Touring the west of ireland with own Chauffeur/guide/dovechauffeurdrive

Chauffeurdriven adventure with Dovechauffeurdrive on the Wild Atlantic Way.
The picture below shows one of the few remaining pieces of the old city wall, which guarded Galway City. What a shame that more of this wall was not protected, and preserved.

 Today, two of my latest party arrived in Dublin, and made their way to Galway, where i met up with them in the city center. The full group consisted of two couples, Christine and Andrew, and Alex and Eliza, all the way from the USA. Alex and Eliza were to arrive later, as they were flying in from Amsterdam.

This evening my new friends are staying in the lovely little town of Kinvara, which is some twenty miles from the city of Galway. In the above picture, we have Christine and Andrew, pictured outside their Guest House in the heart of the town, the Kinvara guesthouse.. This is a really nice place to stay, if you do come to Kinvara.

Kinvara is a small harbour town, situated on the southern shores of Galway Bay. It has its own quaint castle, Dun Guaire, and hosts wonderful Medieval banquets there nightly. My new pals will be celebrating at one of these banquets tonight, and i am sure that they are in for a real treat.
In this picture above, we have Christine and Andrew, down at the harbour. The castle can be seen in the background, to their right.

Christine and Andrew, sitting on a bollard by the harbourside. The black boat in the background is one of the old, and famous, Galway Bay Hookers, (Yes, really), a traditional fishing boat, used mainly on the western side of the Irish coast.

 The rest of my party, Alex and Eliza, arrived in Galway later in the afternoon, and just in time to join Andrew and Christine at the banquet in Dun Guaire castle. They are a brave lot, as they had spent so many sleepless hours getting to Ireland, and still were prepared to partake in this main event of the day. 
The picture above shows the old castle where they dined this evening.

 A picture of the banqueting hall, showing the long timber tables and the stone interior of the castle.

Everybody enjoying the occasion outside the castle.

From the left, Andrew, Christine, Eliza, and Alex. The others in the background are just more of the banqueting part trying to get onto my famous Blog. (Seriously though, they were all great fun.)

This fun lady wanted to get in on my photo shoot, eventhough, when i told her she would be on my Blog later she really enjoyed having been photographed. She was a great sport, and i hope that she sees this photo.

I had to take a picture of this beautiful swan in the shallows beside the castle.

My final post, at the end of our first day, my four fellow travelers pictured on stage at the banquet, with one of the main artists in their wonderful show tonight.

From the left we have, Eliza, Alex, Christine, our artist(whose name i forget), and Andrew.

My tours are always full of fun, and when you have happy people with traveling you, it really makes for a great time.  Ireland works its magic on everybody. I always love being a part of a happy group as i travel through this land, a land, steeped in tradition and history. We love our stories and our music.

You too can come, and travel with me, if you so wish. I would love to take you around and share this special piece of heaven with you also.

Just drop me a line and we can take it from there.

Your friend in Ireland

Dave 

Executive chauffeurdriven tours of Ireland with Dovechauffeurdrive

 The famous Galway Bay Hooker, the fishing and transport boat used by the fishermen on our west coast.

 I was born and reared in the West of Ireland, and that is where my heart is. It is now better known as the Wild Atlantic way, and that is really a fitting name for this region. Traveling with me you not only have the advantage of having a qualified driver, but you have somebody who knows this area inside out, someone who understands the people, knows their language, and knows first hand what it was like to grow up here in the twentieth century.

 There is much to do in this beautiful country. I took the above picture of a falcon while some of my clients attended a session with this bird of prey.

 Another picture as the falcon landed on my own arm. Of course i was wearing the much needed glove. A little scary, but safe enough.

Another good reason for having me drive you around, as you can see from this picture, as i move a large rock on this narrow mountain road. (Well, i tried anyway).

Make sure to follow along on my Blog as i start another tour tomorrow, featuring some of wonderful western side of my country. 
If you would like to find out more about my service, just message me and i will do the rest. 

Western Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way chuaffeurdriven tours with Dovechauffeurdrive

My season really gets underway from next week onwards, and i am looking forward to meeting so many new friends all the way from the USA. I do get some visitors from other areas also, but most of my business comes from American. We do have so many people of Irish descent over there, so it is not surprising that my business receives so much attention from that area. This is also a time of the year when i look back at memories of previous years and those who travelled with me at this time. I have so many fond memories of the new friends i have gathered in past years. For those of you reading this, i miss you all.

This is a really beautiful time of the year in Ireland, as the countryside is ablaze with colour.  We have such a wonderful array of natural flowers decorating our rich countryside. We have the new born lambs, the gorgeous calves, the birds. 
I live in the countryside in county Galway, on the western side of the country, and i wake every morning to the natural sounds in the farming area where i live. The singing of the birds, the bleating of lambs, and the mooing of the cows, and calves. How blessed i am.
Yesterday morning, sadly, i was awakened by a loud bang on my bedroom window.  I knew a bird had hit the window, as this was a noise i had heard before. When i went out to see if he was ok, the poor little thing was already dead.

He was a little Chaffinch, one of the most common garden birds in Ireland. At least he did not suffer, as he must have died instantly from the blow he received. 
The beauty of nature is sometimes tempered by the hard side of life, something we all learn as we travel along in our own separate journeys.

Ireland has so much to offer, and my touring centers mainly on the rural side of Ireland and Irish life. I do include cities also, as many of my clients like to spend a couple of days in Dublin or elsewhere, and i always try to oblige, but i do find that the real beauty of Ireland, for me, is the West and South west of our country. Places such as Connemara, the Aran Islands, the Burren of county Clare, and the Cliffs of Moher. County Kerry, the famous Ring of Kerry, and the Dingle peninsula, the Gap of Dunloe, and the lakes of Killarney. The south coast, west Cork, Kinsale and Blarney. The town of Cobh (Cove) from where the vast majority of our emigrants sailed many years ago on their way to the New World.
Why not begin to plan now for that trip you have always wanted to make to your ancestral home.
Let me help.

Dave
We can plan your vacation together.

Do contact me if you need assistance.
 
 

Chauffeurdriven vacations with own driver/guide in Ireland West and South west.

What a lovely time of the year this is, and what nice weather we have had to greet these new arrivals, pictured above with their Mom and Dad. These cygnets were enjoying their swim at the mouth of a little river near my home yesterday.

I spent the past weekend in Killarney, and took this picture of the beautiful St Mary's Cathedral there. If you are visiting Killarney, make sure to stop off here, as this is a very special church, and stands on holy ground, where many famine victims spent their final hours, and were buried right here, before the cathedral was finally constructed.

On a happier note, me and my pal Taffy. We do get on very well and everybody loves Taffy. The white on the ground is not snow, they are my lovely daisies.

I have to tell the world, today is my birthday

My nephew, Eugene, and his wife and two sons, and Lynn's sister and partner, were visiting us from the USA yesterday, and last night we had a really lovely meal together in the wonderful Park House Hotel in Galway city.

In this picture above we have, in the front, my wife Sue, and opposite her, my brother Sean, then behind Sue, yours truly, and opposite, Bridget, my brothers wife.

Then just behind me, we have my nephew Eugene, and opposite him, his wife Lynn.

Then behind Eugene we have Evelyn, and opposite her we have Paige, and last but not least, behind Evelyn, Lewis and opposite him we have Patrick.

Here we have all the men together, Patrick, you know who, Eugene, Sean, and Lewis.

Finally, all the ladies, Lynn, Sue, Bridget, Paige and Evelyn.

We did have a really nice evening together, and eventhough the celebration was a day early, it just simply meant that i was still young enough to enjoy it all the more.

Looking for chauffeur/guide for Irish tour/vacation.

Executive chauffeurdriven vacations in Ireland

Our lovely spell of fine weather has continued, and long may it last. I recently commented on how Global warming seems to have been benefiting Ireland. Our Winter was really nice, with no severe weather at all, no real snow or frost, and no heavy rain, resulting in the flooding we have had in the not too distant past. This year has been really kind to us so far. In recent times we have had quiet a lot of lovely sunshine. Ireland is not a country to come to if you are looking for a suntan. We do get the occasional heat wave, but generally, when the sun shines here, and it does quiet a lot more than we get credit for, it is never too hot, and the air is so fresh. The days are long with daylight lasting up to 11:00pm, and the sun rises not too long after 4:00am. Give me Irish weather anytime. Our rain comes mainly in the form of showers, so if you are coming our way, just pack light rainwear and a sweater or two for the cool evenings. Smart casual is more than acceptable anywhere, so pack light, and make life easy for yourself.

 The lovely Kathleen, seated on a rock, and enjoying the sunshine, and the fresh air, at Ladies View, high in the mountains on the Ring of Kerry.

 Here we have the Rock of Cashel, once upon a time the seat of the High Kings of Munster. As you can see, they are working on renovations and restoration work, which does spoil the view a little.

 Kinsale is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the south coast, and the magnificent fort there is well worth a visit. Kinsale is also known as the gourmet capital of Ireland.

 Well, everybody has heard of the Blarney Castle, and here we have another group of my pals, posing, with this impressive castle in the background. Kissing the Blarney stone is a must for many travelers.

 My pals, once again, posing with the lovely lakes, and mountains of Killarney in the background.

" One man and his goat. ", and what a magnificent goat he is. I took this picture in Waterville on the Ring of Kerry.

 Dun Guaire is possibly the most photographed castle in Ireland, as it stands on the roadside outside Kinvara, between Galway City and the Cliffs of Moher. They host medieval banquets there, and these can be most enjoyable, if you want a taste of the Olden, Golden days.

Why not send me a message and we can take it from there. you cannot but love Ireland.

Chauffeur/car and driver/guide for west of Ireland tour

Wild Atlantic Way chauffeurdriven driven tours 

Who better to take you around through the magical Wild Atlantic Way than somebody who was born and reared here?
My birthplace was Galway City, on the doorstep of Connemara, that region made famous in the movie "The Quiet Man". On the southern side of my homeland, we have the Burren, and the awesome Cliffs of Moher, and then south of that again we have County Kerry. Kerry is famous, of course, for the Iveragh peninsula, also known as the Ring of Kerry, and the beautiful Dingle peninsula. Further south once again we have west Cork and Kinsale, known as the gourmet capitol of Ireland. All of these areas are on the Wild Atlantic Way.

 A typical view from the mountains, of one of the many glacial lakes in the mountainous regions of the Wild  Atlantic Way.

 This western region was devastated by the famine in the eighteen hundreds, and in this picture above, we have the ruin of one of  the thousands of abandoned homes in this region. A house of that size could have been home to a family of anything from one to fifteen people. Irish families always numbered many children.

My tours of  The Gap of Dunloe tour, begin and end, in Killarney for me. The journey takes in two stages, the first being the journey on the horse drawn buggies, the famous jaunting cars, which take you up through the mountain gorge, a gorge created by a giant glacier during the ice age, and down to the lakes of Killarney, where you board your boats, which then take you down through those lakes, and back into Killarney at the restored Ross castle. The picture above shows one of my groups arriving back at the end of their journey. This is an unforgettable tour, and one you can take with me, when you get to Ireland.

 Ross castle, at the end of your Gap tour. 

There is no substitute for having your own experienced driver and guide, if you want to be able to really enjoy and experience the wonderful west of Ireland. 
I would love to be the one to take you on this memorable journey through this land that i love so much. You will see, and experience, so much more, in comfort and safety.
An enquiry does not cost you anything. Doing it on your own may cost a lot more. You may be very pleasantly surprised by my suggested plans.

Chauffeurdriven tours and vacations in Ireland with Dovechauffeurdrive.

Wild Atlantic way with own chauffeur/driver and Guide.

The West of Ireland is where i was born, and reared, and to me that is the real Ireland. I love its beautiful rugged coastline, its offshore islands, its mountains, lakes and valleys, its colourful little towns, and its friendly people. 
This lady, pictured above, was obviously enjoying the view as we travelled on the Wild Atlantic Way. 

 The Achill island sheep, find the strangest places to graze.

 Slea head, on the Dingle peninsula, is located at the tip of the peninsula, overlooking the Blasket Islands. A must to see.

Getting to know a really gorgeous, and very friendly, Irish wolfhound. They make great pets, but they do like their food. He has the same colour hair as me.

Are you happy about driving these mountain roads? Maybe you might prefer having me to take you there. 

If you are considering coming to Ireland and want somebody to take you around, then i would love to oblige.

Have a look at my Blog and Website and it might help you to make up your mind.

Ireland, bathing in beautiful sunshine. Expert in the west and southwest of Ireland.

 Dun Guaire castle, in Kinvara, close to where i live on the outskirts of Galway city. You can enjoy a medieval banquet in this castle most evenings.
 

I took the above picture yesterday evening. What a lovely place i live in.
 Well, if climate change is really underway, we here in Ireland may be benefiting more than many, as our recent weather has been really lovely. The past Winter was more than kind, as we had little or no snow, and very little in the line of icy or frosty roads. Out rainfall was way below normal, and we had no really stormy weather either. 
This year so far has been really nice, and we are at present enjoying beautiful sunny and warm weather. 
No.....it does not always rain in Ireland, and anybody who tells you that is talking rubbish. Today i am wearing a short-sleeved T-Shirt and jeans, and i am sure that my suntan is improving. My pony Taffy, is also enjoying the gorgeous sunshine, along with the carrot i am just after giving him.

If you are planning a visit anytime between now and the end of October, just bring smart casual wear, a warm sweater or two, for the evenings, when it may get a little chilly, and light rain wear.  You will be fine with that.

 My absent friend, Jane Coneen, a wonderful artist from P.A, who toured with me on a number of occasions a number of years ago, always used to say, that there were no skies like Irish skies. Judging by my picture above, i think you may agree with her. She loved to paint her Irish scenes, little thatched cottages, and colorful village streets, with magnificent Irish skies to enhance their beauty. She was a lovely lady, and i do miss her.

My touring centers mainly on the western seaboard of our wonderful country. This is the area i was born and reared in, and the area, which to me, is the real Ireland. This was the area which was most affected by the famine back in the eighteen forties, and an area many Irish Americans return to visit, this land of their forefathers, as huge numbers of people fled from these regions to try to escape that wicked famine.The above picture, a picture of a currach, the favoured light sea fishing boat, used by the west of Ireland fishermen, was a vital survival asset during the famine as those who were fortunate to have a currach could at least manage to get food from the sea. That of course depended on the weather also, but these boats were designed to handle rough seas and the fishermen were skilled in their handling of them. 

I am now entering an extremely busy time of the year, but if you do need me, just write to me, or give me a call. If i can help, i will.

Regards for now

Dave