Welcome to Travel Directories Ireland Newsletter for Summer 2019

Tourism News

Wild Atlantic Way one of world’s 12 most romantic spots on Earth, according to travel experts

“I think Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way is one of the world's most romantic locations. While most couples will not drive the entire 1,600-mile coastal route in one vacation, each region of the Way has its own share of welcoming Irish personalities; jaw-dropping views; charming villages; atmospheric pubs; photogenic sheep precariously close to cliffs; restaurants with the freshest seafood and organic produce; and award-winning country houses, castles, manors and boutique hotels with warm fires to set the mood.” —Jonathan Epstein, Celebrated Experiences
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Price of plane tickets could soar under Dutch and French VAT plans
Irish consumers could face higher airfares if the Netherlands and France succeed in persuading other EU members to end tax exemptions on aircraft fuel and plane tickets.
Jet fuel is currently exempt from VAT in Ireland and other EU countries, a major tax break for the region's airlines, including Ryanair and Aer Lingus. No VAT is charged by EU member states on airline tickets either.
However, with low-cost air travel having spurred a surge in passenger numbers and flights, there are calls for the tax breaks to end in an effort to make the European Union carbon neutral by 2050. Even if a lower rate of VAT was applied, and aircraft fuel was taxed, the cost per airline ticket could easily jump by up to 20pc.
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Official opening date announced for Center Parcs Longford Forest
Center Parcs Longford Forest has today announced that the long-awaited forest resort will officially open on Monday 29 July, in time for summer short breaks. Bookings for the first breaks can now be made on www.centerparcs.ie
Set amongst 400 acres of beautiful woodland, the resort includes 466 self-catering lodges and 30 apartments. In total, the forest resort will welcome up to 2,500 guests during each short break. There are three types of lodges for families to choose from – Woodland, Executive and Exclusive. Each of the fully equipped lodges are designed with families in mind and offer the ultimate in comfort and quality.
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Epic The Irish Emigration Museum voted Europe's leading tourist attraction
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum has been named Europe's Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards. The Dublin docklands museum beat off attractions like Buckingham Palace, Rome's Colosseum and the Eiffel Tower to claim its win.
"When we opened in 2016, we had a vision to create a local museum that could connect globally," said its founder, Neville Isdell, reacting to the news. "It’s very important that we honour the Irish diaspora abroad and recognise the vital contributions and monumental impact Irish people have made worldwide."
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Travel and Tourism Statistics
The following table shows trips made to Ireland in January 2019, compared with the same period in 2018 and also indicates where the visitors came from. more>>

Travel News

New Flights
Dublin Airport
• Great Dane Airlines will operate a new Dublin to Aalborg service twice weekly until July 26 and weekly thereafter until October 15.
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• Ryanair is to launch a new three times weekly service Dublin to Marseille, France next summer, 2020.
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• Ryanair is to launch a new four times weekly service to Toulouse, France this winter. The new route will start on October 27 and will continue for summer 2020 with a daily service.
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• Ryanair will also start a twice-weekly summer service to the Ukraine capital, Kyiv.
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• American Airlines new daily direct service, Dublin to Dallas Fort Worth, will operate daily until September 28, 2019
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• WestJet’s new Dublin-Calgary route will operate three times per week.
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• Norwegian will operate a new four times weekly service between Dublin and Hamilton Toronto, Canada.
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Shannon Airport
• Ryanair is to launch a twice-weekly service to Ibiza from now to the end of October. They have also launched a twice-weekly service to East Midlands and will operate the service until the end of October 2019.
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Ireland West (Knock) Airport
• Ryanair will operate direct flights to and from Cologne every Tuesday and Saturday between June and September.
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Cork & Shannon Airport Norwegian Update
As per the Norwegian statement on the mandatory grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, flights to and from Cork Airport have been suspended for the remainder of the summer season and for summer and winter at Shannon Airport. Cork is a seasonal route, operating a summer only service to Boston Providence.
Customers travelling to and from Cork are being re-accommodated on different aircraft types through Dublin to ensure travel plans can continue with minimal disruption.
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Events Summer 2019

Italian Fusion Festival
13th July, Bellobar, Portobello Harbour, Dublin.
The Italian Fusion Festival is the biggest Italian Festival in Europe. The third edition will take place on the 13th of July 2019 from 7 o’clock ’til late at BelloBar, Portobello Harbour, Dublin. This edition of the festival is dedicated to Jazz, the most fusion music of all genres in which Italians are excelling! The music will be accompanied by videos, poetry reading and a glass of prosecco included in the ticket.
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That Beats Banagher Festival
20th – 21st July, Banagher, Co. Offaly.
This year activities include a local food and craft market, the reopening of the popular Martello Tower Bookshop, afternoon tea, sporting events, and an eclectic range of workshops and courses including computer coding, children’s and teenagers illustration workshops, willow weaving and CPR training.
Following an evening of live music alongside the river, Saturday evening concludes with a fireworks display. Sunday is packed with events on the Shannon, including Wakeboarding, Zorbing, and open Canadian Canoeing. The big highlight though is the Galway Community circus on Sunday, and if you’re lucky, you may glimpse ‘Monsieur Les Pompadu’ around the town. You can’t miss him though, he’s very very very tall.
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Muldoon’s Picnic
Fri 2 Aug 2019, 8pm. The Hawk's Well Theatre, Temple Street, Sligo.
An omnium-gatherum of poetry, prose fiction and music, Muldoon's Picnic is a cabaret-style evening hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, ‘the most significant English-language poet born since the Second World War’ (Times Literary Supplement) and his house band Rogue Oliphant. Returning after a successful Irish tour in 2017, as well as nine sold out seasons at the Irish Arts Centre in New York, Muldoon’s exciting mix of guests includes Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Wendy Erskine, Duke Special and Len Graham.
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Big Grill Festival
15th – 18th August, Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin.
The Big Grill is Europe’s largest BBQ festival, and returns for its sixth year. The festival celebrates the art of cooking with fire & smoke bringing chefs cooks and pitmasters from Ireland, UK and further along with over 20,000 visitors to smell, taste, discover and learn about all kinds of barbecuing, grilling, smoking, vegetables, meats, delicacies and drinks.
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A Taste of Donegal Food Festival
23rd – 25th August, Donegal town.
This year’s Festival will once again gather together Top Restaurants, Hotels, Food and Drink Providers in a beautiful tented village on the Pier in Donegal Town. This Festival is designed to celebrate and promote great food and drink in Ireland.
With 130 Exhibitors including Artisan Food Producers visitors are given the opportunity to sample and purchase some of the finest food and drink available.
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Recipe

Peach melba smoothie lollies
Prep: 20 mins, plus freezing
Makes: 6

Method
1. Put the raspberries, half the honey and half the yogurt in a mini food processor/ blender (or use a stick blender in a bowl) and whizz until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a jug and keep to hand. Rinse out the blender.
2. Put the peaches, lemon zest and rest of the honey and yogurt in the cleaned blender and repeat the process as above.
3. Pour a third of one mix into 3 moulds and a third of the other mix into the 3 remaining moulds. Freeze until the top sets, then add a second, different-flavoured layer to each mould to create stripes. Freeze again, then repeat with the remaining mixtures. Add the lolly sticks and freeze overnight until solid.
4. To serve, dip the lolly moulds into hot water for a few seconds to release them.

For more recipe ideas click here more>>

Quote

“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.”
- Sam Keen

Slán

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