Tag Archives: travel

PASSENGER numbers at Shannon Airport exceeded one million for the first nine months of the year, indicating the strength of its recovery since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Up to the end of September of this year 1,050,916 passengers had come through Shannon Airport. This represents 82.4% of the amount it carried in the first nine months of 2019, the last full year before Covid-19 shut down aviation across the world. The percentage would have been even higher had Covid not still been a factor in the early part of 2022. Shannon saw less than half the number of passengers in January 2022 that it did in January 2019, which was a relatively worse performance than in any of the eight months since. In addition, February was the second worst month by comparison with 2019. Shannon Airport Group CEO Mary Considine said it has been a positive year and that routes to Europe and the US have performed very well, …

Well here’s where my adventure really begins. I was off to London, at least I would as soon as himself had finished looking at cars across the road in Hampton Court. He spent the morning at the Concours of Elegance, while herself and I mooched around Hampton Court village. We had a lovely morning visiting shops and having coffee but around lunchtime, we met up with himself for a little drink in The Mute Swan, the pub next door to our hotel. Soon, it was time and I couldn’t suppress a shiver of excitement as we crossed the bridge to the train station, where we hopped on a train to Waterloo. Well, I’ve never seen such a busy place. People were rushing everywhere and to be honest I was happy to get outside the station and into a taxi. It was my first time in a London cab and I really enjoyed looking at the sights rushing past the window. …

John Galvin was beguiled by the cultural wealth, fabulous food and warm hospitality of the Mediterranean island. When we think of Malta, perhaps nothing immediately springs to mind, except for vague notions of sandy beaches and blue Mediterranean waters. Malta in fact is an intriguing mix of cultures, having spend much of its history conquered by other countries, only gaining its independence in the 1960s. We explored the islands as guests of Visit Malta, to mark the start of direct Ryanair flights from Shannon to Valletta. We managed to pack a lot into three days but I’d suggest that the delights of the islands should be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace. With two flights a week, it would be easy to tailor the perfect trip. Malta’s first capital, Mdina, gives the feel of an open air museum, with its narrow, traffic free streets and mix of architectural styles, dating back to medieval times. The ramparts impart breathtaking views of …

CLARE Gardaí are appealing to all motorists to exercise extra caution as more people return to work after lockdown, while many cyclists and pedestrians are also taking to the roads. The issue, which has been raised by a number of councillors across the county, has received increased attention since Phase Three of the roadmap to re-opening the economy and the lifting of restrictions on travel. Sergeant Tríona Brooks of Ennis Garda Station outlined a number of concerns being seen since large volumes of traffic returned to the roads.  “Travel restrictions within the country have been lifted and we can all see extra volumes of traffic on our roads,” she said. “We are urging drivers to slow down and drive at an appropriate speed, ensure that everyone in your vehicle is wearing their safety belt, make sure that all children are in a suitable safety seat and never ever drive after consuming alcohol or drugs.” “Drivers should pay attention to the …

Fine Gael TD Joe Carey has urged the thousands of people with holiday homes in coastal parts of the county not to travel to Clare over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. Deputy Carey spoke out as extra powers were given to gardai to enforce the restrictions on anyone who is found to be in breach of the Covid-19 public health regulations. It follows reports locally that extra visitors were observed at popular holiday spots in the west and north of the county in recent days. Deputy Carey said: “We love having visitors to Clare, you won’t receive a better welcome anywhere else and the tourism industry is an economic lifeline for many parts of the county. “However, we are living in extraordinary times, and we must do absolutely everything within our power to stop the spread of Covid-19 and to ease the huge pressure on our hospitals and frontline workers. “Gardai will be out in force between now and the …

I know my friend Bev will forgive me for taking over the column at short notice but I got some very exciting news over the weekend. I’ve gone international! The Matador Group, a travel network based in San Francisco, chose the best dog-friendly hotels in the world and one of them was a favourite of mine, The Twelve Hotel, just outside Galway city. But whose photo did they use on the website? Why mine, of course. As if they’d choose anybody else. I’m already one of the Underdogs, the twelve dogs chosen as doggie ambassadors for The Twelve Hotel. My friend Boo is a fellow ambassador and it would have been nice if both of us could have appeared on the Matador website. I’m really chuffed though and can’t wait to re-visit the Twelve to meet Fergus and all the team and bask in their congratulations. I’ll be the centre of attention. I’ll tell you, all this adulation couldn’t have …

Just before Christmas my humans took me for my regular Christmas trip to Dublin and I was excited to meet all my friends in Mutt Ugly doggy day care and to take a trip around town to see the lights. Although I didn’t get to see the moving crib this year, I was smuggled into a lovely pub off Grafton Street and when the barman finally spotted me, he came over with a bowl of water so I took it that I was in the clear. It helps to be cute. The following morning I got us all up very early as I had a surprise for my humans. On my trawls through the world wide woof, I’d come across a company called Pets Pyjamas, who specialise in doggy holidays and I’d used my bone allowance to book us all Christmas in the Cotswolds. I directed them through the dark streets of Dublin (one woof for left, two woofs for …

County Clare travel specialist Gearóid Mannion has won the prestigious award for ‘Best Corporate’ at the annual conference for leading independent travel company, Travel Counsellors. The awards, which recognise the exceptional work of Travel Counsellors’ network of franchisees, were presented at a black-tie ceremony in Powerscourt Hotel, Wicklow. The gala event featured as part of Travel Counsellors’ renowned two-day annual conference, which saw over 160 travel professionals in attendance. Speaking about his win, Ennis-based Gearóid, who specialises in corporate travel and holidays for discerning clients, said: “It is an honour to be awarded ‘Best Corporate’. I’ve been in travel all my life, and with Travel Counsellors for the past few years, and it is a job I am extremely passionate about. For both my business and leisure clients, I focus on offering what sets Travel Counsellors apart… bespoke experiences, expert advice, and unrivalled customer service.” Commending Gearóid on his award, General Manager of Travel Counsellors Ireland, Cathy Burke stated: “Every …