I participated in a familiarization trip in October to Dublin and County Clare, put together by Meet in Ireland. It was a wonderful experience! The trip started with a workshop at the Royal Hibernian Academy where hundreds of buyers from across the U.S. and Canada were able to meet with Irish suppliers – hotels, DMCs, venues, etc. The buyers each had a small table and the suppliers rotated through based on a schedule we had selected ahead of time. It was nice to be the one situated at the table accepting visitors instead of the other way around, as it usually is at these things.
The hotel hosting my group for the nights in Dublin was the The Merrion, a very elegant and comfortable hotel with great service and well situated in the heart of Dublin city center. I had the opportunity to do site inspections at the InterContinental Dublin and The Westin Dublin while we were in Dublin. The InterContinental feels very much like a Four Seasons, which it was previously. It’s a beautiful hotel with large sleeping rooms. The only negative is its location – a couple of miles from Dublin city center. The Westin Dublin on the other hand is located smack dab in the middle of everything, although I didn’t hear the city center noise while I was inside the hotel (including some major construction on the tram happening right outside the hotel). The Westin Dublin is a nice hotel. The Banking Hall, a function room at The Westin, is absolutely spectacular.
The final night dinner in Dublin was at the Christ Church Cathedral. The reception took place in the catacombs underneath the cathedral and then dinner was in the cathedral. It was a spectacular night, complete with the beautiful voices of the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Dublin.
Day 3 of the program had us making our way to County Clare by bus, with stops at the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort (closed until the fall of 2017 for major renovations), Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, and Dromoland Castle. Adare is amazing! And will be even more so when it reopens after extensive renovations. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park is a little too touristy. Similar to a Sturbridge Village or Plymouth Plantation, except for the authentic (although restored) medieval fortress, Bunratty Castle, which is very cool. Dromoland Castle is very impressive, the road leading up to the castle is a highlight. In comparing the two castle hotels, Adare and Dromoland, Adare is definitely a higher 5 star category than Dromoland, but both are stunning. The drive from Dublin to County Clare, a little over 3 hours if driving direct, was beautiful – a great opportunity to see the world famous scenery of Ireland.
The hotel for our nights in County Clare was the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland. Politics aside, it’s a beautiful hotel right on the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel is classically modern, with dark furniture and décor that fits in very well with its location right on the coast of a frequently stormy, dark sea. The hotel has all suites – multiple bedrooms with en suite bathrooms in each suite. Based on that, it doesn’t lend itself well to an incentive/meeting where the attendees don’t know each other well. Also, the only function space available at the time of our visit was a permanent tent on property. The hotel contact did say that there are plans to build additional meeting space.
Our first full day in County Clare was spent exploring a small part of the Wild Atlantic Way. We passed the surf capital of Ireland, Lahinch, and then stopped in Lisdoonvarna at The Old Spa Well for demonstrations and samples from artisanal food producers. It was a little too healthy for me, which is actually saying a lot, but it was a nice break from all of the rich and heavy food we had been eating up until that point. Our next stop was the Burren, where we enjoyed a short guided walk and learned about the region’s world renowned limestone pavement, the wild plant mix, and a prehistoric tomb. The highlight of our day was a stop at the Cliffs of Moher, which are truly breathtaking! Our outing ended with a stop at a small pub in Miltown Mabay, where we were privileged to see a demonstration of some Irish Uilleann pipes. I didn’t think I liked the sound of pipe music until that demonstration, it was truly beautiful and moving, in such an intimate and authentic setting.
Our final night in Ireland took place at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland in the permanent tent they have on property for functions. We enjoyed wonderful food and entertainment provided by an all-male acapella group, who sang beautifully and added some humor to the night.
The next day we flew out of either Shannon (approximately 45 minutes away) or Dublin (approximately 3 hours away) depending on our final destination. Fortunately, I was flying to Boston and it was a quick and easy flight from Shannon to Boston.
It was a whirlwind trip with a lot packed in, but it was great. Here are the highlights for me:
- So many different and diverse itinerary options
- Quick and easy travel from the East Coast
- Primary language is English
- Great history and culture
- Wonderful food (the stereotype of Irish food being bad is completely false!)
- Decent, consistent weather yearlong– doesn’t get too hot or too cold
- Very established and well run infrastructure for travel and tourism
If you plan incentive travel programs and Ireland isn’t on your radar, I highly recommend that you consider it!
