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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Luxury Ireland/Our HoneymoonFor those of you new to our website, 10 years ago Jim and I met on a trip to northern Ireland with Conway Hammond Tours out of Albany, NY. That trip resulted in a 9 year romance, Jim moving permanently to Pennsylvania from the Capital district of NY his childhood home, the opening of Ameranall Travel and finally our personal merger on April 13, 2006. In January of 2007, a bit delayed, we went on our Honeymoon back to Ireland. And in that 9 year period another merger took place when John Hammond and Michele Conway also united in wedding bliss and opened a new company, Hammond Tours. So, it was only fitting that we take our honeymoon to Ireland with Hammond Tours. We enjoyed a wonderful trip, and no the weather is not bad in Ireland in January although it is the off season. In years past there were three seasons for traveling to Ireland, prime season (late May through early September), shoulder season (late September through early November and late March through early May), and the off season (November to March). But this no longer holds true. With the influx of tourism to Ireland in recent years, there is no longer a shoulder season and the only real off season is December through January. Ours was a luxury tour for the first 6 nights staying at all 5 star hotels and Manor Houses. A favorite of ours is Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, located in the picturesque village of Adare, Co. Limerick, a member of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World organization, this luxury castle hotel, provides you with an elegant yet relaxing atmosphere for a truly memorable stay.
Set amid 840 acres of formal gardens and rolling parkland, the Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort offers world class accommodations, a magnificent Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed championship golf course, a luxurious Spa, several fine restaurants and entertaining bars. Another lovely hotel we stayed at in Dublin is the Westbury Hotel. Step out of The Westbury Hotel and step into the very heart of Dublin. This sophisticated, stylish 5-star Dublin hotel is also one of The Leading Hotels of the World. You can walk to any number of theatres, clubs, restaurants, bars and Dublin’s premier shopping street, Grafton Street, is right opposite you. View of accommodations we had
Our Irish tour included some of the wonderful tourist attractions that you will typically find on many of the scheduled tours of the southern part of the Republic of Ireland. They included the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, the National Stud and the Japanese Gardens to name a few. There are so many things to see and do in Ireland and the charm of the Irish people we can guarantee will beckon you to return again and again once you have made your first trip. At the end of our first 6 nights we bid farewell to our travel companions and headed off on a public bus to the village of Castledermot which is little more than a crossroads in route from Dublin to Waterford. We were dropped off at a telephone booth on the side of the road, the bus stop, where we call a pre arranged party (thanks to concierge at the Westbury Hotel) who was to pick us up and take us 7 miles down the road to Kilkea Castle. This was absolutely the high-light of the trip for me for me. Kilkea Castle was built in 1180 by Hugh DeLacy. It has been home to some legendary figures, among them Silken Thomas and Gerald Fitzgerald. It is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Ireland. When we arrived we were ushered to our accommodations and were thrilled to find we were given the honeymoon suite. We had three rooms in the top corner of the castle consisting of the parlor, the bathroom and the bedroom and it was absolutely lovely. I would not normally count the bathroom in the number of rooms for a suite, but this was truly special. Out bathroom was the turret at the corner of the castle. Even the door into the bathroom was on a curve to fit the round shape of the turret.
My greatest interest in Kilkea Castle however was in the architect, Hugh DeLacy, because you see, my maiden name is DeLacy. I'm still looking into the history and genealogy on that score. You will notice in the logos presented on our site, the Irish Shamrock. Jim and I are both certified with the Irish Tourist Board and specialize in Ireland. In particular, we enjoy setting up family and customized groups to Ireland. If you haven't been, you really need to put Ireland at the top of your travel wish list and give us a call. Mary Ann Devery For More Information Contact: |
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Last modified:
11/25/08
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