The Homes of Donegal, aka: one couples vacation to Ireland

[greenfire6]

One week from today we are due to arrive Shannon, Co. Clare for a tour of the West and Northwest of Ireland!  

We will be escorted by James and Donnie who make up the very talented Celtic music duo Men of Worth. http://www.menofworth.com/ I have seen Men of Worth live three times and will tell you they ROCK!  

The counties we will spend significant time in are Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal and Mayo. The focus will be on music, rural Ireland, music, culture, music, history and, did I mention music?  

Interested person can view the itinerary here (two page online PDF): http://www.menofworth.com/Files/Itinerary%20Leitrim%20Donegal%202012.pdf

Four nights lodging each in Drumshanbo on the southern tip of Lough Allen, Co Leitrim and the beautiful Rathmullan House on the west shore of Lough Swilly, Rathmullan, Co. Donegal should make for a very relaxing travel tempo. It is said that the food and lodging at the Rathmullan House is to die for!

Many highlights await. Two, not in the itinerary, I will mention- We will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in Rathmullan on 1 May! How cool is that?   On 3 May I will visit the famous Leo’s Tavern over in Gweedore! http://www.leostavern.com/about/ I might not survive the case of goosebumps on that one!  

We aren’t taking any commo devices. No cell phones, no lap top; none of that stuff. We are taking digital camera’s so, upon our return, I will try to file a little report with some pictures.  

Edit: It looks like Leo's website is no more as of yesterday or today.     I think their on MySpace.
Then there is this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo%27s_Tavern
I wonder if I will still get their Newsletters?

[MaryNorth93]

Awesome! Wishing you save travels and have a great time!

[greenfire6]

Thanks for your well wishes Mary!

In doing some last minute checking I see that the Ramada Lough Allen has welcomed our tour escorts Men of Worth and announced the four nights of music on their Facebook link off their website: http://www.ramadahotelleitrim.com/  

In scrolling down for other recent Facebook post I see what appears to be a major beauty contest is scheduled while we are there.  LOL! It may not exactly be Celtic Culture but I'm totally on board with this!  

Now that's a CROWN!    Holly Carpenter, Miss Ireland 2011
Image from: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ramada-Lough-Allen-Hotel-Suites/129788941682

Hmmm...    Maybe Facebook has some value afterall. LOL!

Edit: In looking at this further (and trying to understand Facebook) I believe this event will be held at a different hotel. But it is being held while we are in Ireland so I'm going to leave this post as is. Besides, Holly is too beautiful to take her image down!  

[MikeyK]

Sounds like a great trip! Have a fun time, David! And an early happy anniversary to you and Diane!

[MaryNorth93]

Sounds like good fun    I'll be visiting Ireland's 'neighbour' Scotland this summer, should be a worth trip too. Parents are threating to kick me out of the house though if I come back with a bagpipe player 

[greenfire6]

Sounds like a great trip! Have a fun time, David! And an early happy anniversary to you and Diane!

Thanks Mikey!

Sounds like good fun    I'll be visiting Ireland's 'neighbour' Scotland this summer, should be a worth trip too. Parents are threating to kick me out of the house though if I come back with a bagpipe player 

That's hilarious Mary! Tell them I think you could do a lot worse than a bagpipe player. 

[Emer Dreamer]

  HOLY  IRISH BABES , BATMAN...... !!!   Wouldn't it be great if Holly sang too!     

[greenfire6]

 HOLY  IRISH BABES , BATMAN...... !!!   Wouldn't it be great if Holly sang too!    

So... you noticed Holly's lovely, sparkling crown too?  

You know there is a talent element to the competition. If I wasn't leaving for Ireland early tomorrow I would look into this.

I think I will take a few minutes to see if I can find the colleens; Miss Leitrim and Miss Donegal.  

OK! Here is Sarah Kennedy, Miss Donegal 2012: http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/local/portnoo-beauty-to-represent-donegal-in-miss-ireland-1-3765062. By reading the article Miss Kennedy comes across as a fine young lady. 

Can't find Miss Leitrim. I'm starting to think County Leitrim dosen't have an entry for Miss Ireland this year. 

[greenfire6]

According to reports the 2012 contest went sideways. 

Galway beauty, Marie Hughes' won the crown but it wasn't long before she was dethroned. Why? Too old to go on to the Miss World contest! For crying out loud! 25 should not be too old for a beauty contest.

First runner up, Belfast beauty, Rebecca Maguire now has the crown and will represent Ireland at Miss World:

http://www.missosology.org/main/index.php/miss-world/road-to-miss-world-2011/1012-miss-ireland-2012-marie-hughes-dethroned.html

While visiting rural Ireland during the time of this contest I observed no interest in this by the print and TV media or the local people I talked to. 

[greenfire6]

And so the "report" on our wonderful vacation with Men of Worth to rural Ireland begins. I'm going to be brief and hold back much more than I show and write about. I will briefly say that Ireland was all and more than I expected and hoped for.  

Shannon International is a great airport! It's runways/taxiways are set up for the big transcontinental birds yet the terminal is small with a hometown feel.    We highly recommend it.


Thank you! So glad to be here don't cha know!  


This "flag stand" at the Park Inn Shannon is typical of many we saw in the Republic of Ireland.


Next morning our first stop was Galway... shopping of course!  

Apologies for the oversize images. My 'puter and Photobucket are not behaving well right now. Patience please. I will either figure it out or, more likely, it will clear up on it's own. If neither happens I will take a break until a fix is had.

Edit: Well it appears that, overnight, the pictures magically went to the size I selected.   That certainly wasn't the case last night!  

[greenfire6]

After shopping in Galway we would hit the road for a provided lunch at Gleason's in Roscommon town then continue on to Ramada Inn Lough Allen which would be our lodging, and base, for the next four days.

We would see landscape like this for the entire vacation. What they say is true... Ireland is so green it hurts your eyes... in a good way of course.  


This road is typical of those that we would see when traveling to our daily activities and destinations.


Our clean, comfortable bus was provided by Michael Corduff out of Co. Mayo.


Crossing over the River Shannon at the village of Carrick on Shannon. Our bus driver was Martin, a very skilled "wheel man" also very professional in all aspects. Martin would be "one of us" everywhere for the duration... lodging, meals, etc.


"Downtown" Carrick on Shannon. So many beautiful little villages to enjoy, so little time!!!!!  


Ramada Inn Lough Allen. Our "home" for the next four nights. A very well run house with a suberb restaurant and pub! The wait staff was incredible!   The Ramada Lough Allen is just on the outskirts of the little village Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim.


Our vacation would be about 97% dry but there was three or four days of cool breezy conditions. Perfect for wearing those newly bought Irish wool sweaters purchased in Galway!  


This was our dinner set up for the next four nights. The chow was to die for!  


Nightly music after dinner every night! Left to right, our " tour minders", Men of Worth Donnie Macdonald (the Scotsman) and James Keigher (the Irishman). Far right, John Reynolds, a local man, keen with the breadth and width of the history of Ireland interrupting the music by giving us a brief history lesson. Oh my goodness! How I ate all this stuff up! I loved it!!!! We would see and hear more from John in the coming days.  

Little did I know, after this provided music, I would exit to the pub where a session was just getting under way with some 20 plus local musicians/vocalist playing and singing Trad tunes and songs. It turns out the pub at the Ramada is very popular with the local musicians and singers! Heaven on earth and a pint of Guiness!  

And this was just the beginning of the music and dance I would see and enjoy every day for the next 10 days...  

[Starman]

     What a fantastic trip, as evidenced by some great photos, David and your captions explaining them!  I'd love to have been there!  Post us some more when you get a chance!  

[barb kantartzis]

Spunds like y6ou had an AMAZING time!!!  Those pictures are just stunning!  Even though I was on the fence about going next year, lately those pictures make me want to take the next flight over!!  just beautiful!  And how were the busses (I am looking at doing a bus tour??!!) Did everything go smoothly?? I am sure you will have those memories forever!

[greenfire6]

    What a fantastic trip, as evidenced by some great photos, David and your captions explaining them!  I'd love to have been there!  Post us some more when you get a chance!  

I'm on it John! 

Well sorta'... At the moment I'm experiencing some performance issues and difficulties with managing the images on and off of Photobucket.

Thanks for the encouragement!  I will keep chipping away at it.

[greenfire6]

And how were the busses (I am looking at doing a bus tour??!!) Did everything go smoothly??

I can only speak for our one experience with Men of Worth. All of the logistics could not have been better organized. But I should explain...

James and Donnie, aka: the lads, have been hosting these escorted vacations to Ireland and Scotland for 10 years. They put a tremendous amount of planning and work into these tours. This includes James's beautiful wife Bronagh who was along to help the lads in looking after us. In fact James and Bronagh were "boots on the ground" about two weeks early to make final site inspections and confirm all the arrangements from lodging and meals to castle tours, boat cruises, etc., etc., etc.

As for the bus; the lads have settled on Michael Corduff as one of the best providers and they always request Martin to be the driver. Because the lads plan well ahead I think the request for Martin is always granted.

On the bus James provides the color commentary. In Scotland Donnie provides the commentary. The PA system on the bus is excellent. The airline industry should look into that system. LOL!  

Bronagh has always been involved with the tour planning, bookeeping, etc. in a behind the scenes role. Recently she departed her day job so she can devote 100% to these tours and the lads concert tours in the states. Now Bronagh will be going along on most, if not all tours, to help the lads in looking after their guests.

Steve (one of our group) and Bronagh got together for a duet during one of the nightly, after dinner, music times.