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Abbey Tours,
City Gate,
22 Bridge Street Lower,
Dublin 8.
Tel: +353 1 648 6100
Fax: +353 648 6109
Email: info@abbey.ie
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Welcome to the July Edition of Ireland News |
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Launch of new Abbey Tours Online Booking Service
Abbey Tours launched its new Online Trade to Trade Booking Service in March. There are over 250 hotels throughout Ireland to choose from, from basic well priced budget accommodation to 2, 3, 4 and 5 star hotels. We are also offering a wide range of Fly-Drive Package Tours, Escorted Coach Tours, Rail Tours, Transfers & a host of sightseeing options. For further information e mail: individualtravel@abbey.ie or to register log onto:www.abbeytoursireland.com and follow the registration process.
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Abbey Tours acquires Ireland Inbound
Abbey Tours recently bought the Dublin based destination management company Ireland Inbound. This is the second acquisition by the company within the last year, and follows the purchase of O’Mara Travel in March 2007. Abbey Tours Chairman Brian McColgan stated, ''We are very pleased to acquire the business of Ireland Inbound, a company which has traded successfully in our sector for many years and has achieved a well deserved reputation for providing top quality service. We will continue to develop the relationships with Ireland Inbound’s client base and in the process bring some added value and new product offerings. The acquisition of Ireland Inbound will present us with further opportunities to grow the international markets, and bring additional visitors to Ireland.'
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New 5* development in Donegal
Located on the shores of Lough Eske, just outside Donegal Town, Solís Lough Eske Castle is a lavishly renovated and extended historic castle dating back to the 1400’s. Opened in December 2007 and set amidst 43 acres of unspoiled forest woodland this property is within easy access of beautiful beaches and scenic coastline where some of the best surfing in the world can be found. Featuring 96 guest rooms, a stunning spa, and over 600 sq. meters of event space offering a variety of choices of indoor and outdoor venues this is an ideal property for business meetings, small conferences and non price conscious leisure groups.
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125 Bedroom Hotel & Resort for Enniskillen
Opened in September 2007, Lough Erne Golf Resort & Spa, is a period-style resort set in stunning landscape. It includes 125 bedrooms, conference facilities for 450, plus 25 lodges designed with towers to reflect the medieval architecture of monastic buildings found in Fermanagh and is next door to Castle Hume Golf Club, an 18-hole championship course. The resort’s own Nick Faldo championship golf course is due to open mid 2009.
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Sheraton opens in Athlone
A dramatic, contemporary 12 storey building, the Sheraton Athlone Hotel is now open as one of the tallest landmarks in the Midlands and is set right in the commercial heart of Athlone. This elegant, sophisticated hotel with a contemporary theme, comprises 167 deluxe and executive bedrooms. For the sporty types, or those looking for a relaxing treat, there is a luxurious leisure centre and Sirana, a gorgeous contemporary urban spa. The Sheraton Athlone Hotel is the second Sheraton for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Ireland. In May 2006 the Sheraton Fota Island Hotel & Spa opened in Cork, joining the Westin Dublin property which opened in 2001.
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Castle Kilronan - New Luxury Property in Roscommon
Surrounded by over forty acres of breathtaking scenery, Castle Kilronan is the ancestral home of the Tenison family and the legendary Colonel King Tenison. It is one of a few Irish estates that can trace its history back to royal families. The luxury 5 star property comprises 84 unique bedrooms and suites, together with World Class Spa and Leisure facilities and a Championship Golf Course designed by Nick Faldo. Located 45 minutes from Sligo Airport, one hour from Knock International Airport and two hours from Dublin, Kilronan Castle is the ideal base from which to explore the vibrant cities of Sligo and Galway and Ireland's rugged West Coast.
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Burlington Hotel Reopens
A landmark hotel which has held a special place in the heart of Dublin since 1972, the Burlington Hotel, re-opened in April under the ownership of the new Great Southern hotel group. With 500 bedrooms and suites, a conference centre for up to 1,300 guests and 18 meeting rooms the Burlington caters for Leisure Groups, FIT Business and Conference/Corporate Events. The ground floor has been totally renovated
in an elegant modern style. The Burlington is a popular meeting place for Dubliners and is a hsort 10 minute walk form the heart of Dublin City.
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Titanic’s Dock & Pump-House-Belfast
Situated in the heart of the Belfast docklands, once the biggest and most famous ship-building city in the world, the Titanic Dock & Pump-house is the only original part of the ships legacy that is currently open to the public for tours. The tour will give visitors an in-depth understanding of the story of the dock, the people who worked here and discover how such amazing ships were built in a city with no steel. Special access is given to the Pump-House to view an interactive audio visual display.
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Ballynahinch Castle Hotel Opts for Eco-Tourism
Ballynahinch Castle Hotel, Connemara, Co Galway, has over the past 14 months, undergone extensive renovations. €1.5 million has been invested in upgrading the rooms and services of the house and with the recent installation of solar panels and bio-mass boilers, Ballynahinch is now carbon neutral in the provision of hot water and heating, this hotel, which is a member of the Manor House Hotels of Ireland, is inviting guests to become involved by offering the opportunity to purchase a tree and thereby invest in the future of the landscape and do their bit for the environment.
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Crumlin Road Gaol Tours, Belfast
Guided tours of one of Belfast’s most distinctive and notorious buildings, Crumlin Road Gaol, will commence on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 13 June 2008 to 12 September 2008. The Crumlin Road Gaol is of international significance as an early example of an innovative approach to prison planning and organisation. It is a Grade A listed building in view of its historic and architectural importance, the layout was based on Pentonville Prison in London. This, in turn, was influenced by the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, USA, the first to be laid out on the radial cellular system. The wings are three or four stories in height and contain 640 cells open to view from the central inspection hall. Tours will be conducted by qualified Blue Badge guides and will last approximately one hour.
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Dublin Convention Bureau joins Dublin Tourism
The integration of the Dulin Convention Bureau into the Dublin Tourism was recently announced. Following a detailed study of the growing ‘promotable business tourism market’, the Boards of DCB and Dublin Tourism agreed that the optimum strategy for boosting Dublin’s annual business tourism revenue to €800m over the next five years is to integrate the Dublin Convention Bureau into the Dublin Tourism organisation with effect from 1st June 2008. The chief executive of DCB Jean Evans and her staff will join Dublin Tourism where they will continue to promote Dublin as a venue for business tourism with additional resources provided by the Regional Tourism Authority. This will enable DCB to intensify its activities in overseas markets.
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