Welcome to Travel Directories Ireland Newsletter for Autumn 2019

Tourism News

Galway ranked no.4 among world’s top cities for 2020 by Lonely Planet

With Salzburg - Austria, Washington D.C. - USA, and Cairo - Egypt taking first second and third respectively, Galway - Ireland, European City of Culture 2020, has been chosen in fourth place in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2020 cities category.
The criteria according to Lonely Planet: ""We ask everyone, from our writers and editors to our online family of social media influencers, and amid fierce debate, the list is whittled down by our panel of travel experts. Each is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences and ‘wow’ factor. We also take sustainable travel seriously – helping you to have a positive impact wherever you choose to go."
more>>

Top American travel agents check out Ireland
Eleven top travel agents from the US have visited recently. They’re all members of Virtuoso – an international network of luxury travel agencies – and they are visiting Ireland for the very first time!
The aim of their visit is to showcase some of the many things to see and do here for high end American travellers and to really enthuse the travel agents about selling Ireland. Their action-packed programme includes Dromoland Castle, the Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum, Adare Manor, the Jameson Distillery Midleton, House of Waterford Crystal, Dunbrody Famine Ship, Hook Lighthouse and Glendalough.
more>>

The tourism boom has peaked and trouble may lie ahead
There is a mounting volume of evidence to show that the Irish tourism industry has now peaked, and more difficult times may lie ahead for the sector. This is bad news for the Government, which, rightly or wrongly, will be blamed by the industry for increasing the sector’s VAT rate in the budget a year ago this month.
The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, the umbrella lobbying group for the sector, told its members this week that “regrettably 2019 could see Ireland’s tourism economy decline, the first reversal in eight years”.
more>>

New Year’s Festival to generate €10m for Dublin’s economy
A programme of events for this year’s New Year’s Festival is expected to yield a €10 million boost for Dublin’s local economy while tourism chiefs have said it will help counter the threat of Brexit to the industry.
The festival, which is now in its eighth year, will involve four events over December 31st and January 1st. It attracted about 24,000 people into the city centre last year, about a third of which were international visitors.
more>>

Travel and Tourism Statistics
The following table shows trips made to Ireland from January to September 2019, compared with the same period in 2018 and also indicates where the visitors came from. more>>

Travel News

New Flights
Dublin Airport
• Ryanair will launch four new services next summer: Marseille, France five times per week. Palanga, Lithuania 3 times per week. Podgorica, Montenegro twice per week and Verona, Italy 3 times per week.
more>>

Cork Airport
• Ryanair’s new routes this winter season are to Alicante, Budapest, Poznan, Malta and Katowice in Poland.
more>>
• Air France will double its frequency on the Cork to Paris-Charles de Gaulle route with the addition of a second daily service from April to October 2020.
more>>
• Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is to increase and expand its Cork-Zurich service for Summer 2020.
more>>
• Ryanair is to commence a new summer 2020 service from Cork to Katowice, Poland twice weekly.
more>>

Shannon Airport
• Lauda, the low-cost Austrian airline, of a new service from Shannon Airport to Vienna next year. Flights will run twice weekly from the end of March 2020 on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s.
more>>
• Ryanair has decided to cut their services from Shannon to Bristol, East Midlands and Ibiza from January 2020. In light of the slowdown in the global economy and the uncertainty of Brexit, this is a particularly challenging time for global aviation.
more>>

Ireland West (Knock) Airport
• Austrian airline, Lauda, launches first ever route from regional Ireland with new Majorca service. The new Majorca service will commence on March 31st 2020 and operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the summer period using an Airbus A320, 174 seater jet aircraft.
more>>

Dublin Airport To Trial Volunteer-Based Christmas Initiative To Assist Passengers
Dublin Airport, in partnership with Volunteer Ireland, is to trial a new volunteer-based assistance programme for passengers this Christmas.
The volunteer group, which will be known as the Fáilte Abhaile/Welcome Volunteers will comprise members of the local community and retirees from the aviation industry. The role of volunteers is to welcome passengers and offer assistance during the busy Christmas season.
A small team of 32 volunteers will be recruited to volunteer for a four-hour shift once a week, between 7am and 10pm in the Arrivals Hall in Terminal 1 or Terminal 2.
more>>

Norwegian To End Transatlantic Flights Between Ireland And North America From September 15, 2019
Matthew Wood, SVP Long-Haul Commercial at Norwegian said: “As the airline moves from growth to profitability, we have conducted a comprehensive review of our transatlantic operations between Ireland and North America and considering the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, we have concluded that these routes are no longer commercially viable.
more>>

Events Autumn 2019

Burren Food Fayre
26th -27th October, The Pavaillion, Lisdoonvarna, Co.Clare
October Bank Holiday Weekend will see the 8th Annual Year of the Burren Food Fayre. This food themed weekend #TasteWithoutWaste encompasses a Foraging Walk with Oonagh O’Dwyer of Wild Kitchen, a foraging walk with Lisa Guinana from Irish Herbal Roots, food stalls and chef demonstrations. It is an opportunity for local producers to showcase their range of local produce from the Burren region.
more>>

Samhain – 5,000 years of Food & Culture
1st – 3rd November, Kells, Co. Meath.
This will be a weekend of food and food culture. Michelin Chefs, Food Writers, international visitors and much loved personalities of Irish food will come to Kells to present, celebrate, and debate our relationship with food down through the ages and into the future.
more>>

Harbour Bar Toastie Festival
1st – 3rd November, The Harbour Bar, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Join in Ireland’s only Toastie Festival. A celebration of a Harbour Bar classic, the humble ham and cheese toastie, a firm favourite to go with that post Cliff Walk well-earned pint or perfect pot of tea.
Throughout the festival there will be the classic ham and cheese offering alongside some more adventurous fillings to try and match with whatever your tipple. Plus free tea top ups too. Visitors can snag a seat by one of the Harbour Bar’s roaring fires or cosy up out front for outside service with an Irish Coffee or Hot Mulled Gin.
Let's not forget, 'The Golden Toaster' is up for the taking as Bray businesses grill it out to be crowned 'The Best Toastie In Bray'.
more>>

Dún Laoghaire Vinyl Festival
1st – 3rd November, Dún Laoighaire, Dublin.
Taking place over three days from 1st-3rd November, the Vinyl Festival will involve a collection of talks and discussions relating to all aspects of vinyl recordings – from writing, recording, producing and performing, down to examining sleeve design and liner notes, as well as looking at the importance and significance of vinyl records in our culture today.
Highlights of the festival look set to be two live gigs featuring Johnny, Barry & Jim of Horslips on the 1st & 2nd in the Pavilion Theatre (43 years on from recording their Horslips Live album in Dún Laoghaire’s old Pavilion!), and Line of Duty/This is England actor – and part-time DJ - Vicky McClure’s DJ set in The Lighthouse on the Saturday night.
more>>

Allingham Arts Festival
6th – 10th November, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal.
This year's Allingham Festival will bring artwork and poetry, journalism, comedy and drama to Ballyshannon. Festival attractions will include:
A tribute to Donegal playwright Frank McGuinness. The Allingham Arts Association will sponsor two performances of his play The Bread Man, plus tributes by the playwright's friends and colleagues. RTE broadcaster Seán Rocks will also lead a conversation with Frank McGuinness.
more>>

Dublin Book Festival
14th – 17th November, Dublin City.
The Dublin Book Festival is one of Ireland’s most successful and vibrant book festivals, running since June 2006. The annual public festival showcases, supports and develops Irish publishing by programming, publicising and selling Irish published books, their authors, editors and contributors – all in an entertaining, festive, friendly and accessible environment that reflects the creativity and personality of the Irish publishing sector and its authors.
more>>

Recipe

Halloween Ghostly Cake Pops
Prep: 20 mins Cook: 30 mins
Makes: 12

Method
1. Place the dates, cashews, cacao powder and maple syrup in a food processor and pulse until well blended and it comes together in a sticky lump.
2. With lightly dampened hands, roll the mixture into 12 balls, about 25g each. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. Insert a lollipop stick or paper straw in the centre of each ball. Wrap each one with a piece of baking paper, securing them with string or butcher’s twine. Decorate the front of each one with two goggle eyes. These will keep for up to one week in an airtight container in the fridge.
Tip: Add the finely grated zest of one orange, ½ teaspoon of finely grated ginger or a drop of peppermint essence to the mixture for added flavour if liked.

For more recipe ideas click here more>>

Quote

“Nothing is ever lost as time passes, it merely metamorphoses into something as wonderful or, in some cases, into something even better than before.”
- Carole Carlton, Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers.

Slán

Travel Directories Ireland
Web: www.eirtravel.info
e-mail: info@eirtravel.info
Wap: www.eirtravel.info/wap/
Phone: +353 (0)52 7442810
Fax: +353 (0)52 7442575

To unsubscribe: reply to this email with "Remove" in the subject line.