Vacation Reviews

- Phil Ellsworth - June

Title: Thank you :)
Reviewed by Phil Ellsworth on Jun 30
Rating: 5.0

Maria,

All of the accommodations that you booked for us were spectacular.  Each of the B&B's had great breakfast and were able to give us valuable input on what to do in the nearby town. The Lough Eske Castle was also fantastic and really was the highlight of the trip for my wife.  Truly everything was exactly what we were looking for.  Your help in planning and booking our travel was much appreciated.

Thanks
 

- Mihaela and Mircea - June

- Janet H - November

- Amanda A - June

     - Stephen Krause - March

Dear Maria,

Thank you for your e-mail.

We did, indeed, have a lovely holiday.  By the grace of God, all things went smoothly.

We really enjoyed the B&B’s you selected and the two towns to visit.  Many times we remarked how we enjoyed your selections.  The vehicle was excellent.  Our hosts at Flesk and the Woodlands were very friendly and hospitable: John and Chriss and Valerie and Brian.  The drive times were just right. The two nights in Killarney was a superb idea!  We were all enamored with this lovely town.  And Kinsale is quite adorable.  The Academy Plaza was also a superb choice!

Our only disappointment was that Pat Cohan’s Pub was closed. 

Mike has several persons, at his work, that want to travel to Ireland as well. He is going to give them your contact info, if that is okay with you.  And I will do the same when the opportunity arises.  You certainly have repeat customers with us.  I am trying to talk up a return visit in the fall!  It’s definitely not as crowded as in August.

Again, thank you for your amazing assistance! It is very much appreciated!

Good night.  God Bless.
 

- Joyce & Jerry Archibald - July

WOW! WOW! & WOW!
Jerry and I (Joyce) cannot begin to tell you what a wonderful experience we had traveling the B & B's in Ireland.
Keith Howard was our agent and he did a terrific job in answering all our questions, giving us good suggestions and genuinely caring about giving us the best trip ever.
Want to mention the B & B in Listowel-Aras Mhuire whose owner is Mary Costello. What made this B & B stand out was that Mary went above and beyond her normal duties and we truly felt like long lost friends rather than just visitors!
When we are ready to return, rest assured we will definitely use Discovering Ireland Vacation to make our travel plans.
Hey, just got our package from Waterford! Decided to give the kids one special gift rather than cart around Tee Shirts, gadgets, etc. Of course, we could not resist buying two champaign flutes for ourselves!!!!
Thanks again.
Your good friends

- Vicky Diane Cupp - July

Maria,
I have been working with Claire for quite a number of months getting this vacation planned. She has been absolutely wonderful. Patient and understanding with the many bumps in the road I had getting to the final confirmation on this trip. She may do these vacations everyday, but I will probably only get this chance once in my lifetime.
A huge thank you to her and your staff.

- Pat & Ron Knox - June

Dear Maria
We did have the best of intentions of dropping in on you in Skibberen but finding a parking spot was most difficult and we were some what behind schedule. We had a fantastic visit to your beautiful Ireland and took back many incredible memories. The hotel/Castle accommodations were amazing, we especially liked Ballyseede maybe because of the two beautiful dogs Arthur and Einstein who call it home, along with the donkeys and ponies. We were well taken care of by Ester who took great care of the four of us.
Driving was a bit challenging, we in the U.S. & Canada are not used to such narrow, winding roads, we upgraded to a Range Rover but ended up with two flat tires and a bent rim, after hitting a stone wall on the side of a road with no shoulder. Hertz brought us another vehicle, but they only had a manual transmission, but the boys did a fine job in driving it. Just lucky it happened on the way back from the Dingle Peninsula and not on it, or we might still be there.
Again your selection of hotels and castle hotels were splendid and we all had a marvelous time. We will definitely recommend Discovering Ireland Vacation to all our friends and family and you in particular.
We had a very smooth flight over and back on Aer Lingus and Paul and Janet were able to sit on an exit row also on the way back, due to 60 cancellations on that flight due to the possibility of a pilot strike.
So thank you so very much for all your hard work on our behalf. Between the four of us, we took over 1,600 pictures.

- Dianna Knight - June

Brian,
I am just using this old email to contact you.
We are home and had a WONDERFUL time. Everything our several friends said about Ireland and its people are true. We would not hesitate to recommend such a trip to anyone and especially the use of your company. You were so helpful from the very beginning.
I would not recommend the Corrib View BB in Galway County. The distance was not bad, but the place was so cold. They did not have heat on and it was in the low 40sF. Killarney House - Blarney was good. But our absolute favorite was Shela at Falshea in Killarney. There are not enough stars for her. CLEAN, HELPFUL, EXTRA anything even if we didn't need anything.
Thank you again for all you did to help. AS we told Shela, we do not run a B and B in Louisville, KY but IF you ever come to the US, you have a free B and B at our home.
Thank you again,

- JoAnn Sibley - May

Attention: Maria
I am sorry that this message is so slow in getting to you but I have had a number of computer problems since returning from Ireland. I was part of the group that went with Grace Riley leaving on April 29 and returning on May 9. We can't thank Vivienne enough for her grace and patience in dealing with our questions prior to trip and the wonderful accommodations she arranged for us. Even when encountering some difficulty with our reservation at the Bewley Hotel it took only one phone call to Vivienne who set everything right and again handled our concerns with the utmost patience and grace. So "hats off to you" Vivienne for an excellent job. If I have the opportunity to travel again I will not hesitate to use your services and hopefully work with Vivienne again.
Thank you so much for our wonderful trip to Ireland!!

- Camille Babb and Family - May

Maria,
Our trip that you arranged was fabulous! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Dublin and the car rental made travel to Belfast a snap. Our flights were also delightful and we had no challenges at all. Once again, we were in great hands with your assistance. All the best and we will certainly connect in the future as our plans call for travel to Ireland.
Best,

- Loren Wayne - May

Claire,
Thanks for putting together the trip I just came home from. Everything went great and I owe that to the hard work you put in to making things right for us.
I'd be glad to recommend you and your company to anyone thinking of traveling to your beautiful country.

- Sandy Kay - May

Hi Vivienne,
I was one of the people on the trip with Grace Riley to Ireland. We would like to thank you for the quick assistance with the issue that we experienced Saturday at the Bewleys Hotel in Dublin. Your offer of help was truly appreciated by all of us involved. I know that by taking you up on your kind offer of taking care of our accommodations we would have been burning the midnight oil for the next several hours of stress trying to find a place to except our voucher. Your swift actions in making sure that we were taken care of was very impressive and your kindness and generosity was greatly appreciated. We all are aware that you are the reason that our stay in Ireland was so very enjoyable and we couldn't have done it so comfortably without your assistance.

Thank you very much for your help and an enjoyable trip to Ireland. We will be sure to ask for your assistance in any of our up coming trips to Ireland as we enjoyed it very much.
Thanks again for your assistance,

- John & Irma Fort - May

Good afternoon Ms Vivienne,
Just wanted to send you a big Thank You.

We returned from our Ireland trip yesterday afternoon and we had a wonderful time.

Every B & B that you choose for us was fantastic and the owners were all very friendly.

The weather was beautiful with rain only a day and a half.

Again, thank you very much for your help with planning our trip to Ireland.

- Dorothy H. Smyk - May

Dear Elma,
I have meaning to write a note to you for the last 2 weeks!!
Thank you so much for your help in arranging our Ireland trip. It was absolutely fantastic. We loved the Shelbourne, Waterford Castle and Dromoland Castle…but especially loved the Cahernane House. Our room there was superb and the friendliness of the staff was incredible. In fact, the friendliness of everyone we met in Ireland was remarkable. We took advantage of the falconry and shooting programs at Dromoland which was super fun.

Des Prior, our guide, was so nice, funny and informative. We loved chatting with him each evening and morning to decide on the itinerary for that day. We know that without Des our trip would not have been half as fabulous as it was. One of the highlights of our trip happened on Easter Saturday. With Des’s help, we were able to find the 6th century monastic cemetery where my great-grandmother Elizabeth Gleeson was buried. We were in the Fenloe cemetery no more than 5 minutes when my husband found the gravesite. It was an emotional moment.

Thanks again to you and everyone at My Guide Ireland. I will highly recommend your services to anyone I know that will be traveling to Ireland in the future.

All best wishes to you for a lovely summer,

- Mary & George Blasier - May

Hi Claire,
My husband and I had a wonderful visit to Ireland - all the flights and accommodations went very well.
We enjoyed meeting our family in Macroom County Cork - such a beautiful place!
Thank you so much for your excellent expertise to assist us!

- Jeannette and Les Lee - April

Hi Suzanne
Just returned home from our visit to Ireland that you arranged.
The hotels you chose were excellent especially the Galway Bay Hotel that I would recommend very highly with attentive and friendly staff.

Thank you once again for sorting this all out for us and we enjoyed our stay and hope to return. When we do we would have no hesitation in contacting Ireland@discoveringireland.com

Thank you again

- Loretta and Tom Hauber - April

Hi Vivienne,
Our trip was terrific! From the very start, our stay in Dublin, to the end, when we arrived at Shannon Airport, everything went well and we enjoyed our (short) stay in Ireland. You can't imagine our happy surprise when we saw the type of vehicle we'd be traveling around Ireland in outside our Dublin hotel--the entire family was blown away by its comfort, roominess and big windows! And our driver/guide!! Michael has to be the BEST in Ireland! Everybody enjoyed his comments, history, and most of all, his caring attitude towards us. He was always willing to accommodate our schedule, and also, since we did not have a clear picture of what we would like to see once we left Dublin, he filled in all the days with interesting, amazing, and beautiful places to see.
We got to spend time in Cobh, which was my goal on this trip, taking one of the walking tours of the city while there. And, we actually got to go into the home where my father and his family lived before coming to America!
Your recommendation to stay at Ballyseade Castle was spot-on--what a lovely, posh (for us) accommodation this turned out to be! We had delicious breakfasts both mornings, and comfy, big bedrooms at night. The two dogs there, Arthur and Einstein, were an added bonus. (Our daughter swears there was a ghost in her room, and why not, it's an Irish castle, afterall!) I'd have to say that the only glitches were minor, such as no washcloths in the bathrooms, and very flat pillows, but we adjusted to this. Also, a couple of us left the States sick with bad colds and sore throats, unfortunately, but we soldiered on. My one regret is that we were not able to go to a pub where authentic Irish musicians were playing, probably due to our schedule, and to the fact that we were traveling in the countryside early in the week, when pubs are somewhat quiet. However, Michael joined us for dinner on our last night, so we got a great Irish storyteller, instead! Thank you for your many emails, travel planning and helping us to have an experience of a lifetime!

- The Sheehan Family - April

Dear Claire,
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for doing such a wonderful job in setting up our itinerary.
We had the most fabulous "holiday" in Ireland. We love your country.
The weather was perfect (unseasonably warm and dry). Every hotel was situated close to where we wanted to be and the patrons couldn't have been more helpful. We had the perfect day doing the Dingle Peninsula - just breathtaking 360 degree views!!!! It was a vacation we will never forget and we hope to come back and visit again one day. Again, thank you . thank you . thank you!!!! A job well done.

- Tim McClure - April

We had a great time! Everything was perfect and went well.
The car was awesome. The B&B's were wonderful. The flight to and from went without a glitch.
Your country is beautiful and the people are genuine, warm and truly friendly. We did not have a single negative
experience. We were in Skibereen, but did not arrive until late in the day, so were unable to stop by. When we return again, and we will, we will be giving you a call. I'm proud to be able to trace my genetic roots through you country. What fun. I miss the Guinness, Beamish and Murphy's already. It's just not the same in the states. We did have a hard time finding the last B&B we stayed at, Sandy Cove House, South of Skibereen. The GPS coordinates were wrong. Still, the road signs made it easy to find. We brought it to the owners attention and gave them the correct coordinates from our device. Hardly a bump in the Road.

- Jaclyn - November

Hi Vivienne
I just wanted to thank you again for arranging our trip to Ireland. We had an absolutely amazing time and everything went very smoothly. The vouchers were great to use and we we able to see a lot and stop wherever we wanted. The price was very reasonable and allowed us to not only take this trip but to do a lot while we were there. Thank you again and from this experience, we will definitely be wanting to go back to Ireland and use your great company again!

Much appreciation

- Carol - November

Dear Genevieve,
I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for arranging such a wonderful trip. You are just the best. When I show my pictures "everyone" wants to visit Ireland. I always tell them to talk to me first so I can send them to you. A little heads up for you...we want to return in 2012, probably September again focusing mostly in the west (Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Clare and probably Kerry). The hotels in Westport and Donegal were especially wonderful--Thank you so very much.
Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.
Maybe the next trip we can even come to Skibereen!
God Bless

- Debbie - October

Vivienne,
Just wanted to let you know we had the best time on our vacation to Ireland. Everything went smoothly. Does you company handle other destinations besides Ireland by chance?
Thanks

- Vicki and Mike - October

We want to tell you how wonderful our recent trip to Ireland was. Our driver, Steve, was outstanding and made our trip as good as it gets. He was very, professional, so knowledgeable, and helpful in some sticky situations. The best part of our trip was choosing to go with a private chauffeur. We saw things and went places we never would have seen on a group tour or by driving ourselves. Keep up the good work and give Steve our best regards.

- Mike and Molly - October

Maria -

Just a note to let you know that our trip was just wonderful and came off without a hitch. Thanks so much for your assistance and thoughtfulness. It was much appreciated. Be sure we will use you again for our next trip so we can see the other half of Ireland

-Chantal and Michael - October

Good morning Niamh!

Regards from two very satisfied customers..

- Ken - October

Hi Genevieve,

Thanks.

- Linda - September

Dear Vivienne,

Had a wonderful time on our trip. The Galway Bay Hotel and The Davenport in Dublin were lovely. Everything went as planned. Driving on the other side of the road was a little challenging but we did it.

Thank you for all your help with planning the trip. We may just do it again sometime in the future.

- Joy - September

Hello Niamh,

I've just returned to Alabama, and I wanted to thank you for the wonderful trip you arranged for us. I really didn't want to stay at the Clarion that last night, but it was a wise decision on your part. The hotel is just wonderful, and it was so close to the airport that getting a shuttle there was very easy, just what I needed at the last leg of my trip. So, thank you again, for arranging such a great package.
Many thanks

- William - September

Vivienne:

My family and I returned from Ireland last night. The trip was flawless, and I want to thank you for your company's role in that success.

In the decade since we last were there, the improvements to the road system were startling. Also, the fact that there are so many more Irish speakers was obvious, which I presume is a testament to the push to speak the native tongue that was just gaining momentum back in the late '90s.

Thanks again. I'd be glad to recommend your service to anyone at any time.

- Maggie - September

Niamh.....
A belated note to thank you for all your help. We had a wonderful time and the weather was "perect". Our drive, all over your country was filled with fun and very narrow roads, but we didn't damage our van. (which was a relief). Our hotels were great and we enjoyed all of our meals (except one!). Breakfasts were great!
I would recommend that anyone driving on their holiday, be sure to have a GPS - it was a wonderful help!

Thanks again for all your help.....

- Max - October

Hi Vivienne,
It has been a pleasure working with you and your company. I really appreciate your professionalism, tourism expertise, and your patience and willingness in helping me enjoy a great vacation. Rest assured, when I visit Ireland again (and I will), you will be the first person I call. I will also refer you to people I know who may travel the same path.

Thanks, Mak

- Silke - October

Dear Claire,

I just wanted to let you know our Ireland trip was fabulous!!
Thank you so much!
Your recommendation to Adare Manor was a top tip!
I went to Ashford Castle as well, it was very very nice to, but my preference is still Adare Manor.
I just wish that I had booked 2 nights there instead of just one.
The B&Bs were TOP too! Especially the one in Kilkieren up in Galway. Barbara was lovely and couldn't have done more to make our stay memorable.
The Hillside House is definately one you can recommend to anyone!

Thank you again, and all the best.
Silke

- Mary - September


Bill and I returned from our wonderful trip (The Dingle Way) last week and wanted to thank you for the awesome arrangements. Each B&B was better than the next, and we felt most welcome in Ireland.
We were a little unprepared for the type of walking tour, anticipating small roads and trails, and passing through little villages. But we frequently encountered walking through miles of pasture and muddy paths that hindered our trip somewhat. We were also unprepared for not having any type of rest room facilities or options to refill our water bags at all during the Annascaul to Dingle route. It made for a long day, but I guess that’s just part of the experience. Perhaps it was described that the tour would be somewhat rugged and primitive at times, but I overlooked it.
Our reward each day, however, was being greeted by a warm and most cordial host and clean and comfortable B&B. The owners went out of their way to make us comfortable, give us information, and provide transportation if need be.

Thank you again for all your help during the planning process and for making such fabulous arrangements for us. I’ve attached a photo we took of Minard Castle on one of our walking days. It was such a beautiful sight. Also attached is a view of the “Three Sisters” on our way from Dunquin to Cuas.

Warmly,

Mary

- Peg - September.

Hi Gen,

Just wanted to let you know that we have a fabulous time on our trip. Even though it did RAIN each day. We were lucky in that we only had one washout. That had to be the day we were at the cliffs. Even with the rain they are truly spectacular. I would highly recommend both Mean House in Kilkenny and the Rivermount in Kinsale. Both B&B's were lovely and hostesses very nice. Galway Bay Holiday Village was great also. I would suggest that people be advised that the accommodations are quite a ways outside of Galway.

On the other side I would not recommend Muckross Holiday Village . We were lucky that we had towels and toilet tissue. Very sparse.
I had a very minor accident. NO damage to the car other than some white paint from the wall I backed into. We were turning around in the parking lot of the B&B in Kinsale and bumped into the wall. Now I am fighting with Hertz as they are trying to charge me 1600 EU for non existing damages. Thank goodness we had the travel insurance.

I have several friends that are thinking of booking a vacation and I have given them your name and number. You were an absolute angel in all the help you provided and the questions you endured. We will never be able to thank you enough for all your help. If you ever need anyone to provide input for a job review please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you again for all you did, Peg

- Audrey - September

Hello Claire,
Sorry this is so late but I just wanted to say Thank you so much for planning such
a wonderful trip! We enjoyed every aspect of it.
I just wanted to let you know that the tax on the Bed & Breakfast's was a Dublin tax.

Thanks Again!

Audrey

- Ann - July

Dear Elma,

We are home. It was a great vacation. We were fortunate enough to locate some family in Kiltimagh. We saw most of the places we had planned to see and the people were very friendly and helpful. The powered wheelchair was the scooter type that comes apart so it was easy to handle and it enabled me to go to places that I could never have made otherwise. I was delighted with it. We missed the southern coast though so that leaves things for another trip in the future.

*** Car Important***

When we went to get the car (the 9 seat Ford Transit with automatic transmission) that was reserved for us was very large and the step up into it was very high. I would never have been able to get in to it. So we took a Ford with manual transmission instead. Everything fitted into it and I could get in and out without difficulty. The man who took care of the changes said that there was a refund due but that the travel agency would have to take care of it. When we returned the car the computer was down so we do not have any documents to that effect. I would appreciate it if you would look into it for us.

Thank you for all your help,

Ann

- Cathy - July

Joan O'Connell
Customer Relations Manager

Our family group trip to Ireland( 8 people, total ), June 11 - 23, was coordinated ,with me as the contact person , by Bridie Tamer . She was just great ! She helped me through all the decision making and was always just a phone call or e-mail away with a prompt response .We had no glitches or problems that weren't easily resolved in the planning of our trip with Bridie's expertise. She is a wonderful member of your team. All of our accommodations were very nice and we enjoyed our stay in them all . There are just a couple of things that perhaps I should mention , however. We really loved the Ballyseede Castle but our breakfast there took far to long to get served to us. We had come to the dining room with plenty of time before our driver was to get us that morning. We had an uncomfortable rush to eat , so that we could start our day.It appeared that they were very short staffed. The B&B Garmisch House in Claregalway was nice but not as clean or as hospitable as was the other B&B we stayed at in Killarney, The Rossarney House . What a wonderful B&B that is and is a hard act to follow . Our hostess there Trina and her husband William were so accommodating , friendly and went over and above during our 2 days there. Trina even made a birthday cake for my sister's birthday. The B&B was so clean and nice , and breakfasts, delicious. We came away feeling like we knew them for years. The Ashling Hotel in Dublin was very nice and the dining as well as the lounge areas we really enjoyed. The Bunratty Castle Hotel was just great ! We so enjoyed the banquet at the Castle , Folk Park and of course Durty Nelly's also. Overall we very happy with the hotels, castle and B&B's we stayed at on our trip. The touring part of our trip was just fabulous. Our driver /guide, now friend ,Joe Curtney was excellent ! Kennedy Coaches provided us with a beautiful blue 12 passenger deluxe motor coach and the best driver ever ! The motor coach was so comfortable with 2 tables, luxury leather seats , huge windows to take in all the beautiful sights . Joe was delightful ! He was knowledgeable , fun , flexible and had a great sense of humor . We all felt completely safe and secure as he drove us to our may destinations ,explaining points of interest , helping us to get the most out of our touring and answering loads of questions. Kennedy Coaches is lucky to have him on their team.
I want to thank Discovering Ireland Vacation , Bridie and Joe , and Kennedy Coaches for helping make this trip a such a wonderful experience for all of us, with memories galore. Three of my seven siblings and I ,with other family members were able to come on this trip that we called ,The Great Escape to Ireland . Our heritage is 100% Irish and we have talked about taking a trip to Ireland for years. My maiden name is McLaughlin and my mothers was Colgan . My brother-in-law's mother was born in Rathangan and we made a visit there on our way back to Dublin where we had lunch and a pint at the local pub to toast his mother and family and our parents and family and of course there and all along on our way toasting the grand time we were having on our visit to the Emerald Isle . We all had a great time ! We just got back and I'm already planning to go back someday. Next time with my husband and our children and grandchildren. Whenever that is, I'll be getting in touch with Discovering Ireland Vacation .

Sincerely,

Cathy

- Dennis and Betty - July

Claire,
We are back in Ames, Iowa. Had a marvelous trip in Ireland. And we want to thank you very much.
You helped plan things beautifully.
The Mont Clare Hotel in Dublin was in a great location and very nice.
Our night in the Waterford Castle was marvelous. We loved staying there.
B & B vouchers worked well for us. We stayed in farmhouse B & B most of the time and enjoyed the countryside.
The small car was good for us since those roads are pretty narrow in places. We were pleased to have the automatic since we met some people who said they were not able to get one. THANKS.
A big thanks for everything. We will recommend you to others.

Dennis & Betty

- David - July

Wanted to let you know that a FABULOUS excursion to the Emerald Isle was had by all eight of the family Derickson that you had coordinated for us! Everything was done from Trinity College and the Book of Kells, to the Carton House for the fairytale wedding of Jonelle, through the Aran Islands, Doolin, the Cliffs of Moher and right on through to the kissing of the Blarney Stone.
I'm in the process of creating a datebook, using the tour you set up and the myriad of pamphlets from various spots we visited, and I'll pleased to email you a copy when it is done.

Thank you so very much for making this a trip of a lifetime!!!!

Cecile (Ceal)

- The McFaddens - July

Vivienne Stanley, just wanted to let you know how fantastic our Ireland vacation was!! We appreciate all your help in planning it. The highlight of our trip was staying at the Taobh Coille Bed and Breakfast in Kells with Agnes and John O'Sullivan. Words cannot describe how beautiful the house and surroundings are. Definitely paradise found! We highly recommend this B&B to anyone. 5 stars!
Thanks again and we'll be sure to contact you on our next trip to Ireland!
Sincerely,

The McFaddens

- Kalpana -June

Elma Connolly was wonderful. She helped us plan the Ireland tour. We did not have any difficulties anywhere. Very satified customers. I will call her to thank her for her efforts and cooperation. A fan with a driver named DEZ Prior from Kenndy Couch was just fabulous. DEZ made a whole lot of difference. He was so nice and exceptionally helpful. I can not reach him, however if you can, please please tell him how much we enjoyed being in his van. Thanks for a nice vacation. I will try to repeat it in near future.
 

- Helen - June

Dearest Genevieve:

Just a quick note to say thank you so many times...your itinerary has been wonderful and restful. The castles are unbelievable and everyone has been so helpful. Thank you again.

Helen

- Joe - June

Bridie,

I want to thank you for your terrific help in setting up our trip to Ireland. It was a great success, thanks in large part to the wonderful accommodations you made for us. Everything was well set up in advance and we particularly loved the hotels you chose for us. They were all I had hoped they would be. I especially would like to point out that the hotel and staff at the Malton were exceptional. Although it was a busy weekend for them, they were very helpful and gracious.
I would happily recommend Discovering Ireland Vacation to anyone.
Thanks again for a great trip,
Joe

- Mike - June

Dear Vivienne,

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the most wonderful trip of my life! Ireland was beautiful, and I felt at home there. I don't know if the reason is because that's where my roots are, or because God means for me to be there, but I would love to move there to live. I fell in love with Killarney. I didn't want to leave. Neither of us wanted to come home.
After I came home I looked at a real estate site and found a beautiful home in Dingle that sits on the hillside and overlooks the sea. Wow, that would be the life!
The trip was perfect in every way. The coach driver, Victor Mitchell, was full of information, and had everything prepared for each stop that we made. The hotels and food were unbelievable. We were taken wonderful care of at each place. The Brehon was my favorite hotel, and the grounds of the Dunboyne Castle Hotel were unbelievable.
I took the bristles from my husband's toothbrush and scattered them on the Irish soil. So part of him is there. It was to be our trip, but when he became ill, he made Aunt Ida promise to take me if he couldn't. He was with us in spirit.
There is no way for me to properly show my appreciation for all that you did to send us on our way. Thank you for your patience and kindness.
I can't believe that you left Ireland to live here in the States, but hopefully you go home to visit quite often.

Thanks again, so very much,

Carol Sue

- Joyce - June

Good Morning, Genevieve:
Just wanted to thank you for all you did to make our vacation an absolutely perfect week!
Con from Kennedy Coaches was at Shannon to meet us bright and early and with a smile, a smile that never left his face all week. The van was clean and comfortable and he was a perfect host and guide. He was professional, funny, helpful, interesting and extremely knowledgable. He gave great advice on options (i.e. what to see, where to go, etc.) and managed to keep a 22 year old, a 51 year old AND a 77 year old ALL happy-a huge task for any man! You were right when you said he would guide our week. We felt very blessed (and spoiled) to have him to spend the week with. I will always ask for Kennedy (and Con!) for future trips.
Your choice of hotels was magnificent! I wish we had not been so jet-lagged at Dromoland so we could have taken more advantage of their property-I think we will stay 3-4 days there next time. (On a side note, my mother lost a gold bracelet there and they not only found it but shipped it back to her with a lovely note.)
I must say that the Park Hotel was our favorite and it’s only a question of when we will return there, not if. Their staff and personal service was beyond any I have ever experienced in any hotel; no 5 star in America or England where I have stayed would have treated us as well, unquestionably. John even sent up a special meal to my son’s room at night when he didn’t join us for dinner one night. Their spa was wonderful and clean and private.
Hayfield Manor was our only disappointment and I am frankly surprised at their 5star rating. The rooms were shabby (chipped paint, broken tiles in the bathroom, mold on the windows) and the restaurant meal was one of the worst I have ever had anywhere (no service for ages, then bad service-and horrible food). Service also left a lot to be desired. But it was only one night.
The Athenaeum in Cork was lovely and the restaurant there was one of the best. It’s a little remote so you really need to dine in but they made that very easy to do.
The Shelburne in Dublin-well, what can I say? Perfect location, wonderful staff, beautiful rooms-a great two days. We were able to walk most everywhere and spent two happy, happy days there. That will always be our Dublin home.
So Genevieve, thank you for all you did and all your help. It was a pleasure to work with you and My Guide Ireland. Kennedy Coaches and all the hotels were perfect in every way. My jaded American friends keep asking what the downside experience was and I honestly have to say there was none. You have a beautiful and interesting country with the nicest, friendliest, helpful, kind people on the planet. The only downside was that we had to leave and go to England for a week with my English family (but I will deny that I said that!) The only other downside was that we had to leave but we are already planning a return. When I do, and it may be sooner than later, I will contact My Guide Ireland and probably just say, “Let’s do exactly the same thing again (Okay, without Hayfield Manor.)

Best wishes and gratitude,

Joyce

- Kathleen - June

Claire-
I just had to write and tell you what a wonderful trip we had. We left your WONDERFUL country on Tuesday. I cannot believe that just two days ago, I was in Ireland. I must say, we were all very sad to be leaving. We had a perfect trip.
All of the b and b's we stayed in were very nice. And the Balleyseede Castle was one of the biggest highlights. We were all wishing we had more than one night there. Everyone in Ireland was so nice and friendly and the food was amazing.
Thank you so much for all you help. You can be sure that I already have and will continue to recommend your company. And, just maybe, I may use you again myself in the future for a return trip. LOVED IT !!!!!!!!!

Thanks again,

Kathleen

- Nicole - May

Hello Niamh!
We wanted to thank you for all your help with our trip. It went beautifully! Ireland is a wonderful Country and we enjoyed every second of it! The B & B's were excellent as were the Mont Clare and the Abby Glen Castle, we saw so much in the 10 days we were there, We are so happy to have had the opportunity to do all that we did. Your help with our plans and bookings was greatly appreciated.
Thanks again!

Best wishes,
Nicole, Martha, Natasha & Bill

Nic
Love Happiness & Peace

- Larry - May

We did get a call, caught an earlier flight and made it to Ireland. The trip was everything we had hoped and then some. All the the places you set up went off without a problem except for our inability to read maps and road signs, but by the time we were done even the Irish would have been proud! Thanks for all help and we will not hesitate to recommend your company to anyone going to Ireland.

Thanks again
Larry and Cindy

- Beth - May


Hi - I'm Jeana - Beth's sister. I wanted to send an email to Thank Suzanne for all her help with booking our tour.
Mom had a wonderful time. She was able to live a life long wish ~ to see Ireland, Kiss the Blarney Stone and travel oversees for the first time.
It was an amazing trip.
Our Coach Driver Nole (Noel) was fabulous. He took wonderful care of us and all the details. Even though we were ALWAYS late.
(and I mean... all the time) he never once was upset. He was so understanding and supportive. This gave my sister and brother and I
the ability to focus on our mom and make sure she was doing well. We only had to worry about her. And that was a blessing.
This was a trip I will forever treasure. We met someone incredible people.
I am so grateful to you all for the support and assisting us in making this happen so quickly.
All the best to you. Take care. Thank you

Beannacht
 

- Brad -April

Hi Elma,

I meant to email you sooner, but just got a little busy. I want to thank you for all your help in putting our trip together for us. We had a GREAT time in Ireland, and can't wait to go back! You were a big help in arranging everything and we really appreciate it. We had a minor problem at first with the rental car, they didnt have one ready and we had to wait for an hour or so. We enjoyed our stay in Doolin the most and are glad we stayed there for 2 nights. I would HIGHLY recommend the Doonagore Farmhouse B&B that we stayed at. The owner Mary was very nice and the B&B was nice as well. We really felt "at home" there. As for the second B&B we stayed at, Ashgrove B&B, I wouldnt say it was bad or anything like that but to be honest i wouldnt recommend it. Ballyseede Castle was nice, but we didnt realize you have to book dinner a day in advance. All in all, we had a wonderful time and we look forward to going back someday soon.

Thank you,
Brad

- Colleen - March

We have just returned from a wonderful trip to Ireland, thanks to you! Our Non-Stop flight left right on time. Our car was waiting for us and the house in Doolin was perfect!

We had a great week and really want to thank you for your help in making it happen.

Sincerely,
Colleen

- Mike and Reva - March

Thank you. This has been one of the nicest experiences we've had booking a trip. You listened to what we wanted and then delivered a good value. Sadly, most service-oriented businesses don't even approach the friendliness and competence you've exhibited. We think your boss should give you a raise.

Sara and Giuseppe - 9 January

Dear Maria,

We are back from our LOVELY honeymoon and we would like to thank you and all the staff of Discovering Ireland Vacation for organizing everything.
We loved Ireland and all the places you included in the tour, and we will definetly come back for another tour: obviously, you will be the
first choice when contacting a travel agency to organize it.

Here are our comments on each of the hotel we stayed in, we hope tey can be useful for your future reference.

Adare Manor and Waterford Castle:
Simply DELICIOUS. Wonderful castles, romantic atmosphere, friendly
people. We got upgraded rooms at no extra cost, and these were
astonishing. The dinner in both places was amazing; everything was so tasty and well prepared!

Trident Hotel: really nice hotel, wonderfully located, very nice staff.
We got the upgrade too, the suite was so nice...We really think it's a great hotel with great service and a lovely breakfast room with seaview.

Brook Lodge & Spa: upgraded to an astonishing suite, we enjoyed a really tasty dinner in their organic restaurant and also the thermal experience...so relaxing! We plan to go back and try one of their treatments.

Malton Hotel: Killarney was may be the least interesting of the towns visited. The staff of the hotel was not particularly remarkable. The room was cold and it was may be the only bad one of the
entire tour. The New Year's Eve dinner was funny.

Dublin is a wonderful city and we will definitely come back to visit what we missed this time.

So, thank you so much again, and keep up the great work you're doing!

Sara & Giuseppe

Alison - 9 December

Dear Claire,

It has been a couple of weeks since our return from our trip to Ireland and I just wanted to send you a thank you note for all of the information and accommodation you arranged for us.
We had a lovely week and even the weather was kind given that it is winter.
We were also lucky with the rugby games we went to watch too, not only was the weather kind but the scores also.
We enjoyed Kinsale very much and the hotel was great. It was a much bigger trip from Dublin than we had anticipated so arrived in the dark which wasn't
a problem.
Adare also was a lovely little village and the facilities offered at Fitzgeralds Woodlands House were good too.
The Landsdowne Road property was a good spot for us as Garry wandered down to look around the old stadium and it wasn't far for us to get a very nice
meal in the vacinity.

Thank you again for organising all this for us, it really made a huge difference to the enjoyment of our trip. We will recommend your services to
our friends.

Regards
Alison

Dawn & Wallace - 21 November

Just a little note to thank Vivian for arranging our trip to Ireland in September and October. We had a marvelous time though we were a little under the weather at the time. Our guide, Harry Crofton, was patient and thorough making sure that our hotels were ready for us as we arrived at each destination. I would also like to say how grateful we were that, even though check-in times are usually in the afternoon, our rooms on the morning of our arrival following an all-night flight, were ready!!

Ireland is amazing. The weather doesn't dampen the welcome.
Cudos to all.
Dawn & Wallace
Mystic, Quebec
Canada

Vicki - 18 November

Joan,
I did fill out the survey but I wanted to add a special note to let you know how very much I appreciated all Elma's hard work. My daughter and I do plan to come back to Ireland in a couple of years and we will be contacting you when we do!

Thanks for the wonderful trip!

Vicki

Randall - 17 November

Bridie,

Hello from frigid Illinois! May I say up front what a wonderful time my wife, brother, and I had on our trip to the Auld sod! The trip was grand and we managed to find the township of Rathpatrick where some of my ancestors came to the U.S. from. We discovered an ancient cemetery there that had some headstones with the Halligan last name, which is from my mother's side. As usual, we tried to squeeze too much into the time we had in Ireland, but enjoyed ourselves immensely!
Again, because of all your hard work we had a wonderful time and we will highly recommend you and Discovering Ireland Vacation to all who show an interest in traveling there.

Respectfully, Randall

Julie - 6 November

Vivienne,

I would just like to personally thank you for coordinating my Ireland vacation. The four of us just returned and had an absolutely amazing time!! The flights, rental car and hotels all worked out wonderfully. The vouchers were so easy to use and everything went smoothly. I really appreciate everything you did and making this a trip of a lifetime for myself and my family. The Irish are honestly the nicest people I've ever met!! I will absolutely recommend you and your company to anyone I know thinking of travelling to Ireland. You were always so prompt in answering my questions and the customer service couldn't have been better. I hope to return to Ireland again. Your country is trully spectacular

Again, thank you so much for everything!!

Cheers,