The excitement is building here at Shamrock Vacations as we get ready to head Stateside for the Dallas Travel & Adventure Show taking place in the Dallas Convention Center next weekend (Nov 10/11). We are currently offering complimentary tickets to the show so get in touch if you’d like to come see us.*

We have some fantastic reasons to stop by our booth (221) too! Book a place on one of our Castle Tours on the show floor and save a massive 10% – that’s a saving of $500 per couple! In addition you can sign up to receive a Free night in a Castle (including breakfast and dinner) when you book any Independent Vacation or Castle Tour after the show, prior to March 31, 2013. And last but not least we will be filling our booth with the Irish staple that is Cadbury’s Chocolate with chocolate hampers to give away daily and chocolate treats available throughout the weekend.

So, Texans, what are you waiting for? Come and see us in booth 221 and start your Ireland Vacation at the Dallas Travel & Adventure Show!

*Tickets limited to first 100 applicants.

I often advise our guests not to plan too much on their first day in order to allow them to rest up and get on “Irish time” and while I do mean the actual time zone to some extent, there is another meaning to the phrase which is well used on this side of the water. The Irish are well known for their laid back attitude, never more so than when it comes to timing. For example if you are invited to a party in Ireland at 8pm, a prompt arrival time will send your hosts into a panic. Half an hour late would probably still put you in the position of first arrival. An hour late or any time after would be the more accepted timing.

Perhaps this might explain to some why Rory McIlroy was still, in his own words “hanging around” the hotel just 25 minutes before he was due to tee off in the Ryder Cup last Sunday. He may claim it was a mix up in time zones – I maintain he was simply on “Irish Time”.

The only way to really get your head around this phenomenon is to come and experience the phenomenon for yourself. And where better than on an Irish Golf Course? To this end here is a list of our top 10 Golf Courses in Ireland.

1. The K-Club, Co. Kildare

Although a Parkland Course we will have to start with our very own host of the Ryder Cup (back in 2006)

2. Royal County Down, Co. Down

Consistently ranked in the top 5 Golf Courses in the World this is certainly one of the most exclusive.

3. Ballybunion, Co. Kerry

One of the most spectacular Links Courses in the world (a third of all Links Courses are in Ireland by the way)

4. Lahinch, Co. Clare

Ken Venturi’s favourite Golf Course outside of the US

5. The Old Head, Co. Cork

Often overlooked this is one of my personal favourites – the views are just stunning!

6. Doonbeg, Co. Clare

A wonderful Links Course and Luxury Lodgings overlooking the ocean

7. Portmarnock, Co. Dublin

Going to cheat and squeeze in 2 here. Stay at the Portmarnock Hotel and play the onsite links course, then head next door to Portmarnock Golf Club, host to a dozen Irish Opens.

8. Waterville, Co. Kerry

What better way to combine sight seeing with golf than to stop off for a round while touring the Ring of Kerry?

9. Royal Portrush, Co. Antrim

One of the most challenging Golf Links in the world.

10. Adare Manor, Co. Limerick

We started with a Parkland so we’ll finish with another of the best Parkland courses in Ireland.

So there you have it 8 fabulous links courses sandwiched between 2 of the best Parkland Courses we have to offer. And by the way these are my top 10 today – ask me tomorrow and I’ll have changed my mind again. With so many fabulous courses it’s just so hard to narrow it down.

On a recent stay in Dungarven in Co. Waterford I found myself at a loose end with my 2 toddlers so decided to take a spin aboard the Waterford & Suir Valley Railway. Arriving just in time to watch the 11am train pull away we decided to check out the local village of Kilmeaden while we waited. A sleepy village famous for it’s cheese (Kilmeaden, the fillet of Irish Cheddar) it boasted a very well equipped childrens playground with a conveniently situated shop. So the kids got to play and I got my coffee and a happy hour passed quickly in the late August sunshine.

Returning to the train we stepped aboard the restored mark 2 railway carriage which serves as a ticket office, small shop and waiting room. The kids quickly found the toys and books down the back so were happy until the train pulled in.

There was great excitement boarding the partially open carriages which are pulled by a Simplex Locomotive which was used in the peat industry in the North of England and Scotland. We gave our tickets to the conductor and with a blow of his whistle we were off at high speeds of 15 miles an hour. It made me grateful for todays transportation methods as I wouldn’t have fancied a trip to Dublin at that speed it must be said.

The train winds along a very pretty stretch of the River Suir passing Kilmeaden Castle along the way. We particularily enjoyed the Mossy Wood, with its luxurious coating of green moss on the banks  either side of the track. The journey takes about 50 minutes and is a very pleasant way to pass away an hour and see some of the pretty Waterford Countryside from a different and slower vantage point.

With the launch of our new website I had such great intentions to post a weekly blog and here we are 6 weeks later and not a single post since. I guess all we can do is start over and try, try again.

Meanwhile I had to post about the fantastic opportunity to book early and Save Big on your 2013 Ireland Vacation! We are offering 10% off all (yes ALL) our Ireland Escorted Tours if you book and pay a deposit before September 30. So give us a call now toll free on 888-674-3244 and book your 2013 Ireland Vacation today. Look forward to talking to you soon!

We are excited to announce the launch of our new Ireland Vacation website. While we loved our old website we wanted to give you even bigger and better images of Ireland for you to admire in anticipation of your Ireland Vacation.

A little info about how to use this website to take full advantage of all the gorgeous images of Ireland. You will notice on the homepage we have lovely scrolling images of Ireland. In order to see these images without any text just click on the small arrow at the side of the text box. You will also see a full screen icon in the bottom right hand corner of every page on the website. Click this in order to remove all other text including the menu. This will allow you to view all the beautiful images of Ireland in all their glory. The last button in the bottom right hand corner on the home page allows you to display all the scrolling images of Ireland and choose which one you would like to view. With all the buttons just click them again to reverse the action and revert to the original view. Our footer is also hidden – just click see more if you would like to view it in full.

We hope you enjoy the new website and would welcome any comments you have on it. Thanks for visiting Shamrock Vacations.

As we prepare to launch our new Ireland Vacations website the excitement is tinged with a hint of regret as we bid farewell to the website we leave behind.

Our first website was a labour of love created by my Dad and we would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all of the effort involved and all the support he gave us in getting Shamrock Vacations off the ground. So once again Dad, Thanks for everything, we couldn’t have done it without you!