Irish Tourist Season

Bust those January Blues with a super saving weekend deal at ....

The January sales are here for hotels all over the world. And while many will spend the month slowly watching the very few pennies left in the bank, others will take the opportunity to go on a short cheap break.

What a brilliant opportunity to visit somewhere new in Ireland, tick something off the to see list and all for a nice tidy price, I thought.

But the Irish Tourist Season is not open for business. The doors are closed until March.*

You know because of earthquake season...

And it is still sort of cold I guess, there are definitely clouds in the sky and no one owns a coat here.**

It does rain a lot in Ireland ... Downpatrick Head, Co Mayo
(c) fifiheavey

I found a great deal for a hotel in Cashel, Co Tipperary. The hotel looked lovely and I jumped at the opportunity to visit the Rock of Cashel which received huge publicity during the Queen's visit last May. But the doors are closed.

Clonmacnoise, Co Offaly would be nice to see, the ancient monastery, the graves, the high towers. Closed to tourists until March though.

Skellig Michael, Co Kerry

World Heritage Site Skellig Michael, co Kerry looks intriguing, spectacular – but the experience center is closed yep... until Tourist season opens.

UNESCO Geopark in Cavan and Fermanagh which includes the Marble Arch Caves a window into 650 million years ago could be a nice detour... but this is not the time of year for fun.

Yes many other attractions around the country are open, but why not all? Can we not be open for tourists all year around? Is it the rain – because I think anyone who doesn't live in a dungeon knows it rains here.

We all don't get our two weeks holidays in August, people travel all year around. Do we need to rely our entire tourism industry on just the three Summer months?

Tourist Season March to October should maximize our tourist attractions, but certainly not eliminate them for the rest of the year.

Our slogan should not be:

Cead Mile Faile go hEireann (March – October only)

* True

** Not quite true 

Love Food, Will Travel

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well -Virginia Woolf

GOOD  food, a fine restaurant, reliable pub grub, impressive hotel feasts make all the difference don't 
they?
Many travel the length and breath of Ireland but can only recall a specific location by the restaurant there, the great fry up or nice cup of coffee. A superb restaurant can transform ordinary, non special places into tourist hot spots by just getting one thing right – good food.

Recently I was honoured to be part of the Connaught Judging Panel for the Irish Restaurant Awards. I had never done anything like this before, I didn't quite know what to expect but I do like food and in the end that was all that really mattered.

The choice of locations was phenomenal and although the top five were quite quickly whittled down by the industry experts within minutes, it was the small detail sometimes more than the obvious stand out opinions that distinguished the true winners.

Many of the winning venues come from small villages, rural areas and places that are bypassed or are just not worth going to ... except for that small venue creating delicious dinners. Many of the food experts said they will travel long distances to experience fine food and while there they will of course take a look around the area, sure why not build up an apatite!

I know friends who travel the world based on food, select their holiday destinations based on fine wines, beer festivals or to try out exotic food.

Although internationally Ireland certainly doesn't top the list for food experiences, within the country we know that home grown and cooked products are some of the best in the world.

So we should promote that – fine food destinations. There are plenty of food festivals, event events around the country but they don't get the same publicity as music festivals or art and culture events achieve.

Neven Maguire's Cook Book
Neven Cooks

Has anybody ever heard or been to Blacklion in Co Cavan? If you have, you probably only know the place for one reason (unless you are from there, have friends or relations there ...) because Celebrity Chef Neven Maguire runs MacNean Guest house and restaurant there.

I was speaking to him last year and he said his restaurant was booked out for every weekend for the next year – what an achievement in the middle of Ireland's toughest recession, what a boost to the Blacklion area. He has plans to open a cookery school there, Ballymaloe style.

Will people travel to that small irrelevant village in West Cavan ... yes you will, as you would travel to any part of the country to experience something special.

Have you traveled just for food?

Here and Now

I love this time of year, Autumn is a picture perfect season.
I am one of those strange people, who like the dark evenings, the frost mornings and cold afternoons. As the leaves turn beautiful colours and fall elegantly to the ground, the air gets a lovely sharp cold and there is nothing better than a walk up a country lane, mountainside or marshy bog with a number of layers on, a woolly hat, scarf and coat with a sheep dog by your side.
Hot stew, soup and tea cuddled up on a couch with someone else - you really cant beat that! It maybe because I am pale with freckles and red hair and this time of year suits me (also my birthday is in October!) or because I'm a lazy cat who loves sleeping and cuddles and ... movie marathons!
I have just finished carving my first pumpkin and although I am not a huge Halloween fan, because it was an event I didn't really celebrate in my childhood, I think it has huge potential. Take away the Americanisation of the festivities I think Ireland should embrace Halloween and celebrate it in it's own unique way - focusing on our very real traditions with the All Hallows Eve. I love the idea of the Virginia Pumpkin Festival in Co Cavan. Fair play to them for doing something fun and different. Imelda May plays there this year - put it on your list of places to be spooked this year!