into the Otherworld. They are particularly active during November, as it is the end of the spirit year and fairy funerals fill the narrow country roads with grass growing down the middle of them. It is no coincidence that Halloween and its Celtic equivalent of Samhain are celebrated at this time. The wailing banshee is a sidhe or fairy woman who brings portents of death. It can also be the deathly soul of a local tormented ghost. You might just be unlucky enough to hear one on your way home from an evening of craic (fun) and music in an Irish country pub. It is the most chilling sound you will ever hear. In the dark, on rural roads with no electric light, the healthy infectious Celtic imagination runs wild. If you stay long enough in Ireland you might just start believing yourself. Then again it might just be a cow in a field (well known for their convincing banshee impressions) or perhaps a northwind rustling through the leaves of a tree.
Although seeing a banshee reminds us superstitious Irish of death, we are not all that morbid. Even if you ever attend an Irish funeral wake, you will quickly realise that a death is a good a reason to party as any. It is all done with the utmost reverence of course and it helps settle the deceased spirit. Even the most miserable person alive becomes a saint in the reveller’s eyes when they pass over to the other side.
Castles are great places for ghosts. At Ballygally Castle in County Antrim, a luxury hotel with all mod cons, they still retain the stark ghost room of Lady Isobel Shaw. This is in the original 17th century part of the building and you can stay in one of three original rooms here if you are brave enough. Lady Isobel wanders around the hotel and playfully knocks on the doors of guests while they are asleep. Also in Antrim, Carrickfergus Castle is the remains of the finest Anglo-Norman castle on the whole island of Ireland. Here the ghost of the innocent Buttoncap, a soldier who was wrongfully executed for killing an officer, roams the ramparts at night with his head in his arms. His wiser girlfriend hangs round the local pub, the Dobbins Inn.
They placate the ghosts at Leap Castle in County Offaly with music and dance. Widely acclaimed traditional musician, Sean Ryan, lives with his family in this most haunted of castles with a dark past of murder and intrigue. It was the seat of the ferocious O’Carroll clan and the ghosts are allegedly protecting some buried silver. Sean refurbished the ruin with his own hands and firmly believes the ghosts are now at ease with his family. They may have caused him to fall off a ladder when he was renovating the place, but now sure they live in harmony together and they like to hear a good tune. He plays a jig on his tin whistle while his dance champion daughter skips elegantly across the floorboards. Nearby the friendly ghost of a monk at Kinnity Castle predicts future events and cracks jokes with that luxury hotel’s staff.
Even the modern cities of Ireland have their own share of ghosts. Dublin’s famous Shelbourne Hotel has the ghost of little Mary who wanders the corridors late at night, but means no harm. Good-humoured Puck, the ghost of a jester, is one of the many ghosts that frequent Malahide Castle, which is just north of the city. Kilmainham Gaol is haunted by the ghosts of Ireland’s political past. It has a macabre history of cruelty and its cold dank corridors will make your spine tingle. In Belfast, a former cleaner who came to a tragic end by tripping over her mop haunts the Linen Mill at Belfast Flaxworks. In the haunted City Hall, at Halloween they tell stories of the local ghosts and ghouls.
Catherine McGlone’s spirit haunts Armagh City jail. In 1770, she was the last woman to be publicly executed in the mall in front of the jail. She was hung and then burned and her ashes were kicked about the place. This was considered at the time a punishment befitting her crime of drowning her illegitimate son in the River Callum. The Holy City of Armagh is also home of the Green Lady of Vicars Hill who used to boil children in her spare time.
There is no more eerie castle ruins than at Dunluce on the spectacular coast of North Antrim. Perched on an outcrop of white rock above one of the best beaches in the county, the castle is certainly in a dramatic location. In 1639, it was the scene of a great tragedy when part of the castle including the kitchens fell into the sea. Seven cooks died that night. You would want to be in the whole of your health to visit this place at night. Silhouetted against a full moon shining on a pale wild sea the ghosts of the dead nightly swirl around on the wailing winds that sweep around its walls.
Not all ghost stories you hear in Ireland are true and some have more than a touch of blarney. Some ghost stories are convincing; others you should take with a grain of salt. The telling of the story round an open fire is often more important than the truth. If a ghost story is worth the telling, then surely it is worth listening to.
Contact Details:
McCarthy’s Hotel (Publican, Restaurant, Undertaker), Fethard, Co. Tipperary, Tel: 052 311 49.
Leap Castle, near Birr, Co. Offaly, Tel: 0509 31115.
Carrickfergus Castle, Marine Highway, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, Tel: 028 9336 5190.
Ballygally Castle Hotel, Ballygally, Co. Antrim, Tel: 028 2858 1066.
Dunluce Castle, 3 miles east of Portrush, Co. Antrim, Tel: 028 2073 2850.
Belfast City Hall, Donegall Place, Belfast, Tel: 028 9027 0456.
Malahide Castle, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Tel: 01 846 2184.
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Living it up in luxury
Not only does Ireland boast golf courses of incredible quality, but many of those courses are attached to some of the most luxurious castles, hotels and resorts to be found anywhere in the world.
Golf may be an outdoor game and many players may enjoy more challenging weather conditions but there are also those who prefer a more leisurely game with a little bit of comfort thrown in afterwards. They want to be able to stroll among beautiful scenery, hit a few balls, and then enjoy what might be called the “après golf”.
And Ireland’s offering in this regard is second to none. The entire island is replete with courses which are attached to top quality hotels and resorts, where you can walk from the 18th green into the lap of luxury. Where you can refresh yourself with an invigorating swim or spa treatment, relax over a meal in a five star restaurant, and unwind over a digestif in a luxurious lounge before retiring to bed.
Just south of Dublin you’ll find the Brooke Lodge Hotel and Wells Spa, a stunning 4-star hotel set in a beautiful Wicklow village. Home to the dramatic Strawberry Tree – a highly acclaimed organic restaurant, and the truly luxurious Wells Spa. Macreddin Village boasts Actor's Country Pub & Brewery, an equestrian centre as well as the Paul McGinley designed Macreddin Brook golf course which will be opening for Play in September, just in time for the Ryder Cup.
A little further south, less than two hours from Dublin, there is Waterford Castle Hotel and Golf Club. This marvellous facility is uniquely situated on a 310 acre island overlooking the estuary of the river Suir, three miles from Waterford City. Access to the island is by a chain linked private car ferry. Furnished with antiques and open fireplaces, the 15th century castle combines gracious living of an elegant past with every modern comfort service and convenience, an 18 hole championship golf course and excellent dining experience.
Not far away is the award winning Mount Juliet Conrad hotel which is set on one of Ireland’s most prestigious golfing estates and home to the 2002 American Express World Golf Championship. Horse riding, angling, tennis, clay target shooting and archery are among the selection of activities on offer at Mount Juliet. Those who prefer to remain indoors can choose the stylish health club and spa or simply relax in the most idyllic surroundings imaginable.
Moving along the south coast to County Kerry you come across Parknasilla. When you first visit Parknasilla you will be overwhelmed by the beauty of its location. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, majestic seascapes, rugged mountains and lush woodlands nourished by the warm Gulf Stream combine to make it an unspoiled haven of beauty and peace. Staff have been welcoming guests to this majestic place since 1895 and with its own golf course on site you have a complete, self-contained luxury experience.
Just a short drive away is the Park Hotel in Kenmare, County Kerry. Also dating back to the late 19th century this hotel offers a heavenly location overlooking the beautiful Kenmare Bay. Guests can also indulge in the ethos of a true spa to rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit after some play on the 18 hole golf course.
Moving north up the coast to County Clare there is the magnificent Dromoland Castle Hotel, one of Ireland's finest castle hotels which can trace its ownership back through history to Gaelic Irish families of royal heritage. The castle offers deluxe accommodation surrounded by breath-taking scenery, absolute luxury and exceptional service. Its international reputation for excellence is reflected in its award-winning cuisine in both the Earl of Thomond and Fig Tree restaurants. Other facilities include fishing, shooting, horse riding, a health and leisure spa, and a newly designed 18-hole championship golf course.
Moving slightly further north on the banks of the Shannon there is the Glasson Golf Hotel and Country Club. This lakeside hotel and championship golf course offers 29 luxury bedrooms designed with the discerning golfer and leisure guest in mind.
And the northern part of the island is not short on luxury golfing breaks either. Standing on the wooded slopes of the Holywood hills overlooking Belfast Lough is the magnificent Culloden Hotel. Originally built as an official palace for the Bishop of Down, the hotel stands in its own 12 acre estate and the Elysium Spa offers a full range of health and leisure facilities. Close by is the beautiful Holywood golf course with its breathtaking views over Belfast Lough the hilly parkland course is a real treasure and is ideally placed for the travelling golfer who wants to take full advantage of its great location.
County Derry boasts the Radisson SAS Roe Park Hotel in Limavady. This modern well equipped hotel and golf resort is set on a historic nineteenth century estate with an emphasis on quality cuisine and large spacious bedrooms well suited to families.
Back towards Belfast is the Templepatrick Hilton Hotel, winner of the Northern Ireland Tourism Award for Hotel of the Year 2006. Set in 220 acres of parkland and appointed with all the luxuries and amenities you expect from a Hilton Hotel the Templepatrick has a golf course, a health-club and modern conference and banqueting facilities.
Finally, no mention of luxury golf breaks in Ireland is complete without The K Club, the venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup Matches and Ireland’s first five red star resort located just 35 minutes from Dublin City and Airport. This elegantly restored country house opened in 1991 as a luxurious hotel and country club and offers the highest standards of comfort, service and cuisine. Each of our 92 bedrooms and suites has stunning views overlooking the golf course and gardens.
The Health and Beauty Club, fishing on the River Liffey and lakes, claypigeon shooting, tennis, squash and a gym are some of the activities available at The K Club – not to mention the golf, of course.
These are just a few of Ireland’s many luxury golfing destinations – to find out more about these and the many others contact your local Tourist Information Office or log on to www.discoverireland.com.
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Hidden Ireland
Ireland is justly famous for its many internationally renowned golf courses such as Ballybunion, the K Club, Mount Juliet, Portmarnock, and Waterville. But golfing visitors needn’t restrict themselves to these star names. Ireland has more than 400 other golf courses, many of them hidden gems offering great value. Indeed, it is said that no matter where you are on the island you are never more than ten miles from a golf course.
Among the more interesting and enjoyable ways of uncovering these hidden gems is by taking a car and simply setting off around the coast. Just south of Dublin one of your first ports of call, literally as well as metaphorically, should by Arklow Golf Club. This beautiful links offers wonderful views of the Irish Sea as well as a challenging round of golf.
Situated just outside the fishing port of Arklow the course is in easy reach of excellent accommodation and some fine restaurants and pubs.
A little more than an hour away is another fine links, Rosslare Golf Club. This course lies on the south east tip of the island in the resort village of Rosslare and is just 20 minutes outside of the historic Wexford Town with all of its range of visitor amenities.
A further 90 minutes away is the West Waterford Golf & Country Club in Dungarvan, County Waterford. This superb championship golf course is built on 150 acres of rolling parkland on the banks of the Brickey River and is just one hour from Cork City and 30 minutes from Waterford City.
Moving into County Cork the choice of courses is simply vast. In the east of the country there is Youghal Golf Club which was established in 1898, with the Earl of Shannon elected president. The club has played host to various national championships over the years, recognition of the fact that it offers a good test of golf.
And to the west there is Berehaven Golf & Amenity Park. Located in one of the most scenic areas in west Cork, on the shores of Bantry Bay with the Caha mountains in the background, it is a very testing 9 hole course with different tee positions for the back nine. Water is a dominant feature and comes into play at every hole. And for hungry travellers food is served all day in the beautifully located family run bar and restaurant.
Kerry is probably the most famous of all Ireland’s golfing counties with well over its fair share of internationally renowned courses. However, for those looking for something a little off the beaten track the Ballyheigue Castle Golf Course is well worth a visit. Situated on mature woodland, surrounding the 18th century castle at Ballyheigue and overlooking the magnificent white sands of Ballyheigue beach with the Brandon Mountains in the distant background, the nine hole course is laid out on a hundred acres if beautiful rolling parkland. Challenging holes, ranging from 185 to 534 yards, will satisfy the demands of the best golfers.
The Shannon Region is another area replete with famous courses but it also has its share of hidden treasures. Among them is Ennis Golf Club in county Clare. Founded in 1907 it is an immaculately manicured 18 hole Par 71 parkland course. The club is noted for its hospitality and the clubhouse offers a warm welcome with excellent bar and catering facilities.
For those that want to play golf almost surrounded by the ocean, Achill Golf Club in County Mayo is a must. The course is a 9 hole links and is situated in the picturesque countryside typical of Achill Island, on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It is deceptively simple on first contact but it is in fact demanding, but very welcoming as well.
Letterkenny Golf Club in County Donegal has a beautiful 18 hole, 6239 yards, par 70 parkland championship course. The course takes advantage of natural variances of elevation with four holes wrapped around the banks of Lough Swilly and top seven other holes affording the golfer a panoramic view of the Lough-side and the picturesque garland hills and wooded countryside. Nestled within 147 acres of tranquil bliss the golfer's game will be shared with no one but nature and its splendid beauty.
Ireland’s northern coast offers one of the world’s top ranked courses in Royal Portrush but Portstewart is just a few miles from Portrush and its links test is regarded by many golfers as being at least the equal of its royal neighbour. A world of sand dunes flanked by an impressive water hazard – the Atlantic Ocean – is also to be found in the area at the Castlerock Club.
And this is not even to mention many of the fine courses such as Moate, Athy, Abbeyleix and Edenderry to be found in Ireland’s picturesque Midlands Region – all of which are within a 90 minute drive of Dublin.
For further details of these are any of Ireland’s other hidden golfing gems contact your local tourist information office or log on to www.discoverireland.com.
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Follow the trail of the Vikings
Ireland’s rich culture and heritage is the result of successive migrations and invasions stretching back over millennia. There was the mythical Fir Bolg, the Tuatha de Dannan – people of the dawn, the Celts and many others besides, each adding their own individuality and culture to the unique heritage which exists today.
Among the more colourful visitors to Ireland’s shores were the Vikings. A fierce warrior people from Scandinavia who terrorised much of northern Europe for some three centuries but who also left their own indelible legacy on the countries they visited.
These early tourists left the Norwegian fjords in search of plunder and they found it in plentiful supply in Ireland’s early Christian monastic settlements. Indeed, the tall round towers to be found in the remains of many of these settlements are a direct result of Viking visits. The monks built the towers with just one room at the top and no stairs to reach it. When the alarm came that the Nordic visitors were on the way they would take their treasures and climb to the top room using a ladder which they pulled up after them.
Among the favoured routes of these expert seamen was the River Shannon – the longest river in either Britain or Ireland. Stretching from its estuary on the Atlantic on Ireland’s west coast this mighty waterway stretches all the way to its source in County Cavan in the North East of the country. Today it is connected to Lough Erne in Northern Ireland through a recently refurbished canal system.
They sailed up the river sacking villages and monasteries on the way – among them Clonmacnoise, an early Christian site founded by Saint Ciaran in the 6th century on the banks of the River Shannon. The site is one of the highlights of any visit to Ireland and includes the ruins of a cathedral, eight churches (10th-13th century), two round towers, three high crosses and a large collection of early Christian grave slabs. The original high crosses and grave slabs are on display in the Visitor Centre.
Today’s visitors may not be so colourful and they are certainly not quite so fierce. Instead of carrying battleaxes and broadswords they are more likely to be found in possession of fishing tackle and golf clubs.
And there is probably no better way of enjoying some of Ireland’s most picturesque golf courses than by visiting them by boat. You can hire a cruiser – a lot more comfortable and less hard work than a Viking longboat, live on board and ply the waters of the Shannon and its beautiful lakes, stopping off from time to time to visit some of the many wonderful pubs and restaurants that dot its shores, taking some time out to play a few rounds of golf on the way.
Starting just west of the city of Limerick Kilrush Golf Club has sometimes been called the ‘Friendliest Golf Club in Ireland’. The course is set in a beautiful location over looking the Shannon Estuary. It is playable all year round and offers many excellent holes where water, sand and trees combine to test the golfer’s skill. Visitors are always welcome and can be assured of a leisurely round of golf away from the cares of the modern world.
Moving upriver the East Clare Golf Club is set in 150 acres of unspoilt, rolling, quiet countryside with majestic views of East Clare. The course is very popular with visitors from both overseas and within Ireland, and hosted the 1998 West of Ireland Seniors Championship. The parkland championship course is located just five minutes from beautiful Lough Derg on the Shannon.
Slightly further upriver Clonlara Golf Course offers a real family experience. This beautiful parkland course is overlooked by the hills of Clare and is situated by the banks of the Shannon. Facilities include self catering apartments, bar and barfood, tennis court, sauna, games room, anglers bait and stock room, and a children’s play area.
Moving further north Portumna Golf Club is one of the hidden gems of Irish golf. It is a beautiful parkland course which sweeps its way through forest and woodlands close to Lough Derg, the last and largest lake on the River Shannon. Its mature and graceful trees backdrop the full range of seasonal colour to provide a different challenging experience, no matter what time of the year it is played.
The historic town of Athlone is commonly held to be the centre point of the island of Ireland and for centuries was a major strategic military and trading centre. Athlone Golf Club was founded in 1892. It is a parkland course, surrounded by Lough Ree on three sides, yet close to the bustling town of Athlone.
Just across the lake is Glasson Golf Hotel and Country Club which offers a sublime setting, a very interesting and challenging course, and a four star hotel with top quality leisure facilities and fine dining to sate the most discerning of pallets.
And why not complete your tour with a visit to Ballinamore Golf Club in county Leitrim. This newly designed golf course is situated alongside the Shannon Erne Waterway and facilities include canal side club house, changing rooms, bar and light refreshments. All visitors are guaranteed a friendly welcome and a quality golf setting in the quiet of the Irish countryside along the banks of the canal.
Finally, if it’s value you’re looking for it’s hard to beat these courses with most of them charging green fees of just €30 on weekdays. For further information on these courses or holidays on the Shannon contact your local tourist office or log on to www.discoverireland.com or www.ireland.ie/golf.
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Golf courses, racecourses, main courses
If you’re looking for entertainment to really set the pulse racing it’s hard to beat a day out at an Irish racecourse. Ireland’s reputation for excellence in all things equine has been well earned. Down through the years Ireland has produced some of the greatest trainers and horses in world racing including the legendary “Master of Ballydoyle” Vincent O’Brien and the fabled Arkle.
Today, the island of Ireland is at the very epicentre of global horse racing with Sheikh Mohammed Al Makhtoum of Dubai and the Aga Khan both having major breeding and training operations in the country.
And the really good news for golfers is that many of Ireland’s leading race courses are situated within easy striking distance of some of the country’s finest golf courses. This allows a visitor to take in a round of golf in the morning, a visit to the race track in the afternoon, and to round off the day at one of Ireland’s growing number of international class restaurants.
Take the Curragh for example. Commanding majestic views of the plain of Kildare, the Curragh is the historic headquarters of Irish racing and is home to a number of “Classic” races including the Irish Derby. Within easy reach of the course are great golf courses such as the Seve Ballesteros designed Heritage Club in County Laois and last years Ryder Cup venue The K Club and right on its doorstep you’ll find Ireland’s oldest golf course – the Curragh Golf Club where golf has been played for more than a century and a half.
And you won’t have to travel far to find some top quality dining experiences with the towns of Naas, Newbridge and Kildare all replete with a variety of restaurants to suit even the most demanding and discerning of palettes.
Travelling to the south west of the country County Kerry offers no fewer than three race courses – Listowel, Killarney and Tralee and a selection of the world’s finest golf courses including Mahony’s Point and Killeen in Killarney, the Tiger Woods favourite Waterville, Tom Watson’s playground at Ballybunion, and the Arnold Palmer designed Tralee Golf Club.
And for those with an appetite for fine dining Kerry has it all – from some of the best seafood you are ever likely to taste, to traditional Irish fare and international cuisine in the many fine restaurants in towns such as Kenmare, Dingle and Tralee and dotted around the highways and byways of the county itself.
Move northwards up the coast and you reach Galway – home to the world famous Galway Race festival held at the end of July each year. The festival is not only famous for the quality of its racing but for its unique atmosphere and, above all, the craic. Each year tens of thousands of visitors – many of them only faintly acquainted with the sport – converge on Galway city to attend the festival and soak up the atmosphere.
Many of them also take the opportunity to sample the delights of some of the local golf courses such as the Christy O’Connor Jnr designed Galway Bay Golf and Country Club, Oughterard Golf Club, Bearna Golf and Country Club, or the Connemara Golf Links.
And the dining experience is hard to beat with the city offering a selection of simply marvellous restaurants while the Connemara coast has a variety of establishments with the fresh catch of local fishermen featuring strongly on the menus.
Travelling back to the capital Leopardstown Race Course is situated to the south side of Dublin and is home to a number of top races during the year. Close by are a number of championship golf courses such as Powerscourt and Woodbrook while within a half an hour’s drive golfers can experience the delights of great courses such as Druid’s Glen and the European Club, both in county Wicklow.
And for fine dining you have the full range that a modern European capital city can offer. And if city life can seem a little bit too hectic after a busy day on the golf course and the race track you can find wonderful restaurants in Dublin’s historic coastal towns and villages of Dun Laoghaire, Blackrock and Dalkey – all just a short distance from Leopardstown.
These are just a few of Ireland’s race courses – there are in fact 27 of them on the island and wherever you are in Ireland you can be sure you won’t be too far from a race meeting, or indeed a selection of great golf courses and restaurants. And you don’t have to go to a top restaurant to enjoy great food in Ireland. Many of Ireland’s thousands of pubs also offer excellent menus – often accompanied by good music and even better craic.
For further information on Ireland’s race and golf courses contact your local tourist office or log on to www.discoverireland.com or www.ireland.ie/golf.
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(Oiche Shamhna)
Halloween: The Tradition
 Halloween (or Samhain in Gaelic) is a genuinely Irish cultural tradition. Its origins date back to the time of the celtic Druids when winter was a time to be feared. Before the onset of the dark days of winter a huge celebration was held. This was partly to celebrate the end of the harvest season and a last party before the onset of winter’s semi-hibernation. As part of the custom of Halloween, bonfires were lit throughout the land to ward off evil spirits from the supernatural world, which were thought to roam the earth freely on this night. Children disguised with masks & costumes embody these spirits, who ordinary mortals must “appease” with gifts of nuts, apples or sweets when they arrive at the door.
The Brack (a kind of fruit bread) is traditionally baked at Halloween in Ireland to foretell the future of those who eat it. While baking the brack, tradition held that specific ingredients were added as symbols of the future. The pea represented wealth, it was traditionally believed that he who found it would be wealthy. The bean, however, symbolised poverty. The ring in the brack was, and still is, a symbol of marriage. He or she who finds the ring shall be wed within the year.
 The use of Jack O'Lanterns as festival lights for Halloween is a custom that has descended from the Irish, who originally used turnips or beets as lanterns. On Halloween, these lights represented the souls of the dead. When the Irish emigrated to America, they were unable to find turnips to carve into Jack O'Lanterns and used pumpkins instead which have been an essential part of Halloween celebrations ever since.
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Ireland’s Farmer’s Markets
by John McKenna
In Limerick on a Saturday morning, you might set your eye on some Cocoa Bean chocolate discs flavoured with juniper, made and sold by Emily and Sarah.
In Leopardstown on a Friday morning, the choice might be some fresh goats milk cheese from Tullynascreena in County Leitrim, made and sold by Michael.
In Bantry, when the big market takes place on the first Friday of each month, the choice might be some of Fingal’s superb marinated pork, or maybe some of Frank’s hand-made pastrami.
And, of course, you will need a loaf of Michael’s amazing rye sourdough bread to go with that, not to mention some of Toby’s olives and Sally’s smoked tuna and Clodagh’s organic chicken liver pate.
There is only one problem you will face when confronted with all the culinary goodies that lie before you when you visit any one of the new generation of farmer’s markets in Ireland: how on earth will you keep your self-control? I mean, you do need some of Frank’s smoked mackerel pate when you go to Midleton, and you do need some of Seamus’s sushi when in Galway, and you need Valerie’s country butter when in Clonakilty, and you need David’s cider when in Temple Bar, and you need Con’s apple juice when in Cahir and so, endlessly, delightfully, on and on.
So, how come all these markets have sprouted and developed and flourished throughout Ireland during the last five years? Where have the bakers and cake makers and chocolatiers and sausage makers and fish smokers come from? The answer is simple: Ireland has simply rediscovered its noble tradition of rural markets, and has added a few into the metropolitan and urban areas also. Whether its Castlebellingham in County Louth or Athy in County Kildare or Galway on a Saturday morning, a new jamboree of good things can now be found, sold from trestle tables by artisan producers who have discovered that they like making foods, and that they also like selling them direct to customers.
Talk to the marketers and they will tell you that “the craic” of selling direct to the punters, and the camaraderie of the market, is all part of the fun. For a people who have always loved the hustle and bustle of the country fair, the shoulder-rubbing and shouting of the country market, then the fun and frolics of the farmer’s market is really nothing new.
But what is new is the colour and choice that the markets offer. Hand-caught and home-smoked trout in Galway. Tapas in Temple Bar. Wild boar sausages in Macreddin in County Wicklow. Single estate teas in Blackrock in County Dublin. Sea vegetable tapenade in Limerick, or sea vegetable flavoured artisan cheeses in Dingle. There are organic and bio-dynamic vegetables in Dublin and Douglas, fresh oysters in Galway and Dublin. There are chocolate sauces in Naas and seasonal pumpkins in Trim. In Belfast, there are organic chickens and some of Trevor’s spicy, but nicey, sausages and his fantastic cured gammons.
Best of all, the markets let you meet the people who create and produce these splendid foods: you buy an almond slice from the baker who baked them; you can buy smoked bacon from the young guy who reared the pigs and then smoked the bacon; you can see what fresh cheese the cheese-maker has this week, or have a taste of what the butter made from spring milk is like just now. The creator of the food is also the seller and stallholder. This is shopping as it should be: fun, festive – even if it’s the middle of February – vibrant, animated, connected, spontaneous, with the food chain brought back to its origins: a producer making food, and selling directly to the customer, with nothing but a trestle table in between them.
The farmer’s markets also change in temperament and style, just as the counties and the people of Ireland change. Galway on a Saturday morning is raucous, wild, crowded, chaotic. Midleton is more sedate, calm, controlled. Bantry is all hurly-burly, Kenmare is gracious and pretty. Temple Bar will be packed with tourists, whilst Naas is jammed with smart locals hoovering up all the best things. The markets on the east coast are truly international; the markets in the Midlands are treasure troves of local foods.
What unifies this new generation of markets, however, is the emotional connection that exists when an artisan producer sells their food direct to a happy customer. Somehow, it all manages to make the food taste better, because what you are buying is not just a foodstuff – some cheese, some smoked fish, some sausages, some potatoes with cloggy earth still clinging to their dark brown skins. What you are buying is also the story of the person who made and produced the food, their skill, their patience, their attitude, their Epicureanism. Time and again, talking to the marketeers, you will be amazed to learn that they only started making chocolate a year ago, or that this batch of pate is their first experiment with smoked bacon and chicken liver, or that they learnt to make crepes when holidaying in Belgium or France.
The farmer’s markets of Ireland are places of dynamic creativity, places where new foods, new ideas, new experiments are always in evidence, are always in ferment. In Lisburn there might be some brand-new fresh cheese or a seasonal chutney to be enjoyed. In Dingle, there might be smoked pumpkin seeds. In Carlow you might find an apricot croissant, or a puffball mushroom, or a heritage tomato bursting with ample red fleshiness. Visit the farmer’s markets, and you get a snapshot of the modern Ireland. From north to south, there is bonhomie, bounty, a sense of the blissful sensuality which the Irish – at heart a Mediterranean people – invest in their food and their food culture.
John McKenna is author and publisher of the Bridgestone Guides: www.bridgestoneguides.com.
©John McKenna, 2004 all rights reserved
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Lovers’ Isle
Romantic Ireland is alive and kicking. Poetry is the language of love, but our Nobel-prize winning poet, WB Yeats, was misleading in his poem, September 1913, when he says romance was dead in Ireland and with O’Leary in the grave. Yeats was talking politics, but he later went on to write some of the greatest love poetry ever written.
Irish myth is full of romantic tales. Oisin left Ireland with his sweetheart, Niamh of the Golden Hair, on a magical white steed to go to Tir Na Nog, the mysterious land of eternal youth beneath the seas. The legendary couple, Diarmuid and Grainne, found eternal happiness together when they were transformed into magical swans. Oenghus of the Birds was the Celtic God of Love and he helps lovers solve any little problems they may have. His home is at the entrance to the passage tombs at Newgrange in Co. Meath, but there won’t be any need to call on him during a romantic stay on the island of Ireland.
Springtime is the most significant time of the year for romance, and of course St Valentine’s Day is the most special day. Gifts of roses and cards filled with love messages are equally the rage in Ireland as anywhere else in the world. For some Dublin lovers it is also the time for the blessing of the rings at Whitefriars Church near the city centre, as it is the last resting place of St Valentine himself. You can take a peak at the saintly remains if you visit the church.
There are so many options for those who take a romantic break on the Emerald Isle, be it the first time away together to while the night away in the dance clubs of Dublin or Belfast, for that unforgettable honeymoon, or even to mark the Emerald anniversary of twenty years together. For those who desire consummate luxury, then the ultimate treat is to stay at one of a myriad of plush Irish castles with levels of comfort beyond imagination. Ashford Castle in Cong, Co. Mayo, has an incredibly scenic location on the shores of Lough Corrib. The 13th century castle was where the actor, Pierce Brosnan, tied the knot. Kinnity Castle, in Co. Offaly, in the centre of the country, offers supreme period elegance and four-poster beds. The great Country Houses are no less salubrious, and provide legendary warm Irish welcomes, but are less heavy on the wallet. Rosleague Manor with its roaring log fires and antique furniture is in the wilds of scenic Connemara. Sheen Falls Lodge has a health spa and is near the colourful and lively town of Kenmare, a gateway to the famous Ring of Kerry.
Restaurants are the most traditional place to propose. Many Irish castles and country houses have their own award-winning restaurants. Alternatively, a night out in one of those wonderful small restaurants dotted all over Ireland will provide a more intimate experience and could spur some unorchestrated spontaneity. Pangur Ban in Letterfrack, Co. Galway is a cosy cottage with a thatched roof where you can dine on local fare, from the freshest Atlantic fish to Irish stew. The restaurant at the Bushmills Inn in Bushmills, Co. Antrim, has intimate snugs and offers tasty cuisine in a traditional setting. You can even end the evening with a glass of triple distilled and smooth Bushmills whiskey from the ancient distillery down the road.
Those looking for a slightly unusual location to propose could try popping the question on a balloon flight over the green hills and valleys of Ireland. To date, Irish Balloon Flights boast a 100% success rate for those who go on bended knee in the basket way above the tree line.
The precarious rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede in Co. Antrim is an equally vertiginous place to make the decisive move. One adventurous man did, with champagne corks a popping, and was accepted. Perhaps the thrill of it all and the excitement of the prospect ahead was what moved him to be original and choose the middle of the gently swaying bridge with its spectacular backdrop of cliffs and foamy sea.
Oysters are renowned as an aphrodisiac, as is Guinness stout. At the International Oyster Festival, held in September in Galway, the oysters are plentiful and the Guinness flows freely, so you never know what might happen. The unique blend of the two is guaranteed to get the juices flowing even in the most unromantic of souls.
Those looking for that elusive ideal partner should visit Lisdoonvarna in Co. Clare. The local matchmaking festival runs through September and guarantees a better chance of meeting an ideal mate than through Internet dating. The professional matchmakers boast years of experience and much success, but if you’re not lucky, the music, dancing and merriment lasts all day and all night for a whole month.
You can make a romantic wish when you interlock your hands in an embrace around St Kevin’s cross in the monastic village of Glendalough in Co. Wicklow. Glendalough is a wonderful mystical valley with two serene lakes, one of which is rumoured to be the home of an Irish version of the Lough Ness monster. St Kevin, the local hermit monk, lived here long ago in a small hut high up on the hillside above the lake with the monster serpent. Given the romantic power of the cross it is a great irony that he rebuffed the only amorous advance ever made to him by a young novice nun and threw her down the cliff and into the lake to her death. A recluse, he preferred the company of the serpent, animals and birds to humans. He famously stood in the freezing lake with his arms outstretched until a crow that had landed on his hands and built its nest had hatched its young.
One of the most romantic drives in Ireland is immortalized in the Van Morrison song Coney Island. His early Sunday morning drive along the western shores of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland, with his loved one beside him, seems idyllic in the Autumn sunshine. On their journey they pass through Downpatrick, where St Patrick is buried, Ardglass, St John’s Point, Portaferry (where they buy some fresh mussels from the lake), and Killyleagh. The crooner enthuses, “Wouldn’t it be great if it could be like this all the time”.
To cast a magic love spell should really be the last option and is not recommended if you don’t want to run the risk of turning your loved one into a toad. In ancient times, the Celtic Druids used all kinds of plants and herbs for their love potions. It is no great surprise that rose petals were used, but strawberries, apple blossoms, cherries, lavender and vervain were also common ingredients. The most sacred druidic herb was mistletoe, which is still hung in Irish houses at Christmas, and a kiss underneath a bunch will seal a love forever. Collect it from a magical oak tree to get the best effect, but avoid puckering distant aunts with well “rouged” lips early in the evening if you are planning to be successful later. Christmas is also the time to cradle a couple of traditional hot toddies (hot whiskeys with lemon and cloves) in front of a turf fire in a country pub.
Sunsets are special times for couples and Ireland has some spectacular fiery displays all year round. For many there could be no more romantic feeling than gliding across a mirror ocean towards the end of a perfect day. The best sailing craft for this experience is, of course, the elegant Galway Hooker, a traditional wooden sailing boat with red sails.
The famous Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy (who wrote hits for Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis) was inspired by such a trip out of Portstewart in Co. Antrim to pen his most famous of songs:
“Red sails in the sunset,
Way out on the sea,
Oh carry my loved one
Home safely to me . . .”
Contact Information:
Ashford Castle, Cong, Co. Mayo. Ireland, Tel: 094 954 6003. Web-site: www.ashford.ie.
Kinnitty Castle, Kinnitty, Birr, Co. Offaly, Ireland. Tel: 0509 37318.
Web-site: www.kinnitycastle.com.
Rosleague Manor, Letterfrack, Co. Galway, Tel: 095 41101. Web-site: www.rosleague.com
Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, Web-site: www.sheenfallslodge.ie
For a trip in a Galway Hooker: The Truelight, Carna, Connemara, Co. Galway, Tel: 095 21034, Web-site: www.truelight.ie
Galway Oyster Festival, 22-25 September 2005. Web-site: www.galwayoysterfest.com
Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival; Web-site: www.matchmakerireland.com
Irish Balloon Flights, 80 Cypress Road, Templeogue, Co. Dublin, Tel: 01 406 4777;
Web-site: www.balloons.ie
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Ireland – the home of great value golf
The eyes of the golfing world were firmly fixed on Ireland in 2006 for the 36th Ryder Cup held at the K Club. This great tournament added to the country’s established reputation as home to some of the world’s greatest courses.
Courses such as Portmarnock, Royal Dublin, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Rosses Point, Mount Juliet, Royal County Down, and of course the K Club are world renowned and offer a test to even the most accomplished players.
But these are just a few of the country’s more famous courses. And you don’t have to confine yourself to them if you want to enjoy great golf in Ireland. Indeed, Ireland has no fewer than 440 golf courses to choose from, each offering its own combination of beautiful scenery and classic Irish hospitality.
In fact, the greatest difficulty facing many golfers visiting Ireland for the first time is choosing which courses to play! But if Ireland is famous for anything it’s making life easy for its guests and there are a number of special offers now available which enable you to play a number of courses in various regions at a very low cost.
Ireland’s South East Region lies just 100 kilometres south of Dublin and boasts some of the country’s finest courses as well as exceptional value, great scenery and a range of interesting places to visit and outdoor activities to fill in the non-golfing hours.
The Region offers a number of Golf Value Passes ranging from just €69 to €95. These passes entitle the holder to play rounds at three different courses in the region. For those looking for something a little bit special they can opt for the €175 Pass which takes in championship courses Mount Juliet, Faithlegg, and Waterford Castle.
Counties Cork and Kerry in the South West offer some of the most spectacular coastlines anywhere in the World as well as rugged landscapes that are truly breathtaking. They also offer some of the best golf courses to be found anywhere. Waterville in County Kerry is a preferred practice ground for Tiger Woods prior to the British Open while Tom Watson used Ballybunion in the same county as the launch pad for his five wins in that same tournament.
Again there are a range of golf passes on offer to suit both the pocket and the proficiency level of every golfer. The passes range in price from €89 to €150 and entitle the holder to play rounds on three different courses in the region. Courses covered include Fota Island, former venue of the Irish Open; the world famous Mahony’s Point course at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club; the truly inspiring Kenmare Golf Club with its views over Kenmare Bay; and the Ring of Kerry Golf Club.
Moving north there are some tremendous packages available in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is home to a number of the world’s top ranked links courses with Royal County Down and Royal Portrush among the most famous. Golfers wishing to sample some of the golfing gems of this area can avail of a package which offers either three rounds of golf for €95 or five rounds for €145. Great value in anyone’s book.
Among the courses covered by the packages are Banbridge, Kirkistown Castle, Edenmore and Gracehill.
Turning west to Donegal you can avail of three rounds of golf in your choice of five different courses for just €85. The courses include Rosapena Golf Links, St Patrick’s Golf Links and Letterkenny Golf Club.
Moving south again to the Shannon Region there are no fewer than 25 different courses which all offer excellent value to visitors as well as guaranteeing them a truly great Irish welcome and some of the most beautiful and spectacular scenery to be found anywhere in Ireland.
And for those who don’t want to venture too far from Dublin there is a great value package featuring three top quality courses in County Wicklow, just south of the capital city. For just €159 you can play a round in each of Druids Heath, Tulfarris and Woodenbridge Golf Courses. Each are championship standard and offer their own set of challenges as well as unique settings.
For many golfers the most important part of the round is the post mortem on the 19th, and you can be sure to find a warm welcome from fellow golfers and staff in Irish clubhouses. Sitting back over a drink or two in an Irish clubhouse bar is the ideal place to chill out after a strenuous round of golf; you can enjoy the craic with the locals and compare scorecards – if you’ve had a good day.
Indeed, it’s usually a good idea to check out the clubhouse before venturing out on the course. You’re almost sure to meet a few locals and members who will be only too happy to share the benefit of their local knowledge with you in terms of pointers and tips for the round ahead.
You’ll also find that they make excellent tour guides and can offer great advice on interesting places to visit and other activities during your stay in their area.
And it’s very easy to avail of one of these excellent value packages. Just contact your local Tourism Ireland office or log on to www.discoverireland.com or www.ireland.ie/golf and you’ll get all the assistance you require.
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Ireland‘s Culinary Scene – “Homegrown with a dash of exotic
Few people outside of Ireland saw this one coming, yet the entire island has slipped quietly into a new role as a must-visit destination for food-lovers from all over the world.
Just weeks ago, champagne corks were popping in restaurants across the country when the latest batch of Michelin Stars was awarded. Ireland now has seven Michelin Star restaurants. The two new additions to the fold - Mint Restaurant and Bon Appetite in Dublin - both managed to secure the coveted status within 2 years of opening which is an indication of how truly dynamic and vibrant the Irish culinary scene has become.
In Northern Ireland, Restaurant Michael Deane maintained it’s outstanding record and received the illustrious accolade for the 12th year running.
The style of food obviously varies greatly at these restaurants but what they all have in common is the warmth and individuality that has always been at the heart of Irish hospitality - and, no matter how diverse the courses, the basic building blocks are the excellent raw materials for which Ireland has a wonderful reputation.
Our famous pastures make for a wide range of fabulous products, notably beef and lamb, while our rivers and seas provide an abundance of fresh fish and seafood. Local produce is a point of pride in the best kitchens everywhere and a growing interest in specialist production is reflected in the availability of products like hand-smoked fish and meats, baked goods and preserves plus a wide range of organic vegetables and fruit, many of which are sold at local farmers markets.
As well as sampling our fine dining restaurants, a visit to a cookery school is a major part of the Irish culinary trail.
Ireland’s most famous cookery school is run by Chef Darina Allen in the lush, rolling countryside of East Cork. At Ballymaloe, you might find yourself spending a half day learning how to make the most of fish from nearby Ballycotton Harbour or you might simply like to take the mystery out of jams and preserves.
The most important ingredient of the Irish Cookery School experience is to learn in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, as can be found at Elizabeth Kennedy’s school in Belfast. Students are taught classic or creative modern cookery in a homely setting that leaves you always wanting seconds.
The final cog in the Irish culinary wheel can be seen at some of the stunning luxury hotels popping up across the island. These wonderful properties are only too aware that along with beautiful lodgings they must provide outstanding cuisine to match.
The Merchant and The Culloden in Belfast, and The Dylan in Dublin – are all examples of hotels that have embraced this approach. They have invested in Chefs with years of international expertise and they are reaping the rewards of providing the ‘total hotel package’.
Their kitchens, like many others throughout the island, have taken Ireland’s ‘homegrown’, sprinkled in a dash of ‘exotic’, and now offer a dining experience to rival anywhere in the world.
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John Cullen – “Inspired by Ireland”
With our recent successes in the garden world, I am a bit hesitant about sharing one of my inside secrets to the successes of Celtic Gardens. I wonder whether it prudent to share this secret, knowing that my “competition” might actually read this article. Throwing all caution to the wind, I must speak of the beauty of the land which I claim as the land of my ancestors. The truth be known, I have drawn a great deal of inspiration from the countryside and gardens of Ireland. This country, which boasts some of the world’s finest gardens, also has a countryside whose frugal splendor can inspire even the daft. Many tourists return from Ireland with a natural gift for story telling. Many feel the need to write. And then there are others of us, who have realized that our capacity to create beautiful gardens has been greatly influenced by the beauty which we still carry with us, after leaving this Island of rugged beauty and splendor.
I love Ireland in the bleak mid-winter. O to nestle into a pub or quaint coffee shop for an evening after enduring a rainy day. This last January, I found my awkward way into a quaint coffee shop, which I think sat 7 persons, and found refuge near a turf fire. As often as I travel to Ireland, I always have one of those experiences that I will never forget. So clearly, I remember the smell of the roast of coffee over the random puffs of peat smoke that missed the chimney. I remember a pair of drenched boots near the fire, and the barefooted-fellow reading a local newspaper. I didn’t accomplish much that day; however, I will always remember that café, every bit of it. And I was happy to revisit a garden that I had built on the grounds of Hillsborough Castle.
It was on these magnificent grounds that I had participated in Garden Show Ireland 2007, Northern Ireland’s premier garden show. The grounds of Hillsborough Castle are a magnificent setting for this horticultural extravaganza, having played host to many esteemed guests over the years, including past US Presidents and key government figures, not to mention the Guinness Book of World Records largest rhododendron bush in Europe. I teamed up with a building crew from the Lisburn City Counsel, who themselves had won a Silver at the Chelsea Flower Show. Initially, the garden was intended to be a central display in the garden show, but the design was so well-loved that the City Council of Lisburn has decided to make it a permanent garden amidst the magnificent gardens already present at Hillsborough Castle. I was happy to see that the beehive hut I had created for the garden at Hillsborough Castle, was still happily sitting in the midst of its spring-fed pond.
The Italians have a lovely tradition of throwing a coin in a pond to guarantee a return to its cities or towns. As an Irishman, I have adapted this a bit by leaving a fifth of whiskey buried somewhere I hope to return, or if not, perhaps my children might someday visit. When I was building this small Bee Hive Hut as an island in my garden at Hillsborough, I nestled a fifth of Bushmills into the stonework to speed my return . . . Sure enough, it took only six months to re-visit this little hidden treasure.
During my stay in Northern Ireland last summer, my wife, Moira and I, took in some of the most spectacular sites and gardens before and after the show hours of Garden Show Ireland. As much as I love those rainy days of the Irish winters, my wife Moira greatly enjoyed the summer days of Ireland. We didn’t see any rain during our entire trip, but for a few moments here and there. And the sunshine, it shone from 4am until almost 11pm every day. With this much sunlight we saw more sights than we thought possible.
Moira and I (both Irish-Americans) were very familiar with the beauty and charm of the South of Ireland, as our first date was in Galway, our engagement in Glendalough, and our honeymoon in the Dingle Peninsula and Kinsale, and our business travels in Dublin. But we didn’t expect the charm and beauty of the South to be so clearly reflected in the North. We were overwhelmed during our stay with the hospitality of those we encountered. We couldn’t get enough of the beauty of the gardens of the National Trust and natural wonders of places like Giant’s Causeway. We imbibed to our hearts content at the Bushmills Distillery, and enjoyed some of the finest meals and music during our stay in Belfast. Finally, we felt spiritually renewed by our visits to the various churches and sites related to a Saint close to our heart, St. Patrick.
Because of these wonderful memories, I have decided to bring a piece of my Irish experience to the Philadelphia Flower Show with the reappearance of the Bee Hive Hut that I built for Hillsborough Castle. And again, I will be replicating this bee hive hut for the garden that we were asked to design and build for the Internationally known, Singapore International Garden Show in July of 2008. This beehive hut is a symbol of all that is good and beautiful in this world. It is a rock on which to stand in the midst of the trials we experience here on earth. It is a source of inspiration and hope for the future. Look for it in the gardens of Hillsborough Castle, the Philadelphia Flower Show, and the Singapore Garden Show in 2008.
My further inspiration for the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show comes from a beautiful prayer from St. Augustine’s Confessions. The words that penetrated my being were simply, “Late Have I loved Thee, O Beauty Ever Ancient, Ever New.” Slowly these words gave seed to a garden design for the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show, at which I proudly will be building a garden, sponsored by Tourism Ireland. This prayer sums up my Irish experience beautifully. Whether it be the beautiful Irish scenery, a beautiful flower, or a beautiful garden, all provoke a reaction in our most human souls – a sense of desire, a sense of yearning to be whole, to be one with Beauty, ever ancient, ever new.
My objective in honoring Ireland within a small exhibition would be in weaving together elements of the past with concepts of tomorrow. From our modern Green Roof garden to ancient Bee Hive Hut on the shores of a countryside pond, Celtic Gardens exhibit, ‘O Beauty Ever Ancient, Ever New, ‘will strive to capture just a taste of what is Ireland. Every detail, from plant selection to garden design, from garden perpetuation to stone and statuary, is carefully thought out and woven into the garden concept. The result: a seamless garden that reflects age old principles of beauty, form, and purpose and the hope of a better, more brilliant tomorrow.
CONTACT:
John J. Cullen
Celtic Gardens
12800 Oak Hill Drive
Dexter, MI 48130
734.424.9950
jjcullen@celticgardenimports.com
Celtic Gardens, winner of 2007 Best in Show and People’s Choice Awards, Invited exhibitor at Garden Show Ireland 2007 and Singapore International Garden Festival 2008 to build exhibit in 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show, titled O Beauty, Ever Ancient, Ever New, sponsored by Tourism Ireland.
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Ireland’s Garden Ambassadors
Tourism Ireland is thrilled to announce that three of Ireland’s top gardeners will join us at the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show. The delightful Helen Dillon, the BBC’s John Cushnie and Irish garden royalty, The knight of Glin will act as Ireland’s garden ambassadors at the event and will provide all the necessary advice and expertise you might need to create your very own Irish Garden.
 Helen Dillon
Reviewing her latest book, Helen Dillon’s Garden book, the Daily Telegraph writes, “Helen Dillon is a Dublin-based gardener of huge renown who is blessed with the ability to write highly opinionated prose in the most direct, engaging and witty way - almost a female version of Christopher Lloyd ... The whole thing would make an admirable present for a novice gardener because the author manages to demystify everything from aralia cultivation to "the pros and cons of instant plants". She even contrives to make the business of staking sound like an art form. Her long experience of plants and gardening - and of people - shines through.”
Check out Helen’s website www.dillongarden.com where you will find lots of background information and interesting asides from one of Ireland’s gardening greats.
John Cushnie
John Cushnie runs a landscape design and contracting company in County Down, Northern Ireland. He is the gardening editor of Ireland's Homes Interior and Living magazine, a panelist on BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph. In addition to his own books he was recently a co-author of the Gardeners' Question Time Plant Chooser. He lectures widely throughout the British Isles. His other books include How to Garden, Shrubs for the Garden, Trees for the Garden and How to Propogate.
Check out John’s website www.cushnielandscapes.co.uk
The Knight of Glin
Glin Castle, home of the Knight of Glin and his wife Madam FitzGerald, stands on the banks of the River Shannon in county Limerick amidst a 500 acre demense. The Castle Gardens provide an environment in which visiting gardeners can investigate and examine the flowers, plants and trees. The walled garden is awash with fresh fruit and vegetables which find their way daily to the castle’s tables. The last three generations of FitzGeralds are all endowed with that wonderful artistic, architectural, gardening gene. The knight’s mother, Veronica, was a noted gardener and flower painter. The Knight, president of the Georgian Society, has fought to preserve Ireland’s great houses and gardens for half a century. His wife – Madam FitzGerald – has written the country’s definitive gardening book, “Irish Gardens”, and his daughter, Catherine FitzGerald, is a leading garden expert.
Check out Glin Castle’s website www.glincastle.com
Helen Dillon, John Cushnie and the Knight of Glin are available for media interviews in Philadelphia from March 3 - 6. Each of them are accomplished broadcasters and interviewees and would provide a perfect insight into an Irish gardening scene that has enjoyed marvelous recognition in the last number of years. Over 44 million Americans claim Irish Ancestry, in the run up to St. Patrick’s day that figure grows considerably! Tourism Ireland would encourage you to give your coverage of the Philadelphia Flower Show an Irish flavor by featuring these hugely talented garden designers.
If you are interested in featuring Helen, John or The Knight of Glin please contact Joan Bolger at Tourism Ireland, telephone 212 418 0818 or email jbolger@tourismireland.com
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Make Ireland part of your garden experience.
Tourism Ireland brings a little piece of Ireland from the country’s stunning gardens to the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show.
Philadelphia, March 2, 2008:
The best way to experience Ireland’s stunning Gardens is to come and see them. Ireland is an island peppered with places of startling, cultivated beauty - where plants from all corners of the globe live in happy harmony.
The next best thing is to bring a little piece of Ireland to your own garden compliments of Tourism Ireland. Imported directly from across the Atlantic, we have brought a little piece of Ireland – in the form of a gift bag full of Irish soil, for our friends at the Philadelphia Flower show, and we are even providing some shamrock seeds.
We hope this will whet your appetite and encourage you to visit Ireland and the hauntingly beautiful mix of gardens to be found there.
Some of Ireland’s gardens are very grand and stately spaces, such as the Victorian walled garden at Kylemore Abbey in Connemara, others are wild and watery havens, such as Annes Grove in Co Cork. Also in Cork, Garnish Island is really worth a visit. Because of its sheltered situation and the warming oceanic influence of the Gulf Stream the climate is almost subtropical, and is favorable to the growth of ornamental plants from all over the world.
Indeed, fantasy is an often-present element in the gardens of Ireland. One of the more fanciful places to visit is Mount Stewart, in Co Down, Northern Ireland, the creation of Edith, Lady Londonderry, who came to live here in 1919. She built and planted the gardens with the help of 20 ex-servicemen, who had been assigned to the estate as part of the government's post-war demobilization drive.
Get your Shamrock and win a trip to Ireland!
Tourism Ireland is excited to be able to offer you a piece of your very own Irish Shamrock. All you have to do is go to the special button on our website www.discoverireland.com. There, you can sign up, get a voucher, and pick up your Shamrock at the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show. You will also have the opportunity to enter a fabulous competition to win a trip to the stunning gardens of Ireland.
Ireland’s Garden Ambassadors
Tourism Ireland is thrilled to announce that it is being joined at the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show by three wonderful ambassadors for Irish Gardening. Garden writer and designer Helen Dillon, designer and broadcaster John Cushnie and Irish garden royalty, The Knight of Glin, will all be in attendance.
They are accomplished broadcasters and wonderful characters and they would provide a perfect insight into an Irish gardening scene that has enjoyed marvelous recognition in the last number of years.
Over 44 million Americans claim Irish Ancestry, in the run up to St. Patrick’s Day that figure grows considerably! Tourism Ireland would encourage you to give your coverage of the Philadelphia Flower Show an Irish flavor by featuring these hugely talented gardeners.
If you are interested in featuring Helen, John, or the Knight of Glin please contact Joan Bolger at Tourism Ireland, telephone 212 418 0818 or email jbolger@tourismireland.com
Tourism Ireland’s Industry Partners
Tourism Ireland is also delighted to be joined at the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show by our wonderful partners below who can make you’re your Ireland dream a reality. Come and discover you very own Ireland – the island of gardens. For more information please check out www.discoverireland.com
Celtic Tours: “Choosing the right vacation package can become a chore with so many packages offered by different companies. In choosing Celtic tours you will have taken a major step forward.”
CIE Tours: "Our focus has always been, and continues to be, on quality. We insist on state-of-the-art luxury coaches; prompt and pleasant customer service; and the best hotels, visits and entertainment.”
Lynott Tours: “We realize that no two customers are alike, we offer you the flexibility to choose from hand-picked hotels, car rentals, transfers, and sightseeing options to complete your ideal Ireland travel vacation.”
Sceptre Tours: “Independent self drive vacations, escorted motorcoach tours vacations, Castle Vacations, Ireland Golf Vacations, Scotland Golf Vacations, Hotel Vacations, B&B vacations are all at your fingertips.”
Irish Hotels Federation: “Founded in 1937, the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is the national organization of the hotel and guesthouse industry in Ireland. The IHF represents almost 1,000 hotels and guesthouses nationwide, employing over 57,000 people and is a key stakeholder in the Irish tourism sector.”
Town and Country Homes Association: “Bed and Breakfast in Ireland is a unique experience where you can enjoy a warm welcome and a relaxed pace of life, something you will want to repeat again and again.”
Heritage Island
“Heritage Island brings together 93 of Ireland's Visitor Attractions and Heritage Towns ranging from ancient abbeys, medieval castles and historic houses to museums, interpretative centres, gardens and folk parks.”
Dublin Tourism: “Dublin is special, a place where tradition and cultural heritage have merged seamlessly over the centuries to create an atmosphere simply unique to Dublin.”
Tower Hotel Group: “Tower Hotel Group, a part of the FBD group, is Irish owned and managed and includes five hotels in Ireland offering quality accommodation & facilities in Dublin and Waterford.”
Manor House Hotels: “Even in this day and age, you don't have to go very far to enjoy truly gracious living. At Manor House Hotels of Ireland, you'll find a world of understated elegance and warm, personal service, at a selection of over thirty exclusive luxury hotels in Ireland providing the ultimate in Manor and Country House hotel accommodation.”
Irish Country Hotels: “Irish Country Hotels in Ireland, Ireland bed and breakfast accommodation are a collection of over thirty Irish Family run country hotels located all over Ireland. Perfect for a relaxing weekend getaway break or for your Ireland holiday vacation where you can enjoy the comforts of Irish hotel bed and breakfast accommodation.”
Irish Farmhouse Holidays: “Irish Farmhouse Holidays lets you experience the genuine warmth and friendliness of the Irish people whilst surrounding yourself with the sights and sounds of the beautiful Irish countryside.”
Houses, Castles and Gardens of Ireland: “Ireland’s rich heritage is renowned and inseparable from the true legacy of the great houses, castles and gardens that form part of our cultural identity.”
Ballynahinch Castle: “As one of the premier Castle Hotels in Ireland, Ballynahinch Castle has a charm and aura, which can best be described as 'Casual Country Elegance', which few forget and most return for.”
Failte Ireland South East: “Experience a wonderful holiday you’ll never forget with the sunniest climate in Ireland, unique heritage, vibrant cities and towns, and a scenic landscape that is a natural playground for an activity based holiday. “
Failte Ireland East and Midlands: “For those of you who may like to relax & unwind you will be spoilt with choice from relaxing spa breaks, waterside & woodlands walks & breathtaking scenery.”
Ireland’s Blue Book
Ireland's Blue Book is an exclusive listing of Luxury Irish Accommodation in
Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses, Castles and Gourmet Restaurants, whose qualities combine charm, style, character and individuality.
Irelands Shannon Region: “The River Shannon and its magnificent lakes combine to form one of Europe's finest navigable inland waterways. You can hire and captain your own fully-equipped and beautifully furnished luxury cruiser and, with the minimum of tuition, the mighty Shannon is yours to explore and enjoy.”
Old Ground Hotel: “A truly magical residence that blends the warmth of a country home with the style and luxury of a contemporary hotel.”
Failte Ireland West: “We're here to help you plan your holiday and truly discover this outstanding part of the world known as Ireland's West!”
The Little Book of Luxury
Newbridge Silverware
The Curragh Racecourse
The K Club Golf and Spa Resort
Barberstown Castle
Rathsallagh House Hotel
Punchestown Racecourse
The Kildare Village
The Heritage Hotel
The Killashee House Hotel
The Irish National Stud
Press Contact: Mr. Bernard McMullan 212 418 0847
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