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Welcome to Travel Directories Ireland Newsletter for Spring 2013

In this Issue:

Click here to go to top of pageTourism News

Happy Easter From Travel Directories Ireland

Swiss Cottage closing times to be extended
The Chairman of Cahir Development Association, Mr. Andy Moloney has called on Minister Brian Hayes and Jimmy Deenihan to knock heads together and reverse the decision to decrease the opening hours of the Swiss Cottage in Cahir. This important and quaint attraction was traditionally reopened on St .Patrick’s Day and used to close after the Bank Holiday in October but now longer closures are looming. Mr. Moloney said that we are not looking for anything extraordinary here apart from the Swiss Cottage to open on its usual dates. The OPW have sent notice to now open in late March and close in early October. He added “The Government has been promoting the Gathering in 2013 and to close the Cottage which local groups have been selling in order to get people home is madness. Cahir is unusual as it has more than one heritage site and we need it open to promote our town. When the Cahir Abbey was opened almost two years ago we were promised signage for the site by Minister Hayes but only got lip service and we are still waiting. This is economical suicide for the area which has been growing its tourism trade over the years with limited resources”. Mr. Moloney states that the revival of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Cahir by The Promoting Cahir Group has led to large volumes of people coming to town for the event
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Anglers voice oppostion to fish farming
West Cork anglers have voiced their oppostion to the expansion of fish farming around the Irish coast which they say has a negative environmental impact
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Travel and tourism statistics
In the period November 2012 - January 2013, the total number of trips to Ireland increased by 4.4% to 1,248,300 - an overall increase of 52,900 compared to the same period twelve months earlier. The following table shows trips made to Ireland between November 2012 - January 2013, compared with the same period in November 2011 - January 2012 and indicates where the visitors came from.
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Total visits to Ireland Great Britain Other Europe North America Other Areas
Nov '11-Jan '12 Nov '12-Jan '13 % +/- Nov '11-Jan '21 Nov '12-Jan '13 % +/- Nov '11-Jan '12 Nov '12-Jan '13 % +/- Nov '11-Jan '12 Nov '12-Jan '13 % +/- Nov '11-Jan '12 Nov '12-Jan '13 % +/-
1,195,400 1,248,300 +4.4% 580,800 584,100 +0.6% 404,400 425,600 +5.2% 141,900 159,200 +12.2% 68,400 79,400 +16.1%

Click here to go to top of pageTravel News

Cork Airport gears up for The Gathering with 'The Big Welcome'
To celebrate The Gathering 2013, Cork Airport is delighted to launch ‘The Big Welcome’ competition, which will offer winners the opportunity to fly friends or family home to Ireland and to spend a week in a unique Irish heritage property such as a castle in Kilkenny, a lighthouse in Cork or a Georgian mews in central Dublin.
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More than 1.1M passengers used Dublin Airport in February
More than 1.1 million passengers used Dublin Airport in February, the same number as last February, according to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). However as 2012 was a Leap Year, on a like-for-like basis passenger numbers increased by 3% in February.Passenger volumes to and from continental Europe rose by 1% in February with almost 540,000 passengers travelling to European destinations. UK traffic recorded a decline of 2% with more than 510,000 passengers travelling in February.
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Ferry operator ICG eyes choppy seas
Ferry operator ICG, which trades under the Irish Ferries brand, said 2013 will continue to present a "challenging economic backdrop" despite signs of improvement in Ireland. The company said its operating profit fell 2.2pc to €26.5m last year, even as revenue rose 1.7pc to €256.1m.
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Ryanair new routes 2013

Flights from Cork
Route Destination Commencement Date
Alicante 01 Jun 13
Bordeaux 01 Jun 13
Carcassonne 01 Jun 13
Faro 15 Mar 13
Carcassonne 01 Jun 13
Fuerteventura 16 Mar 13
Gran Canaria 02 Apr 13
Girona Barcelona 23 Mar 13
La Rochelle 02 Jun 13
Malaga 15 Mar 13
Milan Bergamo 25 Mar 13
Palma 16 Mar 13
Pisa 03 Jun 13

Flights from Dublin
Route Destination Commencement Date
Alghero 25 Mar 13
Biarritz 15 Mar 13
Bologna 03 Jun 13
Bremen 15 Sep 13
Girona Barcelona 15 Mar 13
Ibiza 24 Mar 13
La Rochelle 26 Mar 13
Porto 15 Mar 13
Marseille 03 June 13
Murcia 14 Mar 13
Nice 16 Mar 13

Flights from Kerry
Route Destination Commencement Date
Alicante 26 Mar 13
Faro 25 Mar 13

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Happy Easter From Travel Directories Ireland

Click here to go to top of page Recipe

Roast lamb shoulder with honey and herbs

1.4kg/3lb shoulder of lamb, trimmed
handful dried camomile (or contents of 4 camomile teabags)
½ bunch fresh thyme, leaves only
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only
12 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, juice only
1 tbsp good Greek or wild flower clear honey
2 tbsp olive oil
125ml/4fl oz water

Method
1.Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2.With the tip of a sharp knife, make shallow scores through the outer layer of skin and fat of the lamb shoulder, but not into the meat, cross-hatching the entire surface.
3.Mix the dried camomile, the thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano together in a bowl. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4.Press a handful of the herb mixture into the skin of the lamb, massaging it in well all over the flesh of the lamb.
5.Sprinkle some of the herb mixture across the bottom of a casserole with a lid. Place the lamb into the casserole, then squeeze the lemon juice over the top, before sprinkling with any remaining herb mix.
6.Drizzle the honey over the top of the lamb and pour over a little olive oil.
7.Pour the water into the casserole, then put the lid on. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2˝ hours. Check the dish after one hour - the lamb should be taking on a little colour. If the water has evaporated, add a little more to maintain the dish's moisture.
8.After the 2˝ hours cooking the lamb meat should pull away easily from the bone.
9.Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 4-5 minutes.
10.To serve, using a knife and fork, pull large pieces of meat away from the bone and arrange on a large serving place. Drizzle the meat with any pan juices and allow guests to help themselves.

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Happy Easter From Travel Directories Ireland

Click here to go to top of pageFinal Thought

Why should you never iron a 4-leaf clover? You don't want to press your luck.

Daryl Stout


Happy St Patricks Day

Travel Directories Ireland
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