We regularly get e-mails from visitors to this site and from our Guests when they get home after their trip to ireland . Here's a selection for you to browse. Whether you are just researching about Ireland or planning an Ireland vacation , we want to be the best, so we thrive on feedback! All you have to do is click This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to e-mail us with your comments. If you have any comments on the site (even if they are not positive!) or your experience with us, we'd love to hear from you!

Kathleen Sowell - 06 May 2008

Seamus,

Just a note to tell you how happy we were with our vacation and the support we received while in Ireland from your team and MyGuideIreland. We really felt we had our own personal team in our pocket at all times while we moved about.

Very well done and I have recommended your firm to several friends. I hope to make the trip over again soon and will be in touch with Vivenne when I do.

Thanks again,

Kathleen Sowell

Gordon Socher - 30 April 2008

Dear Ms. O'Connell, My wife and I would like to commend the exceptional service provided by Liz Downey.
Liz was very professional, knowledgable, and helpful in discussing various Ireland tours.
Liz's specific information regarding the various tours enabled us, with her help, to select the "Irish Odyssey" tour.
Please relay to Liz our thanks for "A JOB WELL DONE."
We'll let you-all know how we enjoyed the "ODYSSEY."

Is mise le meas,

Nancy and Gordon Socher

Christopher Stephens - 16 January 2008

Liz,

Thank you for all of your assistance. My wife and I greatly appreciate everything you have done. We had a wonderful vacation and we accredit it all to you and Myguideireland. Because of the excellent and personable service we received, we cannot fathom using any other service and have been recommending you to all of our friends.

Please be assured that you now have a client for life. I look forward to working with you again and wish you and your family a happy and prosperous new year.

Respectfully,
Christopher Stephens

Carol Stein - 28 December 2007

Genevieve,

Ben - 03 December 2007

Kristel,

We returned to the US this past wednesday night. I just wanted to thank you for how much you helped us before and during our stay in Ireland. We had an amazing time and we couldn't have been happier! (except for the airlines ;) of course). Even our flight home left us sitting on a runway in Iceland for an hour or so, due to a medical emergency. In Ireland we got to see and do so much! And Adare Manor really made the whole honeymoon! Espescially the pastry treats when we checked in that had "Congratulations" written in chocolate. They treated us like royalty! Thank you for everything!

Best Regards,

Ben

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Allan Holloway - 21 November 2007

Miss Sweetnam

Just a quick e-mail to thank you for your assistance in organising my recent trip to ireland to watch the WRC rally. The bed and breakfast you sourced could not have been any better for my needs on the trip, being within easy access to all the areas i needed to get too. In the near future i will be travelling again to Ireland and will have no problems in using your company to organise that trip, i have also recommended your services to some friends who where looking for a holiday early in the new year, so once again thankyou for all your help and hope to do buisness again soon .

Yours
Allan Holloway

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John Gilbert - 08 October 2007

Kristel,

Thank you again for your help in setting up the Ireland portion of our trip. Beleek Castle turned out to be the high point of our vacation and will be a must return year after year. The staff was fantastic and we have nothing but wonderful things to say about them and the castle itself.

On a side note I would like to inquire about a trip to Dublin in March. March 13th through the 18th to be exact. Can you give me some quotes for that? It would be for two people, we will only need accomodations however as we will already have our airlines booked.

Once again thank you and we look forward to returning to Beleek Castle next October!

Very Respectfully,
John Gilbert

Denise Murphy - 01 October 2007

Hello Kristel
I just wanted to thank you for the most enjoyable experience of my life (notwithstanding drive those roads!) My husband and I truly enjoyed our honeymoon and we couldn't have done so without your insight and your
guidance. Thank you so much for a trip that was perfect in every way.
We simply can't wait to go back!
Thank you!
Denise Murphy

Rose Lawson - 01 October 2007

Kristel

Thanks again for helping with our trip. I only wish I would have stayed at all castles I found that more enjoyable. We also stayed at the Bunratty Hotel and it was great to. But that Glin Castle was just out of this world. From the moment you pulled up they made you feel like you were a queen. The food is out of this world this Hotel deserves a 5 STAR rating and I would let the owner know if I could.

Thanks again for a good time and I did hit the curb one time not to bad I guess.

Rose Lawson

The Backus Family - 27 September 2007

Kristel,

Our trip was wonderful, thanks to you! Our hotels were all very nice, but I think that Sheedy’s topped the list with Ashford Castle and Churchtown House falling right in behind. The owner of Sheedy’s used to be the chef at Ashford so the food was out of this world.

Our driver really made the trip for us …he just kept adjusting to our wants and needs and was a wealth of information. He was about our kids age so he could get into their heads very fast.

Thank you again for a great itinerary.

The Backus Family

Pam Watson - 26 September 2007

Hi Claire
May we all take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful holiday you arranged for us all. I would like you to know that we all had a fantastic time in Ireland the hotel was first class and Killarney was wonderful.
We are hoping to return to Ireland next year and will be contacting you again in 2008.( hope that is not to much of a daunting thought)
Once again thank you very much

Thanks
Pam Watson

Ed Ratliff - 24 September 2007

Vivienne,

Just a note to say that Janet & I had another incredible time in Northern Ireland and Ireland. We have truly fallen in love with your country and your countrymen. Thank you so much for bearing with me in my insecurity at making the flight connection in New York but everything went off without a hitch. ALL of the airline connections worked like they were supposed to even though the publicity in this country was about al of the terrible things that were happening in airline travel. We had everything work well and had just a delightful time.

We have recommended your firm to several of our friends who may be coming to Ireland in the next year or so. But may I say “Thank You” again for arranging such a great time and we had a real ball.

Continued success as your merged firm moves forward. You provide an incredible service. And it is so easy too!

Most sincerely,

Ed Ratliff

Anchorage , Alaska

Adriana - 23 September 2007

Hi Kristel

We have returned from our trip to Ireland and had a lovely time - we managed to see all we wanted to (and more). Yes, it was a lot of driving - but definitely well worth it. We really liked the voucher system and not having to worry about exchange rates, prices of various accomodation etc. Just call ahead and book - very easy. It was also nice to be able to call myguideireland when we were having trouble finding accomodation on the Saturday night. Clontarf Castle was a great way to end the trip!

There is one thing I wanted to follow up on - my email above. We never did get a response to where the car rental company was in Dublin and as it turns out it wasn't very far from the accomodation at all. By
picking the car up from the airport, we wasted an hour getting there and then had to battle traffic anyway on the motorways to get back through Dublin as we were heading south. Think it would have been more
straightforward to get straight to the motorway from the city pickup location. Just thought I'd let you know for future reference.

Cheers and many thanks for your help in organizing this wonderful vacation.

Adriana

Grace Franklin + Liz Gordon - 17 September 2007

Dear Yuichi,
My sister and I returned home tonight after an excellent time in Ireland. Your guidance, suggestions, B & B arrangements and car hire organisation made our entire trip so easy! Thank you for all your time in drafting a plan for us.It was a huge help.
The 1st and last night booking was a godsend. In between we used the All Ireland guide you supplied and were not disappointed (though I have a little comment on one place). Especial thanks for forwarding the vouchers to our first accommodation.
When another visit to Ireland becomes possible, you will be our first port of call to book.
Every place we stayed, we were greeted with real warmth and made to feel welcome. Every household was clean and warm. The food (full Irish Breakfast) was always more than adequate and gave us a first class send off for the day's activities. The lady we stayed with in Sligo was not in the same class as the other establishments we visited in respect of the bedroom, but she gave us excellent information on eating locally.
I didn't want time to pass without saying a heartfelt thank you to you for all you have done to make our holiday such a success.
Thank you
Sincerely
Grace Franklin + Liz Gordon

Maureen and Katie Tompkins - 04 September 2007

Niamh,

My daughter and I wanted to thank you and tell you how much pleasure and beauty we experienced in Ireland. Every place we went we did not want to leave; Katie was practically in tears when we were at the airport going home! (She was mistaken as the "Rose of Tralee" beauty queen several times; the lads were very attentive and she thought they were just grand). Your accomodation choices and advice on itinery were perfect. Connemeara, Killarney ( I loved Cahernane Hotel!!!) and the Wicklow Mountains were amazing. Kinsale was so quaint and a big hit! The Kilkea Castle was a perfect little respite - we did lots of "bonding". Kilkenny was different and wonderful unto itself. Of course, we had a great time in Dublin - lots of walking, taking in the architecture, shopping eating - and the pubs.......( the pubs were always a hit everywhere we went).

It was truly splendid!

We feel so lucky to have gotten you as our "trip advisor"! Thanks again, and again and again.....

Maureen and Katie Tompkins

ps when I get a bit more organized I will send you a photo - don't worry, I won't send all the pictures we took!

Leslie Mona-Mathus - 29 August 2007

Maria,

Just a note to thank you for all of your assistance in planning our trip to Ireland. Everything was in perfect order, Ireland was beautiful, and we had a great time! If we are ever to visit there again, which we hope to do, we will be sure to use your services.

With much thanks,

Leslie Mona-Mathus

Stan Lightfoot - 27 August 2007

Dear Vivienne,

We just returned from our trip to Ireland and I want you to know that you did a great job for us The country Hotels were what we wanted. You do not know us so picking hotels could not have been easy. The following are comments about some but not criticisms as I have 0 problems with your choices for our first time to Ireland. The Beech House Hotel was fantastic the first night but the second night they had a wedding. Their staff is not large enough to take care of both. If I were to stay there again I would make certain they did not have a wedding planned. The Rathmullan House which was not part of your package I am very mixed about. They are too full of themselves but the place is nice and the setting is nice. If you have another hotel in the same area I would try it instead. If you did not I would go there again and give them another try. The Sandhouse Hotel caters to large groups. It was nice to be on the beach once-but I feel no need to go to that one again. As far as the two of us are concerned the only large hotels we like are similar to the Mandarin Oriental Hotels. Since we are going to go to Ireland again within the next two year if you keep a folder you might keep my comments for future use. The Radisson was a New York type hotel. We got there at 1 pm and could not sign in until 4 and the man at the desk suggested we wait in the bar! This is Ireland and we went out and saw sites until time to sign in. Again I would not voluntarily stay there again. The Ballynahinch was superb. The next time we come we plan to stay several days. The Galway Bay Hotel was splendidly located for going downtown or out of the city. However it again catered to large groups and I would not stay there in the future. The kilkenny Hibernian has no parking. The garage they use charged me almost ten dollars for arriving two hours early to Kilkenny. There was a hotel down the street that I would use if we come back to Kilkenny and I think we will. The Cedar Lodge was a pleasant surprise. I expected very little and it was great. Thanks. The Deer Park Hotel is going downward. Our bath plumbing leaked. The first night we ate in the dining room and were the only diners. During the next two nights we never saw anyone in the dining room. The staff all was very young and seemed to have no one over them. The site was good and the area was interesting at Howth. If I were a golfer I would put up with bad part and golf-but I no longer golf so would stay somewhere else for our final few nights. Again none of this is a criticism of your company. I thought you did an outstanding job and am very pleased with you service. I do think there is one further thing you could ad and that is a map of the location of the hotels. The very first-The Brown Trout was very difficult to find even with directions from a hotel that we stopped at. Some of the other s we would have found earlier and with less frustration if we had had a map of the hotel and its location in the city-but we ultimately found theme and everyone else can as well. Please place a not in my file that we plan to return to Ireland in two years. Next year we plan to tour the Greek Isles.

Stan Lightfoot

Don & Meryl Charlton - 22 August 2007

Hi Yuichi,

Now that we have settled down back home after our holiday I thought I would just drop you a line to say how very much we enjoyed our visit - even the weather was reasonably kind to us. All the accommodation you chose for us was excellent thank you. By far and not the most expensive was the Carrig House at Killorglin. Their sales brochure does not do them justice. In comparison the Cahernane House was overpriced although we have to admit the food was excellent. The two B & Bs were excellent, especially the Glenmaroon House at Pauds Cross, Blarney - Mrs Ann Fogarty was an excellent mine-host! She also directed us to an excellent Village Pub for a superb evening meal - Blair`s Inn at Cloghroe - Maybe you know of it - if not you can safely recommend this to those looking for somewhere excellent to eat in either the bar or the restaurant. Our only real complaint was that we found out that the car insurance cover you had arranged with Alemo/National did not as we thought carry a 160 Euro excess but was a 900 Euro excess. In order to guarantee the smaller amount we were required to pay an additional £78.21 which as you can imagine we were not happy about - a point I think you should check out for future clients.
All in all an excellent holiday and thank you again for all your care and assistance with the initial planning

Don & Meryl Charlton

Kathryn Feldman - 10 August 2007

Hi Robert:

We're back from the most amazing trip to Ireland and want to thank you for everything. Everything was absolutely perfect and we loved Ashford Castle the best. It would have been great to have two nights there (as we had originally planned) but Cashel was worth the trip as was the Coolmore Stud visit.
The races in Galway were amazing--what a treat and Dromoland was the perfect way to end the visit.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
You managed to get us the most perfect rooms in every place we stayed!!!! And my husband loved not having to pay for it (and get sticker shock) on site!
We will use you again, I promise.

Kathryn Feldman

Ann Foley - 02 August 2007

Hi Deirdre,

I just wanted to let you know how our trip to your country went....it was lovely, as you say. We had such a good time. The accomodations were superb, especially the Sheedy House in Lisdoonvarna. Martina was delightful. My children were so enthralled with Ireland and the Irish people and their warmth and hospitality. Thank you for all your work and making it a "trip of a lifetime" for me and my family. Hopefully, we will be able to return again someday.

Thanks again,

Ann Foley and family

Eric Schott - 01 August 2007

Dear Genevieve,

Just wanted to report we had a lovely time thanks in part to you. The Cranley was great, the Davenport very nice and Waterford Castle outstanding. In fact, at the castle they gave us a free upgrade to The Queen's Suite!
Even the weather was fairly good compared to what you have suffered this early summer.
Speaking of suffering, however, the flight from London's Stanstead to Dublin via Ryan Air was most painful. The flight, which was to have taken off at 11:55 did not takeoff until 22:05. We checked before we left London and it was listed as on time. Once we got to the airport we saw the 20:40 notice.
The cause was listed as "operational". There were four flights between ours and 20:40 but no seats available. When we finally got on the plane it was delayed another hour and 25 minutes because so many people just abandoned
their luggage and returned to London (they would not return luggage saying it was already loaded). I do not think I will ever fly that airline again.
Anyway, thanks for your help. I mailed the phone from Shannon and Hertz was much improved over three years ago.
Cheers,

Eric Schott
PS-And I think Cork got robbed by Waterford in curling?

Joe B. Tyrone - 01 August 2007

Good afternnon Vivienne,

I just wanted to complement one of you employees. Monday, 07-30, I submitted a travel quote request, gave all the accomodations I would need while in Ireland from your company and Kristel Enkelberg was the agent that responded to my request.

I have never in my life seen such a "turn-a-round" time for a response in my life. Within 24 hours, I had a response from Kristel with a travel itenirary for flight, lodging, car rental and exactly what I was asking for as far as where I wanted to go, what I wanted to see and the type surrounds I would like to be in - not in a big city but the country side especially in the County Tyrone region.

Such a knowledgeable agent that responded to exactly what I was looking for. What are the odds and within a 24 hour time period. Kristel is a customers dream by the way she handled everything and the super response time.

Vivienne, I work for a corporation that thrives on the sensitivity of time and know my customers are thankful when it all comes together. As far as me being the customer...I certainly appreciate Kristel and MyIreland.Com. Outstanding service. I will look forward to finalizing my "dream vacation" in the very, very near future.

What a great employee & team you have there.

Respectfully,

Joe B. Tyrone

Rebecca Sherrill - 31 July 2007

Hello Niamh,

My daughter and I have arrived back home with routine ss usual except for the wonderful experience of our
trip to share with family and friends. It was just FABULOUS to say the least. Only problem...it was too short, could easily have stayed much longer or even taken up residence. Will work on that! In the meantime I need to ask about the procedure for refund on two vouchers not used during our trip. We made contact with a friend from the states and stayed with
family there, just out of Kilkenny, for two nights, 9th and 10th July. The two vouchers not used are #003865 and #003866. Please advise as to what is needed.

Again, words can not express the wonderful experience I had there in Ireland. It was all I had dreamed of for all my life. Thank you and My Guide Ireland for making it so easy, fun and spectacular.

Warm Regards,
Rebecca

Millie Santiago-Liebmann - 30 July 2007

Dear Agents at My Guide Ireland:

We are now back in New York. I just want to thank you for all of your assistance in helping to plan our first trip to Ireland. I had a good experience working with all of your people and I will make sure that our friends who are traveling to Ireland get to use you as well.

I did want to report back to you, however, on our particular experiences at the different locations at which we stayed.

Smithfield House: It was a grand experience. The host, Kathleen Lowe, was gracious and totally grand. The B&B was close enough to Adare and central enough to other places so that we were able to travel back and forth to our different sightseeing adventures without any hassle. The rooms were lovely and it was very quiet at night-- lending to a peaceful
and restful sleeping atmosphere. Delightful.

Harrington Hall in Dublin: The Inn was perfect in location. We walked everywhere. The rooms were lovely and the help was terrific. One caveat - though - at night (after 10 pm) the street in front of the Inn comes to life -- and lasts till 4am. I would suggest that anyone you recommend to stay at the Inn should be advised of this and request a room (or rooms) at the rear of the Inn, where it should be quieter.

Again, thank you for your courtesies and suggestions.

Is mise le meas,

Millie Santiago-Liebmann

Ken and Shirley Lyon - 30 July 2007

For: Kristel and Vivian

Thank you for all your work in arranging our truly excellent visit to Ireland. Our Hertz car was ready, all hotels/B&Bs were ready for us and the weather even cooporated by stopping whenever we explored a city or site. We met others who used different agents and reported having nothing but problems! The following comments are provided for your consideration.
We encountered problems at both SFO and DUB due to our wives last names not being listed first on their air tickets. We still fail to understand why this could not be corrected in advance. It's a problem we've never experienced before.
You were right in trying to convince us not to rent a manual shift vehicle, but I'm happy to report we had no problems and the Hertz folks dramatically complimented us for returning the van with no cuts, scrapes or missing left side mirrors!
The Adair Manor was the most impressive place we stayed. A first class operation.
The Cabra Castle was a great place to end our visit, althought not in the same class as the Adare Manor. There was a delay at registration since their records showed the reservation in my middle name, "Kenneth" instead of Lyon.
Driving from Kenmare to Kingscourt was a mistake on our part, especially since we hit peak going home traffic around Dublin.
We particularly enjoyed getting to Ulster and seeing the Giant's Causeway, Rope Bridge, etc. but were happy to be back in the Republic. Port Rush itself was not a highlight.
In conclusion, we are pleased we found your firm and received the care we did from you.
Cheers,

Ken and Shirley Lyon
Alan and Carol Burns

Bill and Courtnay Taylor - 30 July 2007

HI Sean, just wanted to let you know that our honeymoon was fantastic! In Ireland we had so much fun (once we negotiated driving on the narrow roads and on the wrong side of the street). The residences we stayed at were first
rate. Ballyseede was sensational. Thank you again for all of your assistance.

Sincerely Bill and Courtnay Taylor

Liz Dennehy - 30 July 2007

Hello Bridie -- Just wanted to tell you what a wonderful time we had in Ireland. We traveled all around and had just the best time. Thank you for all your help. All of our accommodations were wonderful (the B&B's) and the car -- all went smoothly and well. Thank you again for your help in answering all my questions. Hopefully, we will contact you again when next we go to Ireland.

Liz Dennehy, Erin Dennehy and John Sullivan

Deborah Driscoll - 28 July 2007

Hi Genevieve,

We just returned yesterday from our trip, and I wanted to let you know what a great time we had. Ireland was beautiful, and we can't wait to go back again. Thank you for your work making our arrangements, and for your advice before we went.

Deb

Jane Blake - 27 July

Dear Kristel,

Just a note to thank you for organizing our trip to Ireland. We returned on Monday, and despite the rainy weather, we had a great time. We took in all the sites and toured the country side as we travelled from one spot to the next. The boys had a great time golfing, and my mother-in-law loved seeing her "homeland"! In fact, that was the purpose of the trip - to bring Rick's mother to see Ireland. She is 81 years old and could not take any previously planned trips due to her husband's illness, so this trip fulfilled a life-long dream.

The hotels worked out well. We loved the Old Ground Hotel and staying in Ennis. It was a good location for all we had to do. Killarney was our favorite spot. The Brooklodge was a very nice place, and the people (family?) who worked there could not have been nicer. The boys had to switch from a double bed room to one with twin beds (at our request) on the first floor. The room smelled musty, but we weren't in the rooms that long, so it was fine. My mother-in-law and I shared a very large room that was very, very nice. From the pubs and shopping, you do have to walk through alleys or way up the end of High Street to get there, so I wouldn't recommend the walk for women late at night when the pubs let out.

We know you had tried to book us at some other hotels between Killarney and Dublin that didn't work out for us. The hotel in Kilkenny ( the Hibernian) was really nice. The boys stayed on one side of the hotel, which was very quiet at night. My mother-in-law and I were on the street side, and it was very, very noisy until well after 3:30 AM with club revelers. However, the hotel was one street over from the local bookstore, so my son and I were able to stay in line from 11:00PM to 12:AM for the new Harry Potter book. It was great fun!!!!!!!!

By time we got to Dublin, my mother-in-law was exhausted, so we just did some shopping while the boys had their final day of golf.

Just a few additional notes:

.......We got the GPS when we rented the car, as suggested by friends of ours who toured Ireland in November. It was great! Got us from one destination to the next easily, and saved us many, many hours of getting lost! So if you have people booking a car and have never been to Ireland before, I would strongly suggest that you suggest it to them. It was well worth the money.

...... The hotels had us booked for double bed rooms (sharing beds) so they had to change our reserved rooms when we arrived at Brooks Lodge, Hibernian, and Davenport for rooms that each had two beds. They ended up being rooms with two twins instead of two doubles, but it worked out. We should have been more specific when booking.

...... We used Corcoran Tours for the Ring of Kerry Tour. Mr. Corcoran, who owns the company, picked us up at the hotel and brought us to the office, where we waited for the bus. It was a small, 28 passenger bus with 18 people, the driver was terrific, and we all had a great time. So much better than the very large buses. We were all dropped of at our respective hotels. It was a great day!!!
(Note: During our conversation with Mr Corcoran, we learned that he was married in a church in the Boston Area. His brother was married there as well, and as he stayed in the area, his children attended the church's school. Lo and behold, it is the same school that our aunt, who is a nun, was the principal of when Mr. Corcoran was married and while some of his nieces and nephews attended school there. It is a small world!)

Thank you again for your help. Having everything paid for ahead of time saved us so much time and made the vacation stress-free! We will most definitely recommend you and myguide ireland to anyone asks.

Thank you,

Jane Blake

Mary, Dan and Brandon Sullivan - 27 July 2007

Maria,

I wanted to let you know that we are home now and had a WONDERFUL time in Ireland. Thank you so much for making the arrangements. Everything worked perfectly as to airline, car and accomodations. We had a nice mix of hotels and guest houses. The food was fantastic. Between seascapes and flowers, we have lots of memories in pictures that we returned home with to show family and friends.

We so enjoyed Ireland that we hope to return someday soon. In addition, we met with family, as hoped, and we had a great reunion which made it extra special.

Thanks again for your time, your arrangements and your patience ( I know we had a lot of questions). We had a great experience.

Mary, Dan and Brandon Sullivan

Mary Costello - 24 July 2007

Hi Vivienne,

We had a great trip. The weather was very good by Irish standards....17 days and only 2 were rainy. A few scattered showers on other days but nothing major.

Just a couple of items. The girls are my daughters. Some people thought I was traveling with my neices. Don't send anyone to Chaplins in Kilkenney. It was terrible. The room smelled awful, the beds were like cots, the water was not drinkable, the toast at breakfast was moldy bread. If I had to pay her then and there, I would not have given her the full amount for the accomodations. I figure you need to know because how else would you find out. I don't know how she got in the guidebook.

Every place else was wonderful. The hotel in Dublin was great. We walked to everything. The City Tour bus stop was just across the street. The girls had a ball. We drove over 750 miles and no dents in the rental car!!!

Would it be possible to get an invoice of the expenses. All I have is emails with totals for the first and second payments.

Thanks for everything. We appreciate all your efforts. Do you book trips in the US as well or just Ireland?

Best,

Mary

Linda Schoonmaker - 20 July 2007

Dear Niamh,

I am John Coffey's sister Linda Schoonmaker. I felt it was necessary to write you a brief thank you for our wonderful holiday. Ireland is just beautiful and we all had a great time. The Bed and Breakfasts you selected for us were wonderful and I think the people whose homes we stayed in enjoyed us as much as we enjoyed them!

I would, however, like to let you know why we could not stay in the farm house. When we arrived the house was freezing as all the windows were wide open. I now know why. The damp odor in the house was awful. As soon as you walked in it smelled as if the carpets had all gotten wet and dried with a mildew odor. The rooms were not clean, and certainly not a place to sleep. As a matter of fact my daughter Erin leaned into one of the bathrooms to see and she came out with a piece of feces attached to her jacket.

Of course, we tried to leave gracefully when we were told that we were not going, " that this happens to her all the time". That alone should make you aware of how poor the situation was. John of course felt terrible as he was the one to plan the trip. I would like to thank you for making other arrangements for those two nights, and let you know that Sean and Sheila were lovely.

So, thanks again for our beautiful vacation and for working so hard to make it special. Maybe the agency that inspects the B&B's should maka a visit to the farm, or at least now that you know how bad it was, you can not send your bookings there.

Linda Schoonmaker

June Wells - 19 July 2007

Dear Elma:

I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for all your planning for our vacation.

The lodgings we stayed in exceeded our expectations. The friendliness of the staff everywhere we stayed was wonderful. And we always dined where we stayed, so I'm sure you know how delightful that was.

When we arrived, we had one little problem. National/Alamo did not have the Rover (automatic) we upgraded to; but we chose a Toyota (shift) that was adequate.

We even enjoyed your wonderful weather (we were told by many that we were lucky). Thank you again. I will be proud to recommend you to my family and friends.

Most sincerely,
June Wells

Judy McVittie - 19 July 2007

Dear Bridie,

Thank you for hooking us up with CIE Tours -- everything was terrific (except my body's ability to adjust to a new time zone! I've never had so little sleep in eight days yet enjoyed myself so much!). Our tour guide Joe Clancy was as good as it gets, we thought -- knowledgable, witty, funny, caring and efficient too. Tom Ryan, our driver, was always calm, cool and collected, and good-natured too. It was my first bus tour and any misgivings I had were quickly eliminated. In fact, a big part of my enjoyment was due to the people we met on our bus and of course the quality of the tour. Our accommodations were excellent -- despite the unexpected heat (we feel a bit smug that we saw much of Ireland in the sunshine, unlike many of our friends' experiences) and lack of A/C. The meals were more than ample and above average.
The only stop on the tour that disappointed was Muckross House; perhaps that is because in my travels I've seen both the Hearst Castle in California and the Biltmore Mansion in North Carolina. Both of these are furnished and quite opulent while the Muckross House seemed a bit shabby. The gardens were merely average too. I did enjoy the horse-drawn carriage ride though.
Suzanne and I attended the cabaret in our Dublin hotel on one of our extra nights and felt the evening was amazing and well-worth the price. Laughed our heads off at every one of the comic's jokes AND bought Brian Dunphy's CD as a reminder of another perfect evening in Ireland. Perhaps it should be considered as part of the tour in lieu of the Abbey Tavern, though we recognize the latter is well-known. On our bus, however, we all sang Irish songs all the way back from the tavern: it made for a magical evening. Thanks again to Joe for initiating that.
And Bridie, I've never been anywhere where I've experienced such universal friendliness. Despite your sad heritage, somehow your people have kept a lovely sense of humour and remained kind and hospitable. I love the Irish!
By the way, I did NOT kiss the Blarney stone (just took photos), so I speak the truth!!
Slainte to all of you at MyGuideIreland.
Sincerely,
Judy McVittie
PS: I'd appreciate it if you could forward a copy of this to CIE Tours. If that is not possible, could you send me their email address?

Bernadine Kelly - 19 July 2007

Kristel:

Thanks for the assistance earlier this summer . . . You and your company were a blessing and I would not hesitate to utilize your services again! You delivered exactly what you promised . . . no more no less and were totally non-intrusive (BUT very helpful in the cancellation process when my brother backed out of the trip) in all my travel plans AND at a great price. I have already had several people asked me who I used for planning this trip and I was pleased to tell each and every one of them to check our myguideireland for all of their travel Ireland needs. I am certain that you do not mind that I told them to check out your website for some of the best deals and most courteous assistance for travel to Ireland! ! !

Now . . .for closure on this summer’s trip . . . I am still in possession of a B&B voucher that I was not able to utilize on the last leg of my trip (long story) and was wondering if I might be able to send it back to you for some sort of refund? I think I read somewhere in the material that I would be able to do this BUT before I waste the postage by sending it back to you . . I wanted to make sure that the voucher was worth something!

Please advice as what to do with this last voucher and please inform me if it is worth any amount of refund since I was not able to use it at the place that I stayed.

Thank You for this last bit of assistance and rest assured I will continue to refer customers your way!

Thanks,
tmkelly

David & Janet Coupland - 18 July 2007

Hi Claire

Just a quick note to say thank you for the holiday you arranged for us in Ireland, we both enjoyed the visit very much. The type of holiday requests we made for initially were met very well, in that we asked for good hotels and good food with a relaxing itinerary.

One or two points if I may I would like to mention to you, as much for your information as anything.

The Actons hotel in Kinsale was probably the best available in the town and although very comfortable and the staff friendly, the evening meal was only ordinary. This hotel (in my opinion) should not have a rating for good food. Our second night we selected one of the seemingly good restaurants in the town namely 'Jola's' were we had a very enjoyable meal.

The other point is concerning the Brook Lodge Hotel at Macreddin Village. This is an excellent hotel for a stop over except that it is miles from anywhere and although you intimated that it was only 20 minutes from the ferry port, it turned out to be just over an hours journey from this hotel to the ferry.

Once again, thank you for arranging a very enjoyable and relaxing holiday.

Yours

David & Janet Coupland

Michele M. Rimmer - 18 July 2007

Genevieve,
My son Brendan and I had the best trip ever when we visited Ireland. The car, the phone and all but one B&B were perfect. I made sure to book everything in advance even with my own credit card just in case. The only problem I ran into is that the car was rented for one extra day that I had not planned on? Can I get reimbursed for this possibly?

The other is that the house I chose in Ballycastle, the Ardaghmore House, did not have our room for us when we arrived at 9pm Monday June 25th . Genevieve McLernon told me that she didn't have an appropriate room for me and my son and that we would have to share…which we of course said we'd be happy to do…and then she just pushed us off to her friend two blocks away (not a registered b&b but a nice couple none the less). There was no view, I had no choice, and I was not happy. I wrote to her upon my return reminding her that I booked two months in advance and shared with her the confirmation she gave herself in May. She did return the correspondence and apologized but not explain what really happened. I paid her the voucher and I guess she in turn paid her friend??? Either way I did want to let you know this happened. Very minor set back after such a wonderful experience.

I was able to find my old school and my childhood home in Dundalk and have nothing but wonderful things to say about your agency and all the organization that you did for me. I will have very fond memories of my stay at the Trean House…by far the most beautiful!!!! I would come back just to spend a week there it was heaven.

So thank you again and please do let me know about the car hire it would be most helpful.

Michele

Michele M. Rimmer

Doris Tkaczyk - 17 July 2007

Viviene
I just wanted to thank myguideIreland and Liz Downey for doing such a wonderful job in planning a great trip for my daughters and myself! We had a fabulous time on our trip! Our driver Tommy O'Reilly made a great trip into a really great trip - give him a raise! His knowledge of the country, history, and culture combined with his wonderful humor made each day memorable. Even though we had a few rainy days, we did get to see the sun and each stop was beautiful. The hotels were great, the sites we visited were wonderful, even the coach was pretty comfortable. I'm so glad we used your services and will definately recommend you to anyone who wants to visit Ireland! We'll definately be back and will certainly use myguideIreland to help us plan the next trip!

Sincerely,
Doris Tkaczyk

Mary Calandra - 14 July 2007

Alice, I wanted to thank you for your assistance is planning our trip to Ireland. You did a great job in selecting accommodations that provided a nice representation of what Ireland has to offer. Everything went smoothly - Ireland was gorgeous, the people were wonderful and we had a terrific time. I would love to revisit Ireland in the future and would certainly use and recommend myguideireland. Thanks for helping to make an enjoyable memory for my family.

Mary Calandra

Tim & Christine Wills - 9 July 2007

Kristel,
We thoroughly enjoyed our "drive ourselves" vacation. We would recomend this method of seeing Ireland to others. Although we didn't follow the suggested itinerary, it gave us a great starting place to make our plans as well as some very good insight into points of interest that we did see. We will reccommend your services to others.

We also greatly appreciated your making some last minute reservations for us! Everything fell into place nicely and all the BB's were excellent and the people very friendly and helpful. In fact, one BB was inadvertantly overbooked and the hostess made alternate arrangements ahead for us that turned out fine.

Regards,

Tim & Christine Wills

Bruce Roy - 6 July 2007

Maria -

I just wanted to pass along a note of appreciation and gratitude for arranging our trip to Ireland. We returned home to the U.S. a couple of days ago, but our minds and spirits are still saturated with the glorious experiences of our travels. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed every venue immensely. The entire trip came off without a hitch, although the
driving on the left side of some very narrow roads required some adjustment. My wife and I look forward to returning to the Emerald Isle some time in the not too distant future and will most certainly re-visit some of the spots that you recommended.

Thanks again for helping to enrich our lives a bit, and we will not hesitate to promote your services to our friends and family members should they consider a trip to Ireland in the future.

Best wishes,

Bruce Roy

Geoff & Linda - 2 July 2007

We have just returned from Ireland. Our first visit and not to be our last.
Everything worked without a hitch. Our car hire,flights and the B&B and farmhouse books were good. Vouchers were a good way of traveling around.
Scenery was breath taking. Irish people so helpful.
The weather was better than in England!
Thank you for your help and advice. Will recommend you to others.
Geoff & Linda

Peter Hazleden - 28 June 2007

Hi Kristel,

Just a note to thank you for putting together a great golf package for us. Everything from the car rentals, accommodations, golf courses, tee times and the order of courses played worked out perfectly.

Please extend a special thanks to Sheila Cronin, at The Avenue, for the extra effort she extended to accommodate us.

I believe we will be back to Ireland again and we look forward to working with you again on our next package.

Have a Great Summer.

Peter Hazleden

Barbara Porteus - 27 June 2007

Hi Kristel, Sorry it took so long. I have been crazy busy since my return from Ireland. I just want to say thank you on behalf of my sister and myself. The trip was everything I had hoped for and more. We had a great time. We met wonderful people on the tour. Frank was the best. Our time in the rental car was amazing. We put a lot of miles on that car. We left Shannon and headed up the coast to Gallway, stayed in Roundstone. Went up to Westport and stayed in Donnnegal. Drove across Northern Ireland to Belleek and along Lough Erne to the east coast and back to Dublin. I can't wait to come back. Thanks again for all your help.

All the best to Frank. Barbara Porteus

Patrick Greenfield - 26 June 2007

ELMA, I just wanted to really thank you! You went above and beyond!@!@! We had a great time.
Loved everything we saw and are seriously - going to plan another trip soon. When we are ready - I am definitely going to
contact you. You picked all the right spots. Every thing was perfect, but one.

On the railtour - the first 2 nights we stayed in Kilarney, the host of the bed and breakfast, (Marie) was not nice, not friendly and a bit snippy. She was not Mean, but definitely Rude, but just not nice. If you/your company has a reputation that you are trying to UPHOLD - don't send them there.

Every other place - was right on. Thanks again, and I will be in ouch soon! My brother and his wife are planning to go there next year - for his 40th bday - so sent him our itinerary and your email address.

If you ever come to the states and want some friendly advice or places to go and things to do - let me know.

Patrick Greenfield

Donna Jones - 25 June 2007

Dear Elma,
I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you again for helping us with our wonderful trip to Ireland. My daughters and I had the most fantastic trip and made many memories that we will treasure forever. All of your hard work is so appreciated. We saw so many wonderful things and I want to thank you very much. I hope to return to Ireland again in the future and this time bring my husband. I will contact Myguide Ireland without any hesitation.
I have a couple of things that I wanted to tell you. First I would highly recommend the Dublin Hop-on Hop-off bus service. We used it for 2 days when we were there and were able to see so many of the exciting sights of the city. It is reasonable in price and so very convenient. Second, I would not recommend Pembroke Manor. It is just too far from Dublin without a car. It is a very long walk south of the Grand Canal and not even on my maps of Dublin. By the time we walked all the way to the city we were too tired to do as much sightseeing as we wanted. Also, I found the staff rather unfriendly and acting as though any questions were a bother to them. At all of our other stays the people were so helpful and friendly that this was a real contrast. Lastly, the Great Southern at Dublin Airport is now the Marriott. We kept driving in circles looking for it until we recognized the building from our previous trip. No problem, I just wanted to let you know.
Again, thank you for all you did to make our trip so wonderful. I know at times I was rather demanding so I thank you for all your patience and I would happily recommend you and your company to anyone taking a trip to your beautiful Country. Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Donna Jones

Tony & Rae Glenn - 18 June 2007

Hi Claire

My wife and I have just returned from a fantastic holiday in Ireland, largely thanks to you.

Although my wife did have a short holiday in Ireland some years ago, I had never been. I am sure we shall return again, I hadn't realised what I had been missing.

As you will know, we were very lucky with the weather having been over there during that hot spell in early June but even when it greyed over a little last week we still found plenty to do and found the Irish such friendly people, despite the appalling history (about which we learnt) of the way the British Government ignored you in the mid 19th century.

It is great to see how Ireland is prospering now and long may it continue!

The arrangements you made for us were great; we managed to get an upgrade of the car to a Rover 75 automatic which was a great bonus (I didn't say a word, it just came!) Your choice of hotels for us were all super and your suggested route was ideal. We also loved the B & Bs that we stayed in (Norlands in Tramore, Waterlands in Kinsale and Riverwood
House in Adare). All so welcoming.

Thank you very much for all you did for us and we look forward to returning some time in the future.

Kind regards, Tony & Rae Glenn

Pat Browne - 18 June 2007

Thank-you. It was a pleasure doing business with Genevieve Tuit. She is
attentive, prompt and quite professional. I am sure she is an asset to your
organization, and I will certainly recommend her to my other friends looking
to visit Ireland.

Thanks Again,

Pat Browne

Dean Dunn - 16 June 2007

Hello Elma,

We had a wonderful trip and I want to thank you for all you did for me and my family. Without your help it would not have been as complete as it was. We seen everyplace we set out to see and more. We made it through all the twist and turns of the little roads safely. Sometimes I wonder how though. Perfect weather the first six days, rain the next three, but we coped with that.

Thank you again and I will recommend you to anyone I know of that plans to visit Ireland.

Love, peace and happiness to you,

Dean Dunn

John Gilbert - 15 June 2007

Mrs. O'Connell,
I look forward to booking through your agency, if the service we have received from our agent (Kristel Enkelberg) is an indication of the level of service 1 2 Travel provides we are in good hands. I would to point out how happy my wife and I are with the agent we are dealing with. She has made booking our trip enjoyable and has taken the time to not only point out sites to visit but helpful hints in our reservations. Mrs. Enkelberg is a professional and a tribute to your company.
This trip will be the first time I will have seen my wife in over eight months, as such I endeavor to make this as stress free and enoyable as possible. Mrs. Enkelberg is helping to make it so.
Thank you for the excellent service.

Very Respectfully,

IT2 John Gilbert

Marèse Peppelenbosch - 14 June 2007

Dear Kristel,

Thanks for your e-mail and good wishes (welcome home, etc.)

Yes our trip to Ireland was a great success! Beautiful country, lovely weather, friendly people, interesting cities, and ... a perfect organization through your company (or you?).

I think we'll make the trip again someday (and a bit longer in time) and you can be sure we will think of you when it comes to booking again.

Thanks again for your good services and marvelous weather (or did somebody else managed this?).

Kind Regards,

Marèse Peppelenbosch

Jo Krasch - 10 June 2007

Kristel,

Thank you so much for the wonderous time that we were able to have in Ireland. The country is gorgeous. My son nor myself wanted to return to America. We loved the greens and the hospitality of the country. We could not have asked for a more lovely vacation.

We would like to say our appreciation for your patience, dedication and determination in getting our travels together, without your assistance I don't know whether we could have made it or not. It may have still been just a dream.

The hotel accommodations that you arrangement were OUTSTANDING! With a wide variety of cultural affects from comfortable to Glamorous we definitely were pleased with all of the package.

I have had several people both here in the States and in Ireland to ask which travel agency we used and I tell them My Guide Ireland and my agents name is Kristel Enkelberg. I tell them of your patience and how you accommodated my request. They make mention that maybe they ought to try it out.

Once I get things set back in the groove a little maybe I can send you a few of the 2000+ photos we took so you may use them for future adventurers.

Thanks again Kristel

Maybe in future adventures we may be able to return to Ireland and enlist your company's services once more.

Jo Krasch

Maura Shea - 7 June 2007

Alice,

Megan and I had a great time!! Our guide Martin, was wonderful, very knowledgable, and very accomodating. I don't think we would have had such a good time had we done it on our own. Our tour mates were all fun people. What a diverse group as we were all great friends when we departed for home!! I will cherish the memories for years to come.

I wanted to relay that while the Marriott in Galway was the best hotel we stayed at, it's location to town was poorest. May I suggest a hotel in town would be a better choice, as our tour mates were in agreement.

Best Regards,

Maura.

Sarah Wells - 4 June 2007

Dear Krystel,
We had a GREAT time. All of us enjoyed our selves, even though we had a family flu bug going around among us. It was easy getting the cars after everyone arrived in Shannon. We ( my husband and I ) arrived first , then the kids from New York and then and hour and a half late the kids from Kentucky. The Castle Ballyseede was more than we expected. The staff most helpful. Arthur the Irish Wolfhound has a new friend in Delaney.
Driving the next day to Dingle was exciting. We went over the Conner Pass. What a sight. Our Grand daughter loved the ride on the ferry. Our Son-in-law will never live down not stopping to read the road signs, so we missed The Cliff of Moher. A reason to come back. The people in Galway at the Almara House were very nice. Our room had mold in the upper corner of the bathroom. That was our only concern. We need more time to see Galway. On we went to Cliffden. The drive out to the Ardmore House was most challenging and most fun. The Mullens could not have been nicer. They helped us get riding lessons for Delaney . We all wished we could have stayed there longer. We do not understand why they have a lower rating than the Almara House.

The drive to Dublin was great. The hotel was where the kids wanted to be , but a little noising for the older couple. We wound up having a room on the front of the hotel. This is not a complaint. It will be a fun part of the trip to tell. We liked Dublin , but would like to spend more time in the south and the west. We did Take the Irish rail tour to Avoca with our granddaughter. This was great. we would like to see more of the area. I could not resist a jacket at the Avoca mill.

On the whole our trip was a success. It gave our son- in law time to get to know each other and our daughters time to be together.

Yes, we all would love to come back to Ireland and Yes we will use your services again. We have one question for you to answer. Which one are you in the picture in the "Ireland of the Welcomes" May-June issue? I could not open the survey because I read your email last night , but was too tired to answer and this morning it would not open. If you need my answers please send it again.


Thank you for all your help . We had a trip to remember

Fondly,
Sarah Wells

Eric Funston - 2 June 2007

Dear Claire:

We are once again back in the States and, once again, have had a splendid holiday in Ireland.

We can highly recommend all four B&Bs we used: Killarney House in Blarney (run by Caroline Morgan); Aisling House in Mooncoin, Co. Waterford (run by Tony & Aedamar Walsh); Laburnum Lodge in Tullow, Co. Carlow (run by Anne Byrne); and especially Craggy Island in Doolin, Co. Clare (run by Bev & Adrian O'Connor).

Both of the hotels you chose for us were quite good -- Bunratty Castle Hotel was by far the superior of the two.

On the other hand ... I would recommend that you stay away from US Airways. We had ticketing problems at Cleveland on our way out -- it took more than 45 minutes to get our boarding passes because of something fouled up in our reservation which they admitted was their problem, not ours or our travel agents. Our flight from Shannon to Philadelphia was
delayed about 45 minutes, but fortunately our flight from Philadelphia to Cleveland was delayed even longer (and we had plenty of turn-around time in any event). The flight attendants on all of our flights can best be described as "surly". We simply were not impressed and will not want to use this airline again. (And in discussion with other passengers, we found we are not alone: tales of long delays and lost luggage abounded.)

Air travel aside, however, we had another wonderful time and thank you immensely for your assistance. I hope we'll be calling on you again.

Blessings, Eric Funston

Joe & Shirley Roberts - 2 June 2007

Hi Vivienne,

We had a great time, and all of your information proved out to be very helpfull. We found the B & Bs to be very nice, all different, but clean and neet and great breakfast each morning. It was also a good idea to put the self catering apartment in the middle week with B & Bs on each side. The small car was great as the roads were narrow, rough and crooked. We also thank you for bringing us in through Shannon Airport and keeping us out of dublin trafic. We stayed just out of Dublin and went in on the bus, cheep and the driver knew the shortcuts into the town. We had a bit of a problem
when Shirley got sick and got bronchitis just before we got to Lahinch. We were so lucky that a Doctors clinic was just a block from the apartment. He was so nice and helpfull and gave Shirley the best of attention. We caught the sickness early enough that she was much better the secound day and did not miss anything. It was nice to have a week in the same place, going out sightseeing and then back (home). However we did eat out a bit more, at the PUBs downtown, I am sure she planned it that way. Again thanks a million.

Joe & Shirley Roberts
Tampa, Florida USA

John Butler - 29 May 2007

Genevieve, thank you for the help on our vacation it was a truly a wonderful trip. All of our accommodations were first class; the hotels were right in the heart of the towns. One tip I would like to pass on is get the "Full Coverage from Hertz, a pothole jumped out in front of me and took off the fender well the first day in Naven, also renting the "Never Lost" guidance
system was also very helpful, all together we traveled around 1100 kilometers. We made it back to California in one piece, again thank you for the help.

Sincerely
John Butler

Jan Erickson - 8 May 2007

Dear Genevieve— The trip you planned for us has been wonderful. The accommodations have exceeded all expectations. I know we had a little bit of a rough beginning with the reservations, car and the confusion over Ballycastle vs Ballygally—and I appreciate your quick resolve in getting us back on track. We enjoyed our coffee stop at Ballygally Castle and would love to stay there sometime—apparently the BallygallyCastle received their fourth star the day we arrived---A well deserved addition. It is too bad that we would have had to backtrack quite a bit to stay there. The alternative, The Bayview Hotel in Bushmills, was lovely. We were able to see the Giant’s Causeway and hiked along high cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Our favorite hotel was where we stayed last night--in Ballynahinch. It was paradise both in and around the castle. The hotel staff was welcoming and helpful---encouraging exploration on the grounds around the hotel—I took two wonderful hikes—one last night and one this morning. I could have stayed there several days. It truly was paradise.

Tonight we are in Galway—The Park House-- and tomorrow we head to Dublin where we say goodbye to our Kennedy coach guide, Des. Is there a tipping protocol for drivers? Please email me, if you can about that. It was a wonderful suggestion to use a driver for part of our journey. Des was able to get us back to The Giant’s Causeway so our sons could experience that and a quick tour of Bushmills.

I will write again at the conclusion of our trip to add anything that might be helpful to you in planning for others. Thanks for creating a trip that we are enjoying and will provide priceless memories for our family for years to come.

Sincerely, Jan Erickson

Clare Fawcett - 7 May 2007

Hi Kristel

My mother and I returned from Ireland yesterday. We had a great trip and would like to thank you for helping us set it up. The accommodations were great and all worked like a clock! In addition, we had fantastic weather all week. Thanks again. We will recommend your company to others.

Clare Fawcett

Ann Landry - 2 May 2007

Dear Yuichi,

I wanted to let you know how much we appreciated all the arrangements that you made on our behalf for our trip to Ireland last month. All of us, my husband Greg and I, and also Don and Kris Hietpas commented several times during our 10-day stay on how helpful your many suggestions were.

Your recommendations gave us an unforgettable and truly memorable vacation. The hotels that you suggested were outstanding-we particularly enjoyed the Carrig House Hotel, the Waterford Castle Hotel and Gregans Castle Hotel and the restaurants at those three properties were excellent as well. We also enjoyed our stay at the Perryville House Hotel in Kinsale. The propieteur there (Barry?) gave us a great recommendation for dinner, Man Friday's, where we had another excellent meal that night.

Again, thank you for all the assistance you gave me while pulling this trip together. Should we have another opportunity to visit Ireland, I would not hesitate to contact you again. I would also like to let your supervisor(s) know much we appreciate your assistance. Please share this e-mail with them or I would be happy to contact your supervisor(s) directly, letting them know how invaluable you were in planning this trip.

Thanks again, Ann Landry

P.S. Did you have anything to do with the unbelievable weather we encountered? No rain for the entire 10 days that we were travelling! ;-)

Susan Magee - 30 April 2007

Elma,

I just wanted you to know that we just returned from our trip to Ireland and had a wonderful time. The car and B&B vouchers were great. Everything worked out perfectly. My sister and I drove all over your beautiful country. The people were great, very friendly and helpful. Thank you for working with us. I will definitely recommend you to my friends and will use you again when I go back.

Many thanks!! Susan Magee

Vivian Johnson - 30 April 2007

Hello Genevieve

I just wanted to thank you and tell you that everything you picked out for us was fabulous. We all had a grand time and we will keep you in mind when we travel to Ireland again.

Thank you again for a wonderful experience.

Vivian Johnson

James Clevenger - 27 April 2007

Hi Kristel,

Just returned from my ireland tour and it was a really great trip. It was very interesting and alot of fun and most everyone had a good time and enjoyed the people, customs and good food. Of course, some folks are never happy with arrangements. The biggest thing that most people mentioned was the beautiful scenic places in Ireland, but no or very little time to see or photopgraph them. I did not like that part of the trip, but time is a problem I know.

Our tour driver was excellent and Leslie Daunt was truly great and very funny. He has a very good grasp of Ireland and all the history of the country. He covered alot of details that I'm sure other directors would not. Les had to be the major asset of our tour in Ireland. His sense of humor is exactly what is needed on a bus tour.

Some of the meals were ok and that is always some concern on bus tours. I was fine anyway. I would like to recommend that the agency of tour company consider future trips with alot of free time and make stops for photographers or slower people. I was a past member of the PSA and Birkenhead Photo- graphic Association for years. (BPA in England) Some folks do like to take slides or photos for camera competitions I know for a fact. I brought about 16 rolls of film with me and used only 8 and hopefully, some of the pictures will come out good.

Everybody on the tour commented on the progress and building construction going on in Ireland which is good. If, I was younger Ireland would be my kind of country to reside in. Again, thanks for your time and help with my tour and if, you have any comments or questions do not hesitate to email me.

My next tour will be different and probably back over to Ireland. I am sure that this summer season will be extremely busy. Cheers, Jim

Angela Schadan - 23 April 2007

Dear Alice,

First, thank you, Alice, for all of your help and patience in setting it all up. Your taking the time to figure out what was going to fit us best made all the difference in the world.

From the moment we contacted you until our last and final question was asked and answered, you provided outstanding service.

We began in Dublin, at the Davenport - which was ideally located and beautiful. The hotel was accomodating and service was terrific. From Dublin, we travelled south to Waterford, which was a gorgeous drive and our stay at the Athaneum was divine. Next was Killarney and the Fairview Guest House, which is someplace I would recommend to anyone spending time in Killarney. It was central to everything and we had a wonderful time there. Alice recommended Tralee - Ballyseede, which was easily someplace I could have spent weeks. It was beautiful and I fell in love with Arthur, their resident Irish Wolfhound. Dinner was spectacular. Nothing can match Adare Manor....If I could have stayed weeks at Ballyseede, then I could have taken up residence at Adare and never tired of finding new things to discover. Seamus, Margaret Anne and John the doorman, were part of what made our stay at Adare Manor so memorable. We want to take our family back to Adare in a year or so. From Adare we travelled to Galway. Bustling....after the quiet of Adare, we were ill prepared for Galway. Galway was beautiful, but we cut our stay to one night (the room was in a horrible location overlooking a bus yard and the heating in the room could not be adjusted and we were miserable) and drove on to Shannon to spend our final night in Ireland (at our own expense). It was unseasonably warm while we were there and so I do not hold the hotel in Galway responsible....it was Good Friday and they were packed, with a waiting list for openings.

Our trip was amazing and spoiled us for future travels. It will be difficult to surpass this trip, the weather, the people, the food and the lovely places we stayed.

If you're coming to Ireland from the United States, I highly recommend using myguideIreland, and if you're lucky perhaps Alice will be the person helping you.

Alice, thanks again.

Angela Schardan

Leslie Laine - 10 April 2007

Hello Kristel

I just wanted to say thank you for all your help. Our trip to Ireland (2/14-25) was as fabulous as we anticipated. The weather cooperated and we got to see even more than we had planned. We figured we averaged over 100 miles a day on the days we drove. I'd love to come back and spend more time in Donegal--one day was not enouh!

Attached is a photo of myself and my brother in Dublin, where a kind tourist offered to take a picture we both could be in! Leslie Laine

Gerard and Helen Small - 6 April 2007

Dear Claire

May we take this opportunity to say Thank You so much for a very successful trip to Doolin. We wanted to thank you for making the booking so easy for us and taking the stress away from the organizing . We had a lovely time in the area and did indeed find friends and relatives which we either had lost touch with or didnt even know existed, and also had a lovely time visiting what can only be described as a jewel in the sea. Ireland never ceases to take my breath away.

Thank you once again.

Gerard and Helen Small (South Wales)

Joe and Susan Davis Richardson - 1 April 2007

My family and I are convinced Elma Connolly walks closely with God and she prayed a very special blessing on our trip to Ireland in March, 2007. First, the weather could not possibly have been nicer for the whole 10 days of our trip. Secondly, our car was upgraded from a standard shift Volvo to a brand new automatic shift Mercedes Benz. Thirdly our night in the castle was upgraded from a normal room to a H-U-G-E room with a marble bath a Roman Emperor would have appreciated. Fourth, the main attraction to us for the trip was the trip to "Quiet Man" country. Our tour got expanded from a promised 45 minutes to more than two hours. Fifth, right outside the breakfast window of one of the B&B's included an enormous wall that is all that is left of a ninth century Norman castle right out in the field. How cool is that? Sixth, the hotel she selected for us in London was one block from the bus which took us every attraction we wanted in see. NO TAXI's Everything was handled in such a smooth, professional way, that we do not hesitate to recommend that everyone who wants a delightful trip to Ireland or England call Elma.

Joe and Susan Davis Richardson, Texas

Laurie Balcerzak - 21 March 2007

Dear Joan Oconnell

This is to inform you of my sincere appreciation of the wonderful customer service I received from Deirdre Sheehan. She has been very patient while I made repeated changes to the itinerary of our trip. I never once felt like I was being a bother to her, although I am sure I was. Deirdre has a most pleasing and friendly personality. I am sure she is a fine representation of the wonderful people we will meet on our trip to your beautiful country.
We were refered to your company by family friends and we wouldn't hesitate to refer others.

Again thank you

Laurie

Mick McAuliffe - 08 March 2007

Maria,

I just saw your picture in the advertisement from myguideireland (your new name). I want to thank you again for arranging the trip for our "Bonnie Dozen" a couple of years ago. It was wonderful and you get much credit for helping me pick the hotels and the routing. I hope that this note finds that all is well with you and yours.

Very Best Regards
Mick

Wiskie - 7 March 2007

Kristel, how nice to hear from you. Thank you for the information. We had the most wonderful fun on the trip you arranged for us last year. It was everything we hoped for and more. There is so much to see, explore and fall in love with, we could have stayed for a month and it would not have been enough. I meant to drop you a note earlier re: our trip, I would like to quickly mention a couple of things.

One of the B&B's we used out of the book you sent was Sunset house, I can't recall the town name right now, but it was not far from Lahinch. The hostess was excellent, her house was off the main road up a country lane - but very welcoming with nice rooms and comfy beds. The view of the bay from the front of the house was phenomenal. We got there right about sunset and it is aptly named. Well worth finding and staying there again.

Our B&B on Dun Angus was good as well. The host and hostess were so kind and helpful, what wonderful people. They ran us out to the closest fort, where we had the entire site to ourselves in the afternoon and the weather cleared up to a brilliant blue sky. It was a fabulous start to our trip!

Ballyseede castle was another return to place. It looks to be a work in progress still, but it was so much like a grand kind of home, the food was really good, and the staff was friendly and efficient. We popped into the pub downstairs in the evening, and had a great chat with locals and other travelers.

Dromoland, what can you say that doesn't simply repeat supurlatives? The staff was exemplary, the atmosphere welcoming and homey but very grand, and the grounds were gorgeous, from the walled garden, to the archery lane and all around. Wow! A very different castle from Ballyseede, but we really liked both castles, they offered something very different from each other.

Thank you for a wonderful trip, I can't wait to come back and stay longer. Everyone asks what we liked best, and there are so many things, but the Irish people were the very best thing of all. I will come back because my heart calls me and I have never met such warm and welcoming people. The only rude people we met were other tourists in a couple of the heritage sites!

Kindest regards, Wiskie

Leo Tully - 20 February 2007

Hello Conor

I have just finished up booking my trip to Ireland and will arrive there on Feb. 24 th . During the process I was assisted by Ms. Elma Connelly and also your representative in Boston , Sean (I do not know his last name). In both cases the level of service, results and humor were well above the level I am used to. Both of these agents were well prepared for my many questions and always sounded happy to help...

I would and have already recommended your company to anyone who is planning travel to that part of the world. You should be very proud of your associates and the way they represent your company.

Thanks again for all your help.

Sincerely Yours Leo Tully

Kenneth and Paulette McElveen, Texas, USA - 07 January 2007

Vivienne,

Yes, we just got back home, but our wonderful memories of a great time are very vivid. Vivienne you did gooooood!!! The Christmas Day Party in Dublin was outstanding at the Davenport Hotel. All chosen hotels were enjoyed by both of us. All the Irish people are so friendly and other Americans, we visited along our way, fell in love with your Country, too. I really was glad it was off season, because we would not have had time in two weeks to see all the sights if they had been open. I guess my biggest surprise was how tall the mountains were and all the hilly terrain. I thought some of the areas would have been flat for farming. I loved the waterfalls outside of Sligo. We arrived in Sligo ahead of the New Years Day storm and weren't sure what we might be in for, but having all the rain the day before made for some beautiful sights. Not only did the water come down in abundance, but beautiful multiple rainbows put us in awe!!! I did secure a Garwin GPS with a U.K./Ireland Sims Card.
It SAVED us on numerous occasions!!!!
I would highly recommend this tool for other visitors who tour your beautiful Ireland!!!

Thanks for planning a wonderful 15 day trip.
Kenneth and Paulette McElveen

Rick Penn - 26 December 2006

Leonicio Santiago - 1 December 2006

Vivienne

We had a great time in Ireland. When we were in Cork, we wanted to pay you a visit but our tour schedule did not have time for it. We would surely like to go back to Ireland to visit the Northern part, especially Antrim.

The location of the Tower and Walkway apartments was superb. It was just a few paces from the LUWAS train, and right in front was a shopping center. Everything was within walking disctance, including a fresh produce market, an Asian grocery and 2 Filipino groceries! We cooked most of our meals, but we did enjoy also Irish food in the pubs we stopped by for lunch.

The train/bus tours were just what we wanted. We wish we could arrange for the same tours in other countries (when I am not conducting a pilgimage that is).

We enjoyed walking in Dublin immensely. Not only was it great exercise but it was also the best way to get to know the city and its very hospitable inhabitants. Though the ladies did not like to go to the pubs because of the cigarette smoke, I really didn't the smoke and when I was in the pubs, in didn't find it hard to fine someone to talk with.

Next year , I will be conducting a pilgrimage to Spain and France, which will take up half of my vacation days. The other half which is for my personal vacation, the same ladies and I are planning to finish our Scandinavian vacation which we started last year. We had been to Finland, Estonia, Sweden and Holland, but we would like to see Denmark & Norway. Any suggestions for these countries that would be as easy on our pockets as our Ireland vacation?

Again, thank you so much.

Father Santiago

P.S. I tried to click on myguideIreland.com you indicated to give my feedback but I couldn't find the button.

Richard Dale - 06 December 2006

Claire

Both Bridget and I had a wonderful time, and enjoyed the break, we found the people very pleasant, and the hotel ideal. We will be returning again next year.

Regards

Richard Dale

Billie - 06 December 2006

Claire

Just wanted to let you know we had a fantastic time - all that you arranged was fab and the cottage was really above and beyond our expectations.

When we go back, we'll be sure to book with you again.

Many thanks

Billie

Frank Lambe, St Vincent, London - 10 November 2006

Claire,

I must apologise for the long delay in sending this to you.

I would like to express our thanks to you all, for arranging such a wonderful Holiday. It was great, everything we wanted.

I shall contact you again (God willing) in approx. 18 months time, to ask once again for your assistance in finding the right accommodation and location in Ireland.

We are thinking of doing the Rings of Kerry, and would like similar accommodation for the same amount of people, near Bantry Bay or Dingle.

The only stipulation we ask is that the "Pubs" be a little closer to hand as we have people with us, with walking difficulties. (The same as Terryglass would be ideal)

I will contact nearer the time.

Once again many "Thanks" from "All" of us.

Kind Regards,
Frank Lambe

Nelle Sieg - 10 November 2006

Dear Claire,

I just wanted to let you know how very much my mother in law and I enjoyed our trip to Ireland. The hotels you picked for us were absolutely wonderful! The entire package that you provided was perfect and we would highly recommend you and your company to anyone wishing for a fantastic holiday. We greatly appreciate all of your help and expert advice.

Thanks again!
Nelle Sieg

Peggy - 01 November 2006

Dear Claire:

I don't know if you are aware that the day after our arrival in Ireland, my sister was admitted to Tralee Community Hospital and spent the next six days there. I called Vivienne at myguideireland, who immediately arranged for cancellations and kept in touch with me over the time of my sister's hospitalization to insure that further cancellations and changes that were necessary were made in a timely fashion. Also, Marnie at Ballyseede Castle, where we were booked for our first night and where I ended up staying for 11 nights, was the most supportive, take care of everthing person I've ever run into in my travels. When we advised her that my sister needed to see a doctor, she got on the phone and made an appointment at a clinic for us, had her groundskeeper get us to the doctor's office, and when I called her from the office to advise her that my sister was being admitted to hospital, she arrived at the doctor's office before the ambulance !! She ensured that all our needs were met in short order without seeming to even blink an eye and each time we tried to thank her, her response was, "ah, no problem". She even took time from her busy schedule to take me touring on the Dingle Peninsula while my sister was still in hospital. Neither my sister nor I could have been cared for better had we been home with family.

Since the circumstances of our trip did not allow us to go to all the places we had intended, yes, we are saving up for another trip to Ireland, and with myguideireland's associates being as thoughtfull and caring as Vivienne and especially Marnie, we certainly will return to myguideireland in the future.

Sincerely,

Peggy

RJ Dellinger - 31 October 2006

Vivienne,

Thanks for the note. We've completed the survey and really enjoyed our trip to Ireland.

Our only thought was that it may have been a little much to do in a week, although we may have been overly distracted by items or areas not on our itinerary. Ireland is just so rich, we feel like we glanced by instead of
being able to savor a specific area.

Next time we go, we will focus more on one area to soak it in some more. Or stay longer...

Regardless, the trip was excellent and all of the accommodations and services in Ireland meet or exceeded or expectations.

The service and information from you and myguideireland was excellent. We will definitely recommend you to anyone interested in traveling to Ireland.

Regards,

rj & beth dellinger

Colin and Sandra Gibbs - 26 October 2006

Claire,

We were VERY satisfied with myguideireland, you were very efficient and responsive! We had a great time in Galway - it is a very interesting and friendly place - we even got to see Connacht play Leinster (although the big city boys won!) - What a great atmosphere! We toured around Connemara - what a beautiful, wild place, with wonderful sights to see and places to visit, like Kylemore Abbey. We will definitely be back.

On the experience side, the car hire at Shannon wasn't the greatest - uninterested staff and a dirty, uncomfortable car from National - won't do that again. And next time we'll stay outside the city - although the hotel
(Great Southern on Eyre Square) was great with a good location (shame about the modernisation in the square) it was noisy at night.

All in all - a good time was had by all!

Thanks again!

Colin and Sandra Gibbs

Jim McCracken - 23 October 2006

Maria

Returned today from a great vacation in Ireland. We had a splendid time and the weather was good until the end. Just wanted to say "thank you" again for all the effort you made in helping us plan this trip.

I mentioned the name myguideIreland several times while speaking to others about the fine itinerary you provided. My son who accompanied us, also was impressed but the ease which we were able to see so much and drive distances yet enjoy ourselves. The Caragh Lake House was truly the best. The owners and staff were just great and the house was just super. It was truly a place we won't forget and will tell others about for sure.

Jim McCracken

Roberta Jarzyniecki - 23 October 2006

Dear myguideireland,

Let me start by saying "WOW"!!!! My husband and I returned from our Irish Honeymoon, which was customized and arranged by myguideireland. I wish there were words for the experience we shared.
This being the first trip to Eire for either of us, we were absolutely spellbound by the beauty and personality of the island. The people were so friendly and we felt so much at home.
We've already agreed that we'll be returning quite frequently (as in next October) with the rest of our family.
When the time comes...we'll also be booking our trip through myguideireland as we wouldn't go anywhere else. Your staff did an incredible job in making our trip a wonderful experience.

Thank you.

Roberta Jarzyniecki

Ann and Betty - 21 October 2006

Claire,

We had a wonderful trip! The flight, car rental and B&B's all went smoothly. We would HIGHLY recommend--these B & B's Tigh Cathain in Trim and the Kells in Newmarket-on -Fergus. Can't wait to return to Ireland someday soon! Thanks for making our trip a wonderful experience. I very much appreciated being able to talk to you about various aspects of our trip- the one-on-one interaction would make me highly recommend your agency.

Thanks, Ann and Betty

Virginia Moore - 21 October 2006

Dear Vivienne,

I cannot thank you enough for what you enabled me to experience. Your country's beautiful land and history is rivalled only by your warm and gracious people. I had an amazing time and will definitely use your services again and recommend myguideIreland very highly.

There is not one thing I can pick out that was above all the rest because everything was incredible, (okay, maybe I can leave out the driving on the wrong side of the road with tour buses that should be banned!), but everything from the car to the locations we stayed were wonderful. We were lost quite often and this is when we found the most incredible people who would stop whatever they were doing (walking, farming, working on equipment, driving) and direct us with a smile and added information that sent us to isolated areas where we found historical sights and breathtaking beauty.

My 15 days was definitely too short!

Thank you again,

Virginia Moore

Amy and Lee Carrick - 20 October 2006

Vivienne Stanley

Please forgive if I spelled your name wrong - just wanted to let you know that we had a great time touring Ireland!Here's a synopsis of our trip:

We traveled 2400 kilometers in 9 days (and several of those days were in Northern Ireland - they go by miles but our rental car had only kilometers) and stayed in Bed & Breakfasts. We met some of the most incredible people and had lovely home-made Irish breakfasts.

We wanted to go to as many places as we could named Carrick......we went to Carrick-on-Shannon where Lee sat on the remains of the Carrickdrumruske Castle; Donegal the night that the swimmers arrived at Carrick Finn on 8/25 (they had started on 7/2 and swam around Ireland; saw a wedding in Carrick; crossed the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge and saw Carrick Island; toured Carrickfergus Castle in Carrickfergus; lunch at the Rock café in Carrickmore; took pictures in Carrickroe; bought hand-made lace in Carrickmacross (the oldest Irish lace); saw the Ormonde Castle (it has Carrick knots on its walls and fireplaces); and drove over the bridge built in 1447 that connects Carrickmore to Carrickbeg.

We saw castles everywhere - Clifden, Carrickdrumruske Castle, Donegal Castle, Dunluce Castle, Glen Arm Castle, Carrickfergus Castle, Castle Leslie, Hope Castle, Ardee Castle, Kilkenny Castle, Ormonde Castle, Cahir Castle, and Bunratty Castle.

We saw Yeats' grave, the oldest High Cross, the Rock of Cashel, and the megalithic burial mounds at Carrowkeel, Carrowmore, and New Grange (they range from 2500 BC to 3500 BC).

We saw at least 5 rainbows, a double rainbow, waterfalls, magpies, fuchsia hedges, and some of the most beautiful countryside, mountains, burrens, beaches, and cliffs - the Cliffs of Moher (214meters) and the tallest cliffs (615 meters) in Europe at Slieve League. We saw the Fairy Bridges in Bundoran and the Giant's Causeway in Antrim County. At one point, we could even see Scotland.....

We learned to drive on the left side and shift with our left hands - adjusted quickly to the circles, chuckled at some of the signs ("Traffic Calming," "Give Way," "Hidden Dip," "Safe Home," and "Sale