Tag: <span>ireland</span>

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In Ireland, a Bachelorette party is known as a Hen Party. This event usually takes place a few weeks before the wedding. The party is normally organized by the chief bridesmaid or maid of honour. While the format varies widely the event usually involves alcohol. Many Hen parties include some daytime event or activity like paint-balling, makeovers, bowling or other fun pursuits. There is nearly always a meal in a restaurant followed by a night of drinking and dancing.

The typical Irish Party includes the mother of the bride and the future mother-in-law. Irish parties vary in size but are usually made up of between 12 and 30 girls often wearing outlandish outfits. The peak time for Hen Parties in Ireland is between April and September. You will often see large Hen Party groups roaming the streets in the popular Hen Party towns of Kilkenny, Kenmare, Galway, Limerick and Carrick-on-Shannon.

An overnight stay in a Hotel is the norm although some Hens take place in the home town of the Bride to Be. Pink Hats and printed “T” shirts are a pretty common sight on any Irish street on a Saturday night. Most parties involve some form of fancy dress or wild costumes.

Strippograms and Kissograms are sometimes used to add extra entertainment to the evening where allowed. Most Irish pubs are easy going about girly Parties but some will not allow Large groups of women intent on having fun. All in all the Hen Party is part of the wedding tradition in Ireland and it is very unusual for a future bride not to have some form of Hen Party to celebrate her last bit of freedom. Most Hens Nights are planned by the girls themselves but there are Event planning companies that specialise in organizing the whole process.

Of course while a Hens Party is an important event in Ireland it is an event that takes place in some form in nearly all cultures.

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Source by John Lawless

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Holidaying in Northern Ireland – Hills, lakes and pretty much everything else!

The moment you set your foot on Ireland, you would be greeted by one word – Diversity! And Northern Ireland, is possibly the best testimonial to this. All the more reasons why holidaying in Northern Ireland can be a fun affair for sure.

Places you must visit during your holidaying in Northern Ireland

Belfast, Downpatrick (Known as Dun Padraig to the locals) and Armagh should ideally be your first stops in your trip to this lovely country.

Belfast, the capital city, resembles a very peaceful look today, which is quite the opposite of what has been happening in this city in the past. Being the political epicenter of Northern Ireland, Belfast has had its share of troubles, all of which seem non-existent today, and what you have in Belfast today is an assortment of restaurants, cafes, pubs and other places of interests.

23 miles down south of Belfast, you must visit Downpatrick during your holiday. This place is one of the most well preserved historical sites in this part of the world. In Downpatrick, don’t miss visiting the Hill of Down, a place famous for St. Patrick’s arrival.

Armagh, better known as Irish Rome to quite a few, is an absolute mix of cathedrals, museums and a planetarium. Armagh’s history is rich and importantly, it is still regarded to be the seat of the Protestant Church of Archbishop of Armagh of Ireland.

Booking your holiday in Northern Ireland – Time matters

If you to explore all what the country has to offer you, choosing the time to visit may count a lot! Though, the weather during July and August is considered to be most conducive for tourism, this is the time when hotel rates could be sky high. You could plan your holidaying in Northern Ireland in the months of June and September, as during these months, the weather is comfortable and the rates too are not that expensive.

The Giant’s Causeway, County Fermanagh and Cave Hill Country Park offer you the diversity that you so much came to Ireland for. While County Fermanagh is known for its lakes and rivers, the Cave Hill Country Park talks a lot of Cave Hill, the largest of hills surrounding Belfast.

If you wish your holiday here to be an absolute breeze, all you got to do is book a car that will take you around to different places of interest. All in all – holidaying in Northern Ireland is all about how much fun you can have in this part of the world.

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Source by Stephen McBride

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Browne Field Development

Geoffrey Browne built a house on the site of Castlemacgarrett in 1694 to replace a house built by the Prendergast family. His wife Mary Prendergast was a descendent of Maurice de Prendergast who came to Ireland with Strongbow during the Norman invasion in 1169. Geoffrey’s house was burnt down in 1811. Dominick Browne, 1st Lord Oranmore and Browne, in turn built a Tudor Gothic house on the site.

The Brownes can trace their ancestry back to one of the tribes of Galway. The archway in Eyre Square, Galway, inscribed 1627 was the doorway of the Galway townhouse of the Brownes.

In the early 20th century the 3rd Lord Oranmore and Browne built extensive additions in an Edwardian baronial style faced in cement. The result is a large rambling house reaching around three sides of a forecourt. An elaborate pillared, pedimented and part balustraded porch was added at this time. The entrance hall is ostensibly Edwardian with a timber staircase and gallery. Plasterwork swags of the late 17th century manner adorn the walls. A large drawing room and dining room contain Adamesque ceilings by Dublin craftsmen.

The Brownes owned 13 country houses throughout Connaught including Ashford Castle at nearby Cong. Their estates totalled 54,000 acres. Dominick Browne was made a Privy Councillor for Ireland at 1834 and became one of 28 elected representative Irish peers. He spent vast sums of money on electioneering, allegedly £40,000 on one election alone. His lavishness combined with the onslaught of the Great Famine brought about his downfall. He sold off all the properties except Castlemacgarrett and 2,000 acres.

The 3rd Lord Oranmore and Browne however was more grounded than his grandfather and successfully managed the estate. At the turn of the 20th century Castlemacgarrett experienced its Indian summer. Agricultural enterprises and a saw mill funded shooting parties in November and January. The River Robe running through the estate ensured continual supply of fresh trout.

The 4th and last Lord Oranmore and Browne to live on the estate was married three times. Also named Dominick, his second wife was Lady Oonagh Guinness. They had two children, the Honourable Garrett and Tara. His son Tara was killed in a car accident. His third wife was Sally Gray, a film star. Dominick died in 2002 aged 100.

In the 1960s the estate ran into financial difficulties again and it was auctioned off to the Irish Land Commission. The castle and farm were bought by nursing sisters and it became Castlemacgarrett Nursing Home until it was sold once more for development in 2006. It now lies empty. A ghost estate in a country of ghost estates.

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Source by Stuart Blakley

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Recently in the news, Northern Ireland has plans to build a wind energy project off the Antrim coast. Salt caverns beneath the sea will store the energy generated by the wind farms for times of peak energy demand. With any wind power project, it can’t be relied upon for powering whole cities or a grid, for the wind doesn’t always blow obviously. But with the use of air-tight salt caverns, the energy produced from the wind farms is stored underground and released only as needed. In addition, the salt caverns continue to compress and store the wind power even at night.

The $3 million dollar project is setting a great precedent for the region to seek, or at least be open to, new means of clean-tech energy production. With the dependence and environmental effects of fossil fuel energy, it is a smart move, for this is the way of the future. It’s also refreshing to know that the project might help offset any recession in the area by creating jobs and pumping a little more income into the economy there. The stored energy will balance the cost of electricity in the region as well, for energy cost wont jump up when everyone turns on their heater at the same time, instead the energy company can just release a little of the stored wind power energy to meet the demands.

Salt caverns have many other uses as well. Some of them are: carbon capture, oilfield waste, natural gas storage, and many many more!

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Source by Jason Fradley

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When you apply for a divorce in Ireland, you must fulfill three major conditions for it to be granted to you. You have to have lived apart for four years the day the court proceedings begin, there is no chance of reconciling the both of you, and there are proper provisions made for the wife or husband and the dependents. Just as long as you have reached four years of being separated, divorce proceedings can begin. To prove that you were apart for four years, you need to fill-up a document called the “Family Law Civil Bill” where you have to state the date of your marriage and the date you separated. You will be asked under Oath to validate this claim when in court.

Other documents you have to submit are Form 37A, a sworn statement which includes your assets, income, debt, liabilities and outgoings, Form 37B, another sworn statement that tells about where your children live, who supervises them, their school background, health status, child maintenance, access and childcare arrangements, and finally Form 37D, a document sworn by a Solicitor and certifying that you know other alternatives to divorce that include reconciliation, separation and mediation which should be sworn by a Solicitor. Upon submission of these documents to the court, a date for a private court hearing will be identified where you have to prove you met the requirements of the Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996. After a thorough review by the court and they are satisfied with the findings, they will then grant a decree of divorce.

If you are a resident of Ireland but you married abroad, you can still get a divorce in Ireland. If your spouse is a resident in the EU except Denmark, you can still file the divorce. It is important though that you know where your spouse lives. You just wait for 35 days for your spouse’s response and another 28 days for the other party’s filing of a defense

If your spouse fails to honor any of the judge’s conditions such as child custody, child access and child maintenance, you need to go to the courts for further action and inflict any penalty or punishment needed as prescribed by law. Always remember to have a Solicitor with you in the court proceedings. Although it is not necessary to have a Solicitor represent you in such hearings, it is still advisable to have one because issues will crop up that would need legal expertise for them to be resolved. Taxes, insurance, and properties are concerns that must have fair resolutions and it will be a Solicitor who could bargain and fight for your rights in such legal battles.

Divorce can be traumatic to the ex-spouses, their children and their family. Heated arguments will always arise because emotions are high. That is why it is better to have a Solicitor for both the wife and the husband to represent them because they are experienced in these matters and they are in the right frame of mind to deal with issues that need to be addressed.

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Source by Deirdre Blackwell

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Ards Peninsula

Located in County Down, the Ards Peninsula creates a beautiful vista with Strangford Lough shaping an almost semi-circular peninsula looking out at the Irish Sea. It is without doubt the most unusual shaped peninsula on the island of Ireland, most of whom are more sharply fjord-like defined. The Ards Peninsula is well populated with busy town of Newtownards to the north of it being the largest settlement. Portaferry is a lovely village to the south where there is a car ferry to allow you cross to the County Down mainland. Another very attractive village located there is Portavogie and the peninsula is a good base for sea fishing in the Irish Sea and the Strangford Lough itself. Newtownards has a wide variety of accommodation whilst further south hotel accommodation is lacking but more than compensated by the many guesthouse and B&Bs that provide a warm welcome and give the visitor. Sights to see include Grey Abbey, which is the ruins of an old Cistercian Monastery, and Mount Stewart, which is an 18th century mansion and gardens open to the public in the summer period.

Dingle Peninsula

The most famous and visited peninsula in Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula is located in the heartland of tourism in Ireland, County Kerry. There so many attractions on this stretch of coastline that they merit a book in its own right. Foremost is the beautiful town of Dingle, a town of about 2,000 people that swells to about two million, it appears, in the summer months. The town offers so many attractions and is a perfect base for exploration of the general Kerry area. Lively pubs, a welter of accommodation from hostels to the five-star Dingle Skelligs Hotel, a vast range of restaurants to rival Kinsale in neighbouring Cork as gourmet capital of Ireland make Dingle a compulsory stop on any holiday in the area.

One of the driving highlights of the Dingle Peninsula is negotiating the Conor Pass, the highest mountain pass in Ireland, across the top of Mount Brandon at almost 1,000 metres. On a good ay the views are stunning although good days are hard to come by as fog at the peak is a frequent occurrence. Off the coast lie the Blasket Islands (see our Islands of Ireland section). The Dingle Peninsula is perfect for walking, hiking, climbing, fishing, golfing, sailing – you name it and it will be probably in existence on the Dingle Peninsula.

There are some really quaint character villages on the Dingle Peninsula. Ventry is the home of famous footballer Paidi O’Se whose Ventry Inn pub is a must see. Inch, with its vast strand, was the location of the film Ryan’s Daughter, whilst Annascaul, Ballyferriter and Ballydavid offer stunning vistas and traditional pubs and shops from a bygone era. One of the great drives in Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula will leave you with only one desire – to return.

The Beara Peninsula

The Beara Peninsula lies in the South West of Ireland, to the south of the Dingle Peninsula. Part of the land mass lies in County Kerry and the other larger part in County Cork. Kenmare Bay creates the northern boundary and Bantry Bay the southern perimeter. Down the centre of the peninsula lie two mountain ranges, the Caha Mountains and the Slive Miskish Mountains. The terrain is quite rough and scattered with the Gulf Stream enabling foliage and fauna unknown in the rest of Ireland to thrive in the benign air. It is good walking territory but rutted and wild and for seasoned trekkers only. There is a wonderful driving route through it that starts in Kenmare and winds its way around in an oval shape through the Healy Pass, Castletownbere and ending in the magnificent scenic town of Glengariff in County Cork. Castletownbere is a busy deep sea fishing port and of the side effects of this is the presence on very narrow roads of large articulated fridges taking fish for export or the Dublin markets. The drivers of these awesome machines don’t take prisoners- just give way when you see one! This driving route is known as the Ring of Beara and not be missed. Both ends of it are great stopping points. Kenmare is a jewel in the Kerry crown; a sophisticated intimate town, giving off an aura of opulence. Fine hotels, spas and designer boutiques abound, whilst the restaurant and pub scene are above average in quality. Glengariff is much smaller but all the more beautiful for it and the spectacular landscape reminds one of the hills surrounding Monte Carlo. The Beara Peninsula may be less well-known than its Dingle counterpart but it is no less spectacular and beguiling.

Inishowen Peninsula

The Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal is the largest peninsula by land mass in Ireland at 884 square kilometres. It is formed by Lough Swilly to the west and Lough Foyle to the east in County Derry. There is a vast variety of attractions, towns and villages in the peninsula. Buncrana (population about 5,000) and Carndonagh(population 2,000) are the two largest towns with other towns dotted around the perimeter such as Moville, Newtowncunningham and the fishing port of Greencastle. The magnificent vista that is Malin Head is at the tip of the peninsula.

There is excellent accommodation available all across Inishowen but Derry City is also a good location at the neck of Inishowen Peninsula. Golfers are catered by the magnificent links courses at Ballyliffin, one of which was designed by Nick Faldo.

Cooley Peninsula

Located in North County Louth, the Cooley Peninsula winds its way east from Dundalk to Greenore and back west to Newry City via Carlingford and Omeath. The Tain Trail is a popular walking trail that incorporates locations from the famous legends of Fionn Mc Cumhaill and the Brown Bull of Cooley mythology.

In between are the stunning Cooley Mountains from which there are views across Carlingford Bay to their counterparts, the Mournes, in County Down. Greenore is a busy port handling container and open cargo including livestock. The beautiful medieval heritage village of Carlingford, with its narrow streets and the magnificent St John’s Castle are a compelling reason to stop a few days and base yourself here. The Cooley Mountains provide great walking and hiking trails and at Carlingford Marina, boat hire is available.

Accommodation is good as well as the many guesthouses that are available. Omeath is a small village on the road to Newry with access to Carlingford Lough. Passenger ferries run to Warrenpoint on the north side of the lough and there is speculation that a bridge may connect the two in the future. Greenore Golf Club and Ballymacscanlon Hotel and Golf Club provide excellent opportunities to hit the small white ball and there are a number of equestrian centres in the peninsula area. Most of the views are quite stunning and the area is dubbed “Killarney of the North”. For a spectacular drive, take the journey from Omeath across the Cooley Mountains back to Dundalk.

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Source by Seamus Maguire

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The most popular areas for golf vacations in Scotland are the areas where the Major championships are normally held. Golf vacations to Scotland normally centre on the areas of the 5 Open Championship venues. The west coast has the venues at Turnberry and Royal Troon. The east coast has the venues of Muirfield, Carnoustie and St Andrews Old Course. The venues book up very quickly in each season with St Andrews Old Course being the most popular venue. Golf vacations UK Tour Operators are allocated a number of times on St Andrews Old Course during the season.

The most popular area for Ireland Golf Packages and tours is the south-west which has courses such as Ballybunion Old Links, Waterville and Tralee. The east coast has excellent courses such as Portmarnock Old Links, Royal County Down and the European Club, whereas the far north has the courses at Portrush, Portstewart and Ballyliffin.

New courses are springing up on a regular basis in both Scotland and Ireland but the main courses in the news have been the Castle Stuart course in the Highlands of Scotland and the new Donald Trump course which is being built near Royal Aberdeen on the Aberdeenshire coast in the east.

Golf packages are normally made to order and can contain Open Championship courses together with lesser but good quality venues in order to keep to reasonable budget levels.

Scotland Golf Tours and Ireland Golf Tours are still prominent even during the recent recession as golfers travel from all corners of the world to play the Links Courses.

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Source by Eddie Gilbertson

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A lot of hens from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and other countries in Europe choose to spend their last moments of freedom in Ireland. They may have a lot of reasons why they choose to do so. Here are some of the top reasons why.

The People

Irish folks are known for being hospitable, kind, and friendly. For a lot of hens, going to nightlife establishments that welcome their hen party is a big deal especially now that a lot of other towns and cities no longer welcome such parties.

Hen nights held at pubs or clubs are only fun when the other folks within the establishment accommodating. That makes a night of truth or dare much more fun for the hen group.

The Activities

The trend nowadays is to spend a hen weekend in a particular location. That means more time spent with one’s closest girlfriends. That also means more time to enjoy various activities.

A lot of towns and cities in Ireland have a lot to offer in terms of activities. Of course, the activities to enjoy will all depend on what the bride-to-be wants. There are certain locations that are perfect for outdoor recreational activities, entertainment, and other popular hen party activities.

The Establishments

The Irish are known for their pubbing culture. As matter of fact, pubs in Ireland are not just places to grab a pint. They are also places to eat, meet new people, chat, and have fun. One does not necessarily have to wait for the sun to set as a lot of pubs are open during the day as well.

At night, most of those pubs actually offer live entertainment. For those that wish to sample traditional Irish music, there are some pubs that feature that sort of entertainment. What’s more, there are pubs that welcome musically inclined clients to perform with them on stage. Hens that have a knack for music can choose to bring their instrument to the pub and jam with the performers.

Cities and Towns

A good number of cities and towns in Ireland have become popular hen weekend or party destinations. That will definitely include Carrick on Shannon which is known as the Hen Party Capital of Ireland. The town got its title for the sheer amount of hen groups that go there to party.

Aside from Carrick on Shannon, there are other towns and cities in Ireland that have something unique to offer as well. As mentioned earlier, there are so many activities to enjoy in this country, but the type of activity will depend on the chosen destination.

For instance, hens that love outdoor recreational activities should consider going to Killarney. Those that enjoy surfing should think about going to Letterkenny or County Donegal. Regardless of where hens choose to go, they can certainly look forward to having a lot of fun as there are also a lot of nightlife establishments in those towns which will be perfect for their hen night.

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Source by Dean Gammell

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If you are traveling to Ireland, then you will no doubt be aware of the rich literary tradition the country has. Almost everywhere you go there are references to Irish writers, such as James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. And even today, somehow the Irish seem to be able to tell a story better than just about anyone else – whether it be in written form, or just through a chat in the pub.

So, if a trip to The Emerald Isle is on the agenda, then it is almost compulsory to take some books set in Ireland to read on your travels. But what should you read if Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’ is not quite your cup of tea? Here’s a range of novels that will take you the length and breadth of Ireland, and give you a real taste of life over the years in this country filled with passion and history.

‘The Mammy’ by Brendan O’Carroll

If you want to know more about Dublin in the 1960’s, then this story of widow Agnes Browne and her seven children will do it. This is working-class Ireland with all its squalor, laughter and alcoholic fathers, and the best news is that the book is the first of a trilogy. The next time you are approached by a cheeky Dublin lad (and there are many!), you may find yourself thinking back to Agnes and her brood.

‘Little Criminals’ by Gene Kerrigan

And now to Dublin in contemporary times. The country has had its economic miracle and everyone is an entrepreneur, even the criminals. Frankie Crowe has a scheme to make himself some money, planning to kidnap a wealthy banker and set himself up for life. While this could be just a cops and robbers novel, Kerrigan does much to portray the underbelly of Dublin life, and the social changes that have taken place over recent years.

‘Juno and Juliet’ by Julian Gough

If you decide to head to Galway (and I’d highly encourage you to do so), then this novel is one of the few that is set there. This story of identical twins during their first year at university sees them adjusting to life in the city, drinking in the bars and attending classes from time to time. It’s a coming of age story in which Galway itself is one of the main characters.

‘The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty’ by Sebastian Barry

The tensions surrounding the Irish struggle for independence lie at the heart of this novel set in the town of Sligo in Ireland’s north-west. Unable to find work, Eneas joins the British-led police force the Royal Irish Constabulary, and in the process labels himself a traitor. As a marked man he goes on the run, and while the novel follows Eneas from country to country, he sneaks back to Sligo when he can. A compelling look at 20th Century Ireland, through a character who has become a victim of his country’s fight to exist.

‘Pomegranate Soup’ by Marsha Mehran

In this novel we see a different kind of migration — the story of three Iranian sisters who move to an Irish village in the 1980’s. It’s not often you get a food-lit story set in Ireland, but Pomegranate Soup is exactly that, with its celebration of Persian cuisine. Unsurprisingly the village residents take a while to adapt to this foreign influence in one of their local cafes, and despite the novel’s focus on a different culture, it provides plenty of detail of Irish life and landscape for those trying to learn more about the country.

There are many stereotypes about the Irish, but as a traveler you have the opportunity to reach beyond the surface of Irish culture and see what lies beneath. Reading books set in Ireland will help you do that, revealing details of Irish streets and cities, hopes and history – and when you visit the places mentioned, you will feel as if you know it just that little bit better than if you had arrived a stranger.

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Source by Suzi Butcher