Tall Ships Festival in Waterford promises to be the largest event in Ireland this summer

“I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and sky and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by” wrote the poet John Masefield over a 100 years ago.

The same evocative line of thought will lure some 500,000 to Waterford this weekend to visit the Tall Ships Festival which will be largest event in Ireland this year. Some 50 ships from all over Europe are taking part in the Tall Ships Race organised by the Sail Training Association of England with predominately youth crews of every nationality with youngsters still being asked to sign up for this leg of the race to Scotland. Oh to be under 25 again, never mind...

I was lucky enough to crew on the Stavros Niarchos once upon a time and it was magical, if hard work ! The first thing you are asked (gently encouraged) to do is go ‘up and over’ the rigging which is nerve wrecking the first time but you are doing it in your sleep (quite literally) by the end of the week. Because, while the ship is crewed by trainees on rotating watches you do have to be available to man the ‘bracing stations’, which can mean a sail change, so up you go.

But it’s wicked exciting…….especially at night, when you are catching the tradewinds, under a sky full of stars with dolphins off the bow. There isn’t a sound (if you are doing if right) and all 1000 sq mtrs of sail are set right as you take your trick at the helm, master of the ship and as close as you will probably get to being master of the universe in your lifetime. Don’t ever hesitate if you get chance of going to sea.

http://www.waterfordtallshipsrace.ie/

By Susan Byron author of www.irelands-hidden-gems.com

Return the Ballyvaughan road sign now - controversy over removal errupts in Ireland

Do you know it defies belief, when every man woman and child in this country is putting their best foot forward to recover from our economic woes that the government pulls the rug from under us, yet again.

This time its one of those ‘jobs worth’ moments when the NRA (National Roads Authority) have simply removed an iconic sign that has been standing at the crossroads in Ballyvaughan for over 30 years.

Possibly the most photographed road sign in Ireland, as one protester rightly put it, more ‘folk art’ then actual road signage. It is located along what Conde Nast has described as one of the Top 10 road trips in the world, out to Doolin via Blackhead.

But the NRA obviously don't want you to go there. Let me introduce you to the latest great waste of money in Ireland - the new system of 'navigating by numbers'. Apparently the powers that be are spending 60 million euros on new road signage in Ireland. So, we now have complete dead-end boreens grandly renamed as the L150001 or whatever. Why? Who cares? The answer: nobody.

Locals know where they live. For crying out loud in this day and age of smartphones, using inbuilt satellite technology and tracking, only in Ireland would we be spending a fortune on misleading the tourists. If it wasn’t such a serious waste of money it might even be funny. but this is money that would be better funding tourism initiatives like my own and countless other small businesses who are trying to encourage not discourage visitors to Ireland.

And, okay we dont want you to get lost but its a very small green island, how lost can you get?

You can Like the Return the Ballyvaughan Sign Facebook page here.

Or rent a car and try out the Motoring by Numbers for yourself here

Susan Byron author of http://www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/

A better guide to Ireland - Dont follow the flock, get off the well beaten track

The recently published ‘official’ list of Irish visitor attractions leaves most of us (those in the know) scratching our heads and wondering why or how some of them even made the cut?

As is often the case the 'must see sights’ in any country (but most especially in Ireland) are the very ones to avoid? No prudent independent traveller wants to be ripped off or more importantly, waste their precious holiday time on over-rated tourist traps that should have been closed down a long time ago.
---------------
READ MORE:

Ireland is top budget destinations this year when it comes to European travel

Ireland’s top ten most popular tourist attractions for 2011 named - PHOTOS

‘Certificate of Irishness’ available to applicants within months
---------------

Which would certainly be no real loss considering we now have world class attractions such as the Glasnevin Museum, Blackrock Observatory and Irish Museum of Country Life (free) running alongside such stalwarts as the Guinness Storehouse, Bunratty Castle & Folk Park and the Cliffs of Moher. Buts there’s even more and dare I say better to be found (depending on your interests) throughout Ireland. Beauties like Beaulieu House, warm favorites Foxford Woollen Mills, the Foynes Flying Boat Museum and the wacky West Clare Railway.

Take your pick from over 100 listed on www.irelands-hidden-gems.com all of which have been independently visited, reviewed and photographed. Only the very best passes the test in terms of value for money and quality of experience. Which is why the listings are limited to the Top 10 in each of the categories ie Landscapes, History & Castles, Sacred Places, Culture & Tradition, Museums and Galleries. It keeps everybody on their toes (including me) and ensures you the visitor of a top quality experience of Ireland.

Susan Byron author of www.irelands-hidden-gems.com

Now available as a travel app - Ireland Things To Do

Belan Lodge - boyhood playground of Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton

With fine weather on the horizon there has never been a better time to expand yours or your childrens by taking a self catering holiday at home. Only an hour from Dublin the lovely Belan Lodge, boyhood playground of the great Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton can be yours too for a week or a weekend. No long bank holiday drive, its a genuine hidden gem of a place, wild out with plenty of nature walks, canal banks and gastro pubs to be explored and whats more its very affordable, child and animal friendly, so what's keeping you?

Originally part of the very large and prestigous Belan House Estate which belonged to the Earls of Aldborough for over 400 years, before unfortunately being abandoned due to bad debts and mismanagement, although the Cornmills attached were always very successful. And they belonged once upon a time to Ebenezer Shackleton, uncle of the famous Irish Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. The Cornmills had one of the longest and deepest millraces in Ireland at the time which must have been a haven for the young boy with adventure in his veins.

As it was for another young lady, who wrote in the 1830’s of her childhood reminiscences of Belan, being the happiest of her life. “Here, on hot summer's evenings, we used to sit and watch the dragon files. I had never seen dragonflies before, and could not associate them with flies, I could only think of them as tiny winged spirits, whispering messages from afar to the reeds and irises which grew at the water’s edge...

She describes the warm welcome received from her hosts at Belan, with its turf fires and speaks eloquently and longingly of the breakfasts...hot potato cakes, eggs, cream, honey and freshly baked bread. The ‘accommodations’ even then were perfect with sunny windowseats to while away the hours with a book or out and about amongst the farmyard animals, dogs, ducks and donkeys...

She tells the story of a pastoral idyll, which is still true and exists today for a new generation of weary adults or adventurous children to delight in nature. Belan Lodge is a true haven of peace, tranquillity and genuine rural charm. The rates are very reasonable, you can stay as a bed & breakfast guest or fend for yourself (always a great option for families) and there is so much to do and see in the area.

For more information visit www.belanlodge.com

Susan Byron author of www.irelands-hidden-gems.com