HOT NEWS

NEW HOTEL ROUND-UP: New hotels are springing up all over Ireland, faster than we can check them out and add them to our “Favorites” pages. Here is a round-up of more than 20 of the newest additions including Ireland’s first-ever Ritz-Carlton (right), which opened at Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow near Dublin:
Hilton Dublin Kilmainham, Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, www.dublinkilmainham.hilton.com
Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, Golden Lane & Chancery Lane, Dublin 8, www.royal.dublin.radissonsas.com and www.radissonsas.com.
Tower Hotel Dublin, Whitestown Way, Tallaght, Dublin 24, www.towerhotelgroup.com
Comfort Inn, Granby Row, off Parnell Square, Dublin 1, www.comfortgranbyrow.com
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, www.ritzcarlton.com/resorts/powerscourt
Parkview Hotel, Main St., Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, www.parkviewhotel.ie
Ashbourne Marriott Hotel, The Rath, Ashbourne, Co Meath, www.marriottashbourne.com
Days Hotel Waterford (formerly The Bridge Hotel), 1 The Quay, Waterford City, www.dayshotelsireland.com
The Millhouse, Slane, Co Meath, www.themillhouse.ie
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Green Park, Inner Relief Road, Dundalk, Co. Louth, www.crowneplazadundalk.ie
Capella Castlemartyr, Castlemartyr, Co. Cork, www.capellacastlemartyr.com
Fels Point Hotel, Fels Point Hotel, Fels Point, Tralee, Co Kerry, www.felspointhotel.ie
Limerick Marriott, Henry St., Limerick City, www.marriott.com
Carlton Shearwater Hotel, Shearwater Plaza, Marina Point, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, www.shearwaterhotel.com
John Glynn’s Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit, Galway, www.clayton.ie
Ramada Encore Galway, Castle Road, Oranmore, Co Galway, www.ramadaencoregalway.com
Best Western Premier McWilliam Park Hotel, Knock Road, Claremorris, Co Mayo, www.mcwilliamparkhotel.ie
Lough Rynn Castle Hotel, Lough Rynn, Mohill, Co. Leitrim, www.loughrynn.ie
Solis Lough Eske Castle Hotel, Donegal Town, Co. Donegal, www.solislougheskecastle.ie
The Ice House, The Quay, Ballina, Co. Mayo (late 2007), www.theicehouse.ie
And on the horizon for 2008 and beyond: Capella Dunboy Castle, Castletownbere, Co. Cork (Summer, 2008), www.capellahotels.com.
Sheraton Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Co. Westmeath (Summer, 2008), www.starwoodhotels.com
Killeen Castle (Sheraton Luxury Collection), Dunany, Co. Meath (2010), www.killeencastlehotel.com

HOTEL DEJA VU IN DUBLIN:  Remember the Berkeley Court Hotel, Jurys Hotel and Jurys Towers, all of which closed at the end of summer, 2007? Well, they’re back! And at prices less than half of what they used to be. This Ballsbridge trio of well-established and popular 5-star hotels closed for redevelopment and then were given a new (temporary) lease on life in October 2007 while the developer, Sean Dunne, works through a few years of planning permissions. Rather than let the properties lie idle, he seized a golden opportunity to lease the hotels and operate them (as D4 Hotels) on a limited-service basis for bargain rates. Named after their postal location (Dublin 4), the hotels are now known as Ballsbridge Inn (former Jurys) with rates at €105 per room, and Ballsbridge Towers (former Jurys Towers) and Ballsbridge Court (former Berkeley Court), both with rates set at €135 per room. For a splurge, luxurious suites at all three properties (known as Ballsbridge Suites) are a flat €195. There is no fine dining but food/bar facilities are franchised to reputable outlets (Café Java, Zumo, FXB’s), and well-known Dublin publican Charlie Chawke has resurrected the Dubliner Bar & Grill. The AirCoach from Dublin Airport stops outside the door and DART and bus stops are an easy walk.  The hotels may have the ethos of a room factory, but where else in Dublin can you get 5-star accommodations in a convenient location at B&B prices? Take advantage while it lasts. More info: D4Hotels, Pembroke & Lansdowne Rds., Dublin 4; email: rooms@d4hotels.com.   Web site: www.D4hotels.com

JETBLUE JOINS AER LINGUS TO PROVIDE TRAVEL TO IRELAND: Aer Lingus has formed a new partnership with the award-winning low fares US airline, Jet Blue. Travelers will soon be able to book a single low fare reservation from more than 40 continental U.S. destinations to Shannon or Dublin, connecting through JetBlue's home base at New York's JFK International Airport to Aer Lingus. It will mean one reservation, one payment, and one baggage check-in.
The partnership is made possible by a sophisticated, easy-to-use booking process which will be live on the Aer Lingus web site from April 3, 2008 for travel by the end of April. Passengers searching for Irish destinations on www.jetblue.com will automatically be transferred to www.aerlingus.com in order to complete the  booking.

OLD BUSHMILLS CELEBRATES 400th ANNIVERSARY IN 2008:  If you are heading to Northern Ireland IN 2008, do drop into the Old Bushmills Distillery at Bushmills, Co. Antrim, and take a tour.  At the end of the tour, you can sample a new  limited edition whiskey, Bushmills 1608, a triple-distilled liquor.  The whiskey, which costs €68 a bottle, is also for sale in shops throughout Ireland.  After 2008, however, it will only be available from the distillery or travel retail stores such as the Duty Free Shop at Shannon Airport. More information: www.bushmills.com

GLENSTAL ABBEY – FROM CHANTS TO CHOCOLATE: Glenstal Abbey at Murroe, Co. Limerick, the Benedictine-run school and retreat center known for its glorious music, has a new claim to fame – the monks are producing dessert and liqueur chocolate truffles. Seven monastic liqueurs from various parts of Europe are used to flavor chocolate truffles (dark, white, and milk).  Appropriately enough, the liqueurs include Benedictine brandy, as well as a mandarin-flavored liqueur from the ancient monastic island of Lerins; and Glenstal’s own liqueur, made from lemon verbena and other plants and herbs grown on the abbey grounds.
The monks aptly describe their truffles as “Specially suited to the after-dinner occasion – a  delicious reminder that, in origin, monastic liqueurs were intended to be drunk in small quantities as an aid to digestion.”  Boxes are available from €4.95, a special promotional price. You can buy Glenstal Chocolate Truffles at Glenstal Abbey Shop and online as well as at leading food stores throughout Ireland. More information: www.glenstal.org/chocs.htm

THE "NEW" CLIFFS OF MOHER: A whole new visitor experience has been launched at the Cliffs of Moher. The focal point is a state-of-the-art domed interpretative centre - "The Atlantic Edge" - covered by a grassy hillside, to blend with the surroundings. The centre presents interactive exhibits and displays as well as audio-visual shows and a cyclorama that simulates a bird's eye view of the Cliffs, from the clifftop down into the sea. Other facilities include access to O’Brien’s Tower viewing deck (capacity controlled & weather dependent); parents & first aid room; restaurant; coffee shop; visitor reception foyer; picnic area; craftworker units; tourist information office; retail shop; and toilets on both levels. In addition, a team of on-site Cliffs of Moher rangers monitor the environment and provide improved support, information and safety. New paths and viewing platforms with seating areas have also been added. For more information: contact the Cliffs of Moher, Shannon Heritage, Co. Clare, tel. 061-711269 or visit www.cliffsofmoher.ie

SHANNON REGION DISCOUNTS: Save money while traveling in the Shannon Region (Counties Clare, Limerick, N. Tipperary and S. Offaly).  Stop into any tourist office, including the one at Shannon Airport Arrivals Hall, and ask for a free copy of the Shannon Region Discount Vouchers booklet. This handy pocket-size booklet provides 2-for-1 admissions or cash discounts at more than 50 attractions in the Region including 2-for-1 admissions at Aillwee Cave, Brian Boru Heritage Centre, Dun Guaire Castle, East Clare Heritage Centre, Adare Heritage Centre, Hunt Museum, Lough Gur, Birr Castle Demesne, and Farney Castle. In addition, there are 10% discounts for the medieval banquet at Bunratty or Knappogue Castles, the Traditional Irish Nights at the Corn Barn in Bunratty Folk Park, a performance at Glor, the Burren Centre, Clare Heritage Centre, Craggaunowen, Doolin Cave, Vandeleur Walled Garden, King John’s Castle, and more. Some discounts are higher, such as 20% off admission to Foynes Flying Boat Museum or 25% discount to the Atlantic Edge visitor centre at the Cliffs of Moher. Discount vouchers are valid for the remainder of 2007 and all of 2008. 

CHIP-AND-PIN CREDIT CARDS: On March 17, 2007, Ireland introduced a new Chip-and-PIN credit card system, according to the Irish Payment Services Organization. Chip-and-PIN means that a credit or debit card has a computer chip and must use a PIN number to complete a transaction, not a signature. Credit card holders in Ireland are ahead of the US with this new technology - Americans do not use this system yet.  So what will happen when you try to use your American credit or debit card in Ireland? “Cardholders with cards from countries that have yet to upgrade (to this new system) will always sign… in all of these cases the PIN pad will automatically recognize that a signature rather than a PIN is required.” So American visitors can continue to sign for credit and debit card transactions until the day when the US makes the transition to Chip-and-PIN technology.  This new system is designed to combat credit and debit card fraud. For more information, go to www.chipandpin.ie.

IRISH TRAINS ROLL INTO 21st CENTURY:  Iarnród Éireann, the Irish Rail system, is in the midst of a €400 million update, with 183 new carriages arriving for service on Ireland’s intercity routes, to be phased in over 2008.  This is the largest-ever order of new trains for Ireland and it will place Ireland in league with the other modern fleets of Europe. Ireland’s new rail fleet will also be the greenest diesel fleet in Europe. Speed, safety, and style are the new keynotes of the system, along with the comforts of sleek design and air-conditioning.  The new rail cars are already running on the Dublin-Cork route, and will soon be launched on the following other routes: Dublin-Sligo, Dublin-Rosslare, Dublin-Waterford, Dublin-Westport, Dublin-Tralee, Tralee-Cork, Dublin-Galway and Dublin-Limerick. The new trains will also increase the frequency of schedules and capacity on these routes.  For more information, check www.irishrail.ie

NEW TAXI FARES – Ireland has a new system of national taxi fares, valid throughout the country, rather than 35 local authorities charging different fares. The new basic fare is €3.80 during the day and €4.10 at night, supplemented by distance or time-related charges, and applies to taxi journeys everywhere (previous "extra" charges, such as the €1.50 hiring charge at Dublin airport and luggage charges, and the practice of drivers going "off-meter" have been abolished). The new structure means that fares are now higher in Dublin but lower in many other parts of the country.  In addition to the fare changes, there is a new complaints phone line, posted in taxis, and information on the driver's license, rates and the rights and responsibilities of passengers is displayed in large print in all cars.

NEW FALCONRY FOR IRELAND: The Belvedere Falconry Centre has opened at Belvedere House & Gardens, near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. It is the largest of its kind in Ireland and has a lakeside Flying Theatre where daily displays take place at 2.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m.  The Belvedere Falconry houses eight different species of owls, hawks, falcons and eagles. Admission is Adults €8, Children €4.50, Senior Citizens/Students €6. More information: Belvedere Falconry, tel. 044-49060; Web: www.belvedere-house.ie  (Ireland has two other falconries at Ashford Castle in Co. Mayo and Kinnitty Castle in Co. Offaly).

METRIC MEASURES:  Ireland has joined other EU countries and moved fully metric which means that all road signs, signposts and speed limits are now designated in kilometers per hour (km/h) rather than miles per hour (mph). In addition, there have been significant changes to speed limits on certain roads and some new vehicle speed limits. If you are planning a self-drive tour, here are the new limits:

Motorways (M) – Speed limit of 120 km/h (equivalent of 75 mph)

National Roads (N) – Speed limit of 100 km/h (equivalent of 62 mph)

Regional & Local Roads (R) – Speed limit of 80 km/h (equivalent of 50 mph)

Towns & Cities – Speed limit of 50 km/h (equivalent of 31 mph)

For quick conversions, remember that 1 kilometer equals 5/8 mile.

Similarly, kilograms and centimeters now replace pounds and inches.

For full details, click to www.gometric.ie

SMOKE-FREE IRELAND:   Ireland was the first European country to ban smoking in the workplace including all pubs and restaurants.   Exemptions to the ban include outdoor places and sleeping accommodations in hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs (where rooms are designated as "non-smoking" and "smoking").   So far, the ban has been accepted very well by smokers and non-smokers alike.   It is a real pleasure to walk into a pub or dine in a restaurant with a entirely smoke-free atmosphere. Some pubs and restaurants are providing outdoor areas with heated canopied terraces for smokers. Northern Ireland also implemented a similar non-smoking policy in 2007.

NEW PUB LAW:   If you are bringing kids to Ireland, be advised that Irish law now prohibits anyone under 18 years of age in bars after 9 p.m. (except for May 1st until September 30th when the curfew is 10 p.m.).  In addition, older teens (between 18 and 20) must have photographic identification (e.g. passport) to enter a pub after 9 p.m. However, "under 18-year-olds" are allowed into a pub if they are attending a private function where a substantial meal is being served.