It is amazing the difference I see in the nmbers of tourists to Dublin this summer. It seems so many people have come over this year and not just Americans. We play watch the tourist at lunchtime and try to guess nationalities...my worse half (after a few pints) went up to talk in German to a couple as he thought they had German accents only to find they were Norwegian...very funny to see the confusion on their faces when he is speaking German to them.

Its good to see things are getting back to normal...just one favour though, get outta my way from 1-2pm I can't get to the friggin shop, chemist or cafe without a hoard of people procrastinating over what they want (roll eyes here) Ok I know its not you all just the tour do my head in as I work beside a tourist site.

If you get approached by a 6 foot Irish guy speaking to you in German with a woman running in the opposite laughing/mortified direction go while you can!

Keep coming back!

yes, I've noticed the same thing. I walk past a few hotels every day on my way to & from work, and there are a lot more tourists around and lots of coaches arriving at the hotel to pick them up in the mornings. It's great to see.

There's only one American tourist I wish wasn't coming to Ireland this summer!

I know the feeling. Going to be a bit hairy in the Shannon Friday. If I lived there I would take a holiday. Seems that the airport staff and building around it don't bothing going out to lunch in the area as its too much hassle to leave.

I am serious though If I get stuck behind another tour group while I am rushing to Work/Lunch/ or the bus I'm going to scream.

Oh yeah, to all of you travelling at that time stay away from the Shannon airport area and Dromolond Castle there is security everywhere and you will be stoopped. Just go out of the area asap to make it easier.

I hope you didn't mean me! We won't be visiting Dublin, flying into Shannon and heading west.

Can't wait!

Don't mean my Fodors pals...all of you are independent well adjusted travellers...I mean cranky bus tours with people that can barely walk off who complain about stuff loud enough for me to hear walking by.

To be honest I am quite surprised some of these people are travelling as it seems a handful are not really mobile or fit for a lot of walking but pushing themselves all the same.

I got cut off by a lady with one of those things that looks like a zimmer frame with wheels and a brake. She was pushing past everyone it was hilarious.

Leona - if you are in SHannon Fri/Sat it will be maxed with security. Get the car and get out of the area it will be a pain in the neck.

If I didn't know better I'd swear that you Irish potatoes are not happy unless you have something to whine about!

Thank you, Siobhan, for your advice, but we will be traveling in August.

What's going on this week in Shannon?

Leona - George Bush is arriving!!

OH, sorry,

I can't be bothered to keep up with his schedule...we're just happy when he leaves OUR country!

Siobhan & Cailin:

It's interesting to hear that you are seeing tourism increase in Dublin again. I guess that's bad news for us tourists because it probably means travel deals will begin to diminish. We had noticed in the last two years how few buses there were in the west also. The normally jam packed RoK wasn't bad at all in May 03. I guess that is probably changing too.

This year, we were in SW England and Wales and were surprised at the almost total lack of American tourists. Once we left London, we noticed only four "families" 2.5 weeks that were from the States and at least two of them were visiting relatives. One woman, who had just come over from Ireland had said that Americans seemed to be everywhere there. I would have expected less American tourism in that part of the UK, but was surprised at how little there was.

Finally, thanks for all the great local advice you have passed on in this forum. It's so nice to have locals that are so helpful.

Bill

siobhan and cailin
hubby and I and 2 others will arrive in Dublin next Wed, so happy to hear the tourists are in full throttle, ugh. We'll be leaving out of Shannon airport and staying in Dromoland Castle, when is our "dear President" leaving? I, too, have not kept up with his comings and goings! Looking forward to my first visit to your country!

I see there are loons from the left in other countries too.

jbmonts - he'll be well gone by the time you arrive! I believe he's arriving tomorrow and leaving either Saturday or Sunday.

Wow Dromoland should be spotless when you get there after the prez visit. Nice one.

Don't worry bill I don't see prices rising for tours as they do not want to put people off coming either. They do know tourism is suffering and we depend upon it. There are a lot of Mid week deals on Hotels in the country so check these out when travelling i.e. 2 night for one midweek or maybe a dinner included. It does not mean they will change much but they are trying to encourage deals etc in the hote/restaurant business and travel overall. I haven't seen any increases in tour costs etc. The rest costs the same as we who live here pay.

TopMan - I just get frustrated when people stop in mobs on Narrow footpaths and I can't move and it makes me late for work . I am cranky in the mornings!

SiobhanP - Let's hope you don't ever have to use a walker when you are disabled or get old. Of course, since fair is fair, you would never leave the house since it might upset a few impatient youngsters doing errands.

And you smug little potatoeheads should be glad a strong world leader is coming to visit you.

And don't bitch about the very people that feed your economy. Without tourists you would be hurting. Go home from the pubs a little earlier so you can get up in time to make it to work in the morning. (cute litle smileyface goes here)

And remember that Leona doesn't speak for the majority of Americans who are proud of Bush's resolve to fight global terror.

"And you smug little potatoeheads should be glad a strong world leader is coming to visit you.

And don't bitch about the very people that feed your economy. Without tourists you would be hurting. Go home from the pubs a little earlier so you can get up in time to make it to work in the morning. (cute litle smileyface goes here)"

woah!!! steady on!

re: Bush's visit - I don't want to get into an argument...BUT Bush's visit is costing us a lot of taxpayers money - closing off a large section of Co. Clare, interviewing all the locals and enquiring into their political and moral beliefs and noting car registration plates, deploying 4000 gardai and 1500 troops. We are supposed to be a neutral country, yet our government has let the US use Shannon as a stopover since the start of the war.

re: getting out of bed in time for work in the morning - stop generalising. We are NOT all alcoholics who don't turn up to work until 11am every day. I very rarely drink on a week night (unless it's a special occasion) and I am ALWAYS at work on time as are all my colleagues!

"potatoeheads" - ah, alumnus of the Dan Quayle College of Remedial Studies, I see. Excellent. Grand.



Breathe, Chat, breathe... you can do it...

Can't we all just get along?

So what am I, an American living in Ireland? Do I qualify as a potato(/e)head?

I used to work in Old Town Alexandria, and the tourists would drive me mad at lunchtime. But it's the tractors that like to drive on the main road to Belfast at 8 a.m. that really annoy me. Luckily, most Americans understand nothing about Northern Ireland, so we just don't get that many tourists. The ones that do come here don't interfere with daily life, except when the tour buses block Great Victoria Street in front of the Europa at rush hour every morning.

Most people are in my office at 8 a.m.

And, I am thoroughly ashamed of Mr. Bush.

<Luckily, most Americans understand nothing about Northern Ireland, so we just don't get that many tourists>

Have they finally stopped killing each other up there?

I'm half Irish and know a little about
pubs and drinking, and drinking and drinking. Same goes for bitching about little crap and always having to blame somebody else for your troubles.

And trying to be neutral in the global war on terror is just plain stupid.

The Irish must be getting soft. Wasn't so long ago that you couldn't have a good gunfight anyway around the world without hitting a couple.