Lots of winter breaks have been lined up by Bord Failte, publicised in its various brochures, the main Discover Ireland autumn/winter brochure, which covers up to the middle of December; the millennium festive breaks brochure for Christmas and the New Year; the Golden Holidays brochure, which runs up to the end of next June and the current Northern Ireland breakaways brochure, valid up to the end of March.
Bord Failte suggests that winter is an ideal time to take a break, either a weekend trip, a midweek break or perhaps something a little longer. Quite often, the weather will be fairly favourable and certainly, rates will be very wallet or purse friendly.
Over the festive season, too, this time round, many people will be considering some kind of break away from home. This could be lunch out on Christmas day - the millennium festive breaks brochure lists places doing Christmas day lunch or dinner for people who aren't staying in the hotel concerned - or it could be a longer stay, say over the New Year, to see in the new millennium.
This time round, the Christmas/New Year break is going to extend to the best part of a fortnight for most people, so it's a great opportunity to escape down the country, or for people living outside Dublin to make the most of the capital city's boundless delights. Hotels in the west of Ireland, especially, have geared up well for the millennium. Many of the leading hotels in counties Galway and Mayo have organised special packages for Christmas and the New Year. For people coming in the other direction, the capital has innumerable attractions over the forthcoming holiday season, including lots of sales in the big stores; theatres; cinemas and dining out.
The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid, is giving this trend for home holidays his full backing. He says that holidays at home are an especial delight at any time of year.
At the present time, a range of accommodation has special offers, making short breaks good value for money. He also points out that the number of home holidays taken is growing annually and he wants to see this pattern extended as a positive economic force for the new millennium. Dr McDaid also wants to see all parts of the country sharing in the successful growth of the tourism industry.
Many hotels and hotel groups are promoting special breaks for Christmas and the New Year. Sinnott Hotels, as just one example, has a host of celebrations lined up for Christmas and the New Year for its three hotels, Brooks in Dublin and the Connemara Coast and Connemara Gateway, both in Co Galway.
One of the newer marketing ideas in accommodation is Selected Lodges of Ireland, based in Bantry, Co Cork. These lodges are an emerging group of professional accommodation providers, giving flexible and convenient accommodation throughout Ireland.
Just to give a couple of examples, the Hazel Wood Lodge at Bantry, west Cork, is modern, open virtually all year, from January 7th until December 20th. The design and furnishing of the en-suite rooms are described as original and restful. Rates are terrific, from about £10 to £14 per person sharing. Guests can self-cater if they want. Another example is the Lough Ree Lodge in Athlone, opened in 1997, where overnight rates start at around £10. It has 59 en-suite rooms.
While the current Discover Ireland brochure runs until the middle of December, spring isn't far behind, with the spring Discover Ireland publication due to be ready for the big annual holiday show in the RDS in late January. The current brochure was the biggest ever, at 144 pages. The millennium festive breaks brochure covers Christmas and New Year breaks in a wide range of hotels throughout the State. Some guesthouses are included.
This millennium brochure also has a section devoted to self-catering accommodation. As just one example, this one taken from north Co Cork, there's the Castlehyde Hotel's self-catering facilities, near Fermoy. Over the New Year, from December 30th until January 3rd, three nights self-catering accommodation to sleep six people costs £1,050. Divide that by six and it works out very reasonably, with the top level Castlehyde Hotel close by, as an added attraction.
More modestly priced are the Rookery Mews apartments in Killarney, where three nights over the New Year for four or five people will cost an extremely reasonable £210. The very popular Harbour Mill on Westport Quay in Co Mayo is charging £845 for an apartment for six people for seven nights over the New Year, again very reasonable. This converted 18th century mill down by the quayside in Westport has become quite an "inn" place.
Another top line idea is Ireland's Blue Book which lists such outstanding places as Ballymaloe House in east Cork; Aherne's seafood bar (restaurant and accommodation) in Youghal, also east Cork; and the equally wonderful Hunter's Hotel in Rathnew, Co Wicklow. Most properties listed here are open all year round.
It's also worth taking a look at the Northern Ireland Tourist Board's breakaways brochure, which runs until the end of March. This brochure is very attractively produced, like the Discover Ireland equivalent, and has a very wide selection of accommodation-hotels, guesthouses and self-catering in all six counties of Northern Ireland. Like the Discover Ireland brochure, rates are to a standardised format, covering weekends, midweek breaks and week long stays, as well as bed and breakfast, in some cases.
