Editor of travel2ireland Joan Scales, was a guest on Destination Anywhere, a travel show hosted by Aileen Eglington on SouthDublinFM. Every week Aileen talks to people from the travel industry about holidays, news, features and ideas for travel.
Destination Anywhere – Travel News About Ireland
On Destination Anywhere, this week Joan talked about the opening last week of two new hotels, the Dean in Galway and the Samuel in Dublin. The Dean Galway is part of the Press Up Entertainment Group and there are Dean hotels in Dublin and Cork. The Dean is noted for its cutting-edge style and will be destination hotel in Galway. It also has Sophie’s Rooftop restaurant and bar, Elephant and Castle restaurant and a Dime café.
The Samuel Hotel named for the writer Samuel Beckett is located near the bridge by the same name in Dublin. It was developed by the Ronan Group Real Estate and will be managed by Dalata Hotels. Though in the heart of the financial centre of Dublin, the Samuel will also cater for leisure travel. The hotel has some fine big family rooms, sleeping up to six, for trips to the city.
Five Stars for Grand Central Hotel, Belfast
Joan talked about the upgrading of the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast to a five-star property. The tallest hotel in Ireland deserves this award and is a very comfortable and stylish addition to Belfast. Prices in Belfast for this five-star are very good value. A comparison of prices showed a Friday night stay in May from €225 compared to Dublin from €369.
Staying with Northern Ireland, Joan described a recent hike to the Cuilcagh Mountain in Co. Fermanagh. This boardwalk across the biggest blanket bog in the north is known as the Stairway to Heaven and an incredible walk with amazing views.
Kilkenny Home of the Cats
On a recent visit to Kilkenny Joan spent a day spotting cats – the Kilkenny Cats art trail. Twenty-one 1-metre high cats were painted by various artists and placed around the city. The cats have now been sold at a charity auction to support the Kilkenny Civic Trust. Some of the cats will remain in situ for the future.
Boyne Valley – Ireland’s Valley of the Kings
The conversation then moved on the Boyne Valley and the great places to see covering thousands of years of history. This is one of the richest archaeological areas of the country and has some beautiful towns and villages to explore, not to mention fine sandy beaches. Listen in to hear more about what Joan and Aileen talked about. Tune in to the podcast of Destination Anywhere, here.