Tag: Ireland

These Are The Top Attractions In Ireland For 2023 According To The Irish
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Ireland has long been one of the most popular European destinations for Americans. It is well-connected and relatively close. Flights from the East Coast of the U.S. are just over 6 hours.

Recently, Ireland was voted the best European destination for the 9^th year in a row. The Irish culture is welcoming, the landscapes are breathtaking, and there is plenty to do and see throughout the country.

Each year, one of Ireland’s leading newspapers, the Independent.ie, asks readers to weigh in on their favorites across a range of domestic and international categories. Readers choose their favorite Irish beaches, hotels, and overseas destinations.

This year they also asked Irish readers to determine the top visitor attractions for 2023. Here are the top 6 visitor attractions in Ireland, according to Irish readers:

6. Birr Castle, County Offaly

The gorgeous Birr Castle is about a 2-hour drive west of Dublin. While the castle is still a private family home and closed to visitors except during seasonal guided tours, its extensive, well-maintained 120-acre grounds are enough to keep visitors busy for hours. Birr Castle has been owned and occupied by the same family for over 400 years.

During the 19th century, the castle grew as a center of science and was home to the largest telescope in the world for over 70 years. The telescope is still on display at the castle, and the grounds continue to be a site for scientific learning and exploration.

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5. Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin

Kilmainham Gaol is Dublin’s most notorious jail and is one of the city’s most well-known landmarks. Built in 1796, it functioned as a jail for over 100 years. The site was witness to some of the most historic events in Irish history, including the execution of 14 leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising and the fight for Irish independence.

The Gaol was closed in 1924 but was opened as a museum in 1966 by then President Éamon de Valera, who had been imprisoned in the Gaol decades earlier.

4. Kilkenny Castle

Located a little over an hour from Dublin, the vibrant town of Kilkenny is worth a visit. The Kilkenny Castle is located in the city center, was built in 1195, and was in use for over 800 years. The castle and grounds have been beautifully restored to reflect its aesthetic during Victorian times. Visitors can explore the extensive 50-acre grounds, including the formal garden, through a trail network.

3. Waterford Greenway

The Waterford Greenway is one of Ireland’s newest attractions. Opened in 2017, the 28-mile car-free path connects Waterford City with the town of Dungarvan. Visitors can rent bikes and cycle the entire route or visit sections of the path.

The scenic route takes visitors along former railroad tracks, along River Suir, over bridges, and through tunnels before ending at Waterford’s beautiful beaches. The path is chock full of Irish history and passes medieval ruins, Viking sites, and Norman castles.

2. Guinness Storehouse, Dublin

Guinness is the most iconic beverage in Ireland, and the Guinness Storehouse is Ireland’s most visited attraction. In 2019 they welcomed 1.7 million visitors to the site of the original brewery that was opened in 1759.

While it is sold all over the world, it tastes better in its native land, and there is nowhere better to enjoy a pint and learn the storied history of the beer than at the Guinness Storehouse. The Storehouse is part museum, part interactive experience, and ends with a refreshing drink on the top floor, complete with views of Dublin.

1. Cliffs of Moher, County Clare

The rugged seaside cliffs seen on every Irish postcard are truly a sight to be seen. The stunning Cliffs of Moher are worth the hype. Located on Ireland’s West Coast along the Wild Atlantic Way in County Clare, The Cliffs of Moher welcome over 1.6 million guests each year.

Visitors can walk along the cliffside path while taking in the sights before checking out the informative visitors center that is built into the nearby hillside. Tourists looking for a different perspective can take a boat tour of the cliffs from the nearby town of Doolin.

What Other Attractions Made The List?

Other top attractions that were included in the Independent’s Readers Travel Awards include:
- Titanic, Belfast
- Tayto Park, County Meath
- Newgrange, County Meath
- Bunratty Castle, County Clare
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January 25, 2023
Germany And Ireland Preparing To Reintroduce Mandatory Masks This Fall

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With a new wave of Covid on the horizon, a number of countries are preparing to bring back dreaded pandemic mandates once more, including hugely popular tourist destinations like Germany and Ireland. In these European nations, mandatory mask usage may again be enforced starting this fall, should infection trends continue rising.

Even though a majority of countries are now open with no travel restrictions, Germany and Ireland included, we admit we may have jumped the gun in affirming the world is ready to treat Covid as endemic. If Germany’s recent back and forth with restrictions are any indication, travelers will face a high degree of unpredictability moving forward.

Even when their final destination has already dropped all pandemic rules, preservation of personal freedoms is no longer guaranteed:

Germany Planning To Make Masks Compulsory Again In Indoor Settings From October

Having backtracked twice on their reopening plans ahead of finally dropping all entry rules in early June, Germany is again discussing proposals to tighten mandates. This time, it’s masks that may be making a comeback after the summer travel season ends, according to local news outlet Die Welt.

It seems the German Government is seriously considering issuing a mask mandate in all public spaces starting this fall, when Covid infections have a potential to rise due to increased social mixing in poorly-ventilated enclosed areas. Confirming the proposal is being actively debated, Die Welt even dubbed it the ‘O-bis-O’ scheme.

‘O-bis-O’ stands for ‘Oktober bis Ostern’, translated into English as ‘From October to March’. While no official measures have yet been announced, this would mean visitors would be required to wear face masks in a majority of settings, including bars, restaurants and shops, throughout the whole winter season.

Unarguably the EU’s leading nation, Germany’s change in approach could have reverberations across the entire continent, which has been enjoying far greater freedoms lately. Its current lax health measures, enshrined into the Infection Protection Act, are set to expire in September, adding further weight to these findings.

So far, the German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has not commented on an eventual return of mandatory masks in October, though his latest recommendations seem to point to a strengthening of the rules. Despite conceding the current data ‘does not justify making mas use a legal requirement’ right now, Lauterbach stood firmly in his recommendations that the public must adhere to masks.

He has urged visitors to keep their face coverings, as Germany already reaches 35% of its previous peak of infections. Unfortunately, the numbers are set to rise even further, as reported by Reuters. Up until this point, Germany has not communicated any changes to its mask policies or border measures affecting travelers, but that may change with no warning.

Ireland Could Be Following Suit

Proving Germany’s initiative is already having a ripple effect on Europe, Ireland is mulling a new mask mandate to be reinstated in the event of a ‘possible emergency in winter’. As the Irish Times announced, the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will be drafting a new law imposing mandatory mask-wearing across the country.

Earlier this year, as Ireland moved away from pandemic conservatism and fully reopened, all legislation concerning mask usage had been allowed to expire. The decision could be overturned soon, as Government sources confirm the intention is to ‘draft legislation that could be passed quickly’ if the need arises.

Infections in Ireland are nowhere nearly as pronounced as Germany’s, but we all have seen, time and again, how volatile pandemic trends can be, and how fast the virus can disseminate once a new variant stars seeding. As new sub-lineages of Covid are identified, Ireland is reporting the highest daily case count since January.

Ireland’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has directly linked the viral rebound to the spread of two of Omicron’s most infectious offspring, the BA. 4 and BA. 5 sub-variants. In recent data, the HPSC has confirmed 77 per cent of cases detected in the seven days leading up to June 18 were caused by either BA. 4 or BA. 5.

As things stand, visiting Ireland today looks a lot like being a tourist in 2019. Whether it’s pub crawling or chasing the country’s world-renowned natural landmarks along its rugged Western Coast, visitors are not expected to present vaccine passes or wear masks. Based on the information gathered here, this could change once summer is over.

Is France Next In Line?

Elsewhere in Europe, countries that stood among the first to drop the mask rule are now reconsidering their liberal stance. That is the case with France, whose Prime Minister is strongly recommending mask usage despite the country lifting the mandate just over a month ago. Essentially, what started as a promising Covid-free summer is slowly turning into a new nightmare.

Coupled with the latest spate of flight cancellations, the ups and downs of Covid continue posing big challenges to travelers this year. Due to the uncertainty relating to the ever-changing mandates, we strongly encourage you to get insured ahead of flying – that way, you will be covered for cancelled trips regardless of Germany’s, or Ireland’s, or France’s unpredictable moves.

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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories

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July 1, 2022
Americans Visiting Ireland This Summer Risk Facing Severe Travel Disruption

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Covid may have subsided, but traveling Europe in the upcoming months will not come without its own subset of challenges. In fact, Americans visiting Ireland this summer now risk facing severe travel disruption, as the nation’s busiest international airport in Dublin tries to strike a delicate balance between higher travel demand and staff shortages.

After two years of unusually quiet departure lounges, the pandemic’s long-term impacts on the travel industry are only now being felt. Although London Heathrow and Toronto Pearson International also reported delays, proving Dublin Airport is not alone, it’s the latter that took the brunt of it, as more than 1,000 passengers have missed their flights in a single day.

Here is how it all went down:

How Bad Is The Situation At Dublin Airport?

After Covid, travelers have begun to turn up at the airport earlier than usual – sometimes many hours in advance – to ensure they will board their flights on time. While long lines had been a common sight at Dublin Airport over the weekend, it was yesterday, on May 30, that the situation turned truly dire, as even early showers were not guaranteed boarding.

Since Friday, there have been numerous reports on news outlets, and social media, of people who missed their flights despite arriving to Dublin Airport 3 to 4 hours in advance. The Irish Times tells of a family who showed up early at the airport at 7:58 am for a 10:45 am flight, but after two hours in line had only gotten as far as the front door of the terminal.

Customer Rebeca Boughton said ‘no information was provided to passengers queuing outside the terminal building’, and people started pushing through trying to make their flights in time. Most of the time, to no avail. Once she made it inside, Mrs Boughton learned that the check-in desk was already closed and her flight delayed until noon.

Dublin Airport Descends Into Chaos

Another couple from County Kerry, in the southwest of Ireland, also got the airport ‘several hours in advance‘ and still missed their 7:45 am flight to Italy: ‘we arrived at the closing gate at 7:40 am, and our plane was outside, but they wouldn’t let us through the gates’. According to the interviewee, they were among 36 passengers that were not allowed to board.

The person added they ‘pleaded’ at the gate to be let in, and then peeked out the window to see airport staff removing cases from the plane. Even after arguing and despite passengers being visibly distressed, it was ‘no good’ as they were still barred from boarding. The passenger has deemed the situation a ‘bad advertisement for Ireland‘.

An American family has also had had their plans ruined amid the chaos, spending over 11 hours at the airport on Sunday. Bonnie Radintz, who voiced her family’s grievances, detailed they had already missed a flight earlier that day, despite showing up on time, and were forced to walk 4 km in Terminal 2 in lengthy passenger lines with no end in sight.

Mrs Radintz, who was flying home to Minneapolis that day, said her family received ‘no water, vouchers or any form of communication’ regarding their new (delayed) flight. Interestingly, other passengers waiting outside the terminals to get in also complained of a ‘lack of communication from airport authorities’.

What Is Behind The Crisis?

According to the DAA, which stands for Dublin Airport Authority, the recent chaos at the airport can be blamed on a number of factors, ranging from a shortage of staff and unexpected absences yesterday, to several passengers turning up early. As reported by RTE, more than 1,000 people missed their flights following Sunday’s disruptions.

Other reports note that 1,000 airport workers have left their jobs since September 2020, after the DAA offered staff ‘voluntary severance’ due to the low travel demand at the time, including 248 security screening workers. The move has led to shortages in the Republic of Ireland’s two biggest airports, Dublin and Cork.

As Kevin Cullinane, a spokesperson for the DAA noted, Dublin Airport ‘clearly didn’t have enough security lanes open due to resourcing challenges’. He added that, due to staff constraints, any absence can critically impact the airport’s ability to operate lanes, as became evident on Sunday.

Airport Authorities Had No Clue About The Scale Of The Problem Until It Was Too Late

Even though there was trouble brewing as early as Saturday, airport authorities did not become aware of the scale of the problem until it was too late. Cullinane shared ‘the challenges the airport faced began at about 4:30 local time on Sunday’, and despite their best efforts to balance an increase in passengers and fewer staff, the system was ‘overwhelmed’.

What’s worse: this might not be a one-off, with Cullinane tellings RTE the airport is operating on ‘very fine margins’ and ‘running to the max’ of available staff. This means Americans flying to Ireland this summer are very likely to experience travel disruption in some level, such as excessively long wait lines, delays or cancellations.

Although more travel woes were already expected in Europe this summer, as a majority of airports in the continent are battling shortages, Dublin Airport’s recent fiasco proves how quickly, and unexpectedly, the situation can deteriorate even further. After having let thousands of passengers down, Dublin Airport expects an extra 370 officers to be hired by July.

Eddie Wilson, CEO at Ryanair, Ieland’s low-cost carrier, has urged the government to deploy the army to airports. Wilson believes one of the biggest issues at the airport today is that aspiring workers need to be security cleared before they can assume their posts. As he argues, army officers already have security clearance and could help ease the pressure.

What Is The Risk Of Experiencing Travel Disruption When Visiting Ireland?

With several American carriers announcing new flights to Ireland this summer, in response to a growing demand for overseas travel, there is always a risk your flight could be delayed, or even cancelled, taking into account Dublin Airport’s current resources, which are limited. Unfortunately, there is no way of predicting which flights will be axed and which will not.

Ireland may be open for all Americans, irrespective of vaccination status and with no testing or quarantine in place, but this does not mean travelers should not be prepared for their plans to change, or completely scrap the Covid-era contingency measures. Now, it’s cancelled flights they need to worry about, and they will become more and more frequent as summer approaches.

With that in mind, we recommend you to always purchase travel insurance covering cancellation costs before flying, in order to be better prepared when faced with adverse events. Additionally, travelers are now advised to exercise increased caution when visiting Europe due to the new monkeypox outbreaks in several parts of the continent, including Ireland.

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↓ Join the community ↓

The Travel Off Path Community FB group has all the latest reopening news, conversations, and Q&A’s happening daily!

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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories

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June 1, 2022