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IRELAND BIKE TRIP: HELPFUL TRAVEL INFORMATIONDay 1 pick up 12pm at Galway Location of Shannon Airport Telephone +353-61-712 000
What is Shannon Airport Like? Built to replace the Foynes seaplane base and to facilitate transatlantic travel with limited fuel suppplies, Shannon Airport was and still is very utilitarian. Passenger facilities are virtually exhausted by the bar-cum-restaurant area and the duty-free shop (duty-free shopping was actually invented in Shannon). Unusual aspects of Shannon Airport include US troops and Russian freight-planes - the former are using Shannon as a staging post for deployment in the Middle East, the latter have maintained a commercial presence for decades now.
How to Get to Shannon Airport
Destinations Served from Shannon Airport
Location of Dublin Airport North County Dublin
Contact Information for Dublin AirportTelephone +353-1-814 1111
What is Dublin Airport Like?Crowded at the best of times, positively claustrophobic during peak travel times, Dublin Airport has been too small for the passenger numbers handled for some time now. This results in queues, milling throngs of fellow passengers and all sorts of associated problems. While the terminal building has been substantially modernized and gates have been added in the last decade, using Dublin Airport is not always a pleasant experience. Passenger facilities, from restaurants to shopping, are numerous - but again can suffer from overcrowding.
How to Get to Dublin Airport
Destinations Served from Dublin Airport
Why You Should Fly via Dublin AirportFrequent flights right to Dublin City – basically the best starting point for (nearly) every visit to Ireland.
Connemara is a savage beauty" - Oscar Wilde Connemara (in Irish: Conamara), which derives from Conmhaicne Mara (meaning: descendants of Con Mhac, of the sea), is a district in the west of Ireland comprising of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway or south west Connacht. The Conmhaicne Mara were a branch of the Conmhaicne, an early tribal grouping that had a number of branches located in different parts of Connacht. As this branch of Conmhaicne were located by the sea they became known as the Conmhaicne Mara, i.e., of the sea. Connemara lies in the territory of Iar Connacht, "West Connacht", which is the portion of County Galway west of Lough Corrib and the portion of County Mayo in the barony of Ross. Connemara was traditionally divided into North Connemara and South Connemara. The mountains of the Twelve Bens and the Owenglin river, which flows into the sea at An Clochán/Clifden, marked the boundary between the two parts. Connemara is bounded on the west, south and north by the Atlantic. Connemara's land boundary with the rest of County Galway is marked by the Invermore River (which flows into the north of Kilkieran Bay), Loch Oorid, (which lies a few miles west of Maam Cross, and the western spine of the Maumturks mountains in the north of which the boundary meets the sea at the Killary a few miles west of Leenaun.
The Irish love traditions. So much so, in fact, that the country is full of them – from eating colcannon (a mixture of cabbage and mashed potatoes) on Halloween to wearing something green on St. Patrick’s Day. Two of the most enduring and internationally famed, however, are traditional music and Irish dancing. Northern Ireland also has its own unique Ulster-Scots culture, which is prevalent throughout the counties and is often expressed through music and dance. The Lambeg Drum, fiddle, fife and flute are just some of the melodic accompaniments to sessions of Highland Dancing, Scottish Country Dancing, Ulster-Scots Square and Country Dancing. And with Ulster-Scots cultural events springing up all over the place, you can watch from the sidelines or give it a whirl yourself. Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the United Kingdom. In 1948 Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday Agreement and approved in 1998, is being implemented with some difficulties. The pub lies at the heart of cultural, social and musical life in Ireland. Not just places to have a drink, in an Irish pub you can philosophize on the meaning of life, ruminate on global politics, listen to a poetry reading, tap your feet to a traditional session, feast on delicious food or just enjoy the quiet settling of a pint of Guinness in front of a crackling fire. Sit at the bar if you fancy chatting to the locals, or hole yourself up in one of the old snugs – private little spaces, which were historically designed just for the ladies. The Irish like to think that Celtic blood flows through the veins of all the great and the good. Among those we are proud to call our own are John F. Kennedy, Davy Crockett, Gene Kelly, Grace Kelly and Ned Kelly, too. On St. Patrick’s Day, though, everyone’s Irish. So don your green and enjoy one of the many St. Patrick’s Day festivals around the world. The Irish accent is famed the world over for its romantic and lyrical lilt, but it’s not until you actually get to Ireland that you realize how different the language around the country can be. To start with, in the Republic of Ireland (except for counties Monaghan and Donegal) Hiberno-English is spoken, while in Ulster the form of English is called mid-Ulster English. But the real key is the speed in which the words come out – so listen carefully! As a race, we’re proud of the Irish language. So proud that the Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Minister passed regulations that decree only the Gaelic versions of place names and street signs are to be used in the Gaeltacht – any region where the Irish language is officially the major language. Just be sure to bring a map with you when traveling. And to make things a little more interesting, in the North of Ireland, Ullans is spoken. This beautiful language is a unique form of Scots/Irish and is peculiar to the Ulster region
Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging a robust 7% in 1995-2004. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. Industry accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and 29% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's growth, the economy has also benefited from a rise in consumer spending, construction, and business investment. Per capita GDP is 10% above that of the four big European economies and the second highest in the EU behind Luxembourg. Over the past decade, the Irish Government has implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb price and wage inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU nations. |
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