Ireland offers a warm welcome, even in winter. Dublin: The wind and rain lashed furiously on the tarmac at Dublin Airport, rocking our Aer Lingus Airbus like a gondola exposed to the elements on a mountaintop. We hadn't packed any sun block for this post-Christmas 2000 family trip to Ireland, but no one had told us we'd be landing in the monsoon season. It had proved … [Read more...] about Never Mind the Weather!
Visit Ireland
Sweet Avondale
California redwoods in Ireland? Yes, you can find a fine grove at Avondale Forest Park in County Wicklow about an hour's drive from Dublin. Avondale, now a national historic site and home of the Irish Forest Service, was the family estate of Charles Stewart Parnell, whose brilliant career as national leader in Ireland's fight for Home Rule was wrecked by the revelation of his … [Read more...] about Sweet Avondale
The Last Hurrah
President Bill Clinton's third, unprecedented and final visit to Ireland as President had all the feelings of a homecoming. And why not? No other American President has devoted as much time, political energy and determination to bringing peace to Northern Ireland and economic development to the country as a whole as Bill Clinton. And it was clear from the crowds that lined the … [Read more...] about The Last Hurrah
The Punt Takes a Pounding…
If you're planning a trip to Ireland, now's the time. The Irish pound has hit a 15-year low in its exchange rate with the dollar, falling to as low as 95 cents at the time of going to press. It is expected that the rate will continue to fall due to the Euro's weak performance on foreign currency markets. The Irish pound or punt is now tied to the Euro since eleven European … [Read more...] about The Punt Takes a Pounding…