Originally coming to Tenon Tours in October of 2008 to request information on planning a trip to Ireland Jeanette had no idea that almost 3 and a half years later we’d be featuring her engagement in Ireland on our website.

After spending St. Patrick’s Day in Killarney Jeanette along with her parents, brother, close friend and boyfriend, traveled to Doolin then up to Cleggan in Co. Galway and finally back to Ennis before departing from Shannon airport.

Why did you pick this as your destination?:

Jeanette: We had visited Doolin/Killarney 3 years ago and wanted to go back. We also wanted to see more of Ireland and Cleggan is our kind of town- a small fishing community. We loved it!

Where were the top 3 places to visit on your wish list? Did you make it to them? Did they meet/beat your expectations?:

Jeanette: 
1. Seamus O’Sheas in Killarney
2. Cliffs of Moher
3. Doolin

Yes- they were all great!

What was the best part about your vacation?:

Jeanette: My engagement! Over looking the ocean in Cleggan, Clifden. Very memorable!

Congratulations Jeremy & Jeanette, best of luck on your future marriage!

Join Tenon Tours in Ireland for The Gathering in 2013. Information about events will be posted throughout the year. Please click here to sign up for the newsletter to stay informed about the events as they become available.

The Gathering will be a year-long celebration with special events to showcase all that is great about Ireland – the natural beauty, culture, history and entrepreneurial spirit. (Watch video below)
We’re calling everyone and anyone to join Tenon Tours as we organize our Gathering.  Whether you are from Ireland, have Irish Roots, or just an interest in the Irish culture, heritage or people, our Gathering is an invite to join us and take that tour of Ireland you’ve always dreamed of!  Grab your friends, family, co-workers and community members… join us!

WINTER: During the winter months (November – February) there are fantastic deals on Ireland vacations to be had.  With the exception of the December holidays and New Years, prices at this time of the year are low.  There is very little snow in Ireland, so conditions are generally favorable. Keep in mind, however, that with an average 4:00 pm sunset there is reduced sunlight in the winter for touring.  Even though there are fewer flights and B&Bs operating this time of year, it’s still a great time to plan a last minute getaway.

SPRING & FALL: Spring and Fall (March – May & Sept – Oct) are known as “shoulder” seasons and are great times to travel to Ireland.  With reduced rates and fewer people traveling than in the summer there are often bargains available with the exceptions of the St. Patrick’s Day and Easter holidays. Regarding the weather in Ireland in the Spring and Fall you’ll generally experience average rainfall along with mild temperatures and about 8-10 hours of sunlight.  More B&Bs in Ireland are open at this time of year than in the winter, giving travelers more options.  Plan on booking 2-4 months in advance for spring and fall trips to Ireland.

SUMMER: The summer is the high season for traveling to Ireland.  July and August visitors will enjoy warm temperatures and up to 15 hours of sunlight per day, the best weather in Ireland.  Although prices for flights and accommodations at this time of year are at their highest, flights are much more frequent allowing for greater flexibility in planning.  Because of the large number of people traveling in July and August, those who wish to travel to Ireland in the summer should consider booking 6 to 10 months in advance, especially if you are looking to experience an Ireland castle vacation.

Visit our Weather in Ireland Blog for more information regarding temperatures and what to pack when traveling to Ireland? When do you think is the best time to travel to Ireland?

Irish weather has a bad reputation.  Along the way, someone may have suggested it’s mostly just rainy, foggy and chilly.  Perhaps it was a marketing campaign to get us to invest in a nice Irish sweater?  Well, it’s not ALWAYS raining, besides, without the rain how would Ireland get all of it’s lovely rainbows for the Leprechauns to stash their pots of gold under?

Whatever the case may be, the rumors about the weather in Ireland are a bit off.  Ireland has the most temperate of all the countries in its latitude.  It has neither extreme highs of temperature nor extreme lows.  It is likely you’ll experience rain at some point during your Ireland vacation, however your chances of seeing the beautiful sights in pure sunlight is just as great.  There are times you may even experience all of the seasons in one day from a chilly drizzly morning to a warm sunny afternoon and then a breezy delightful evening.

When is the best weather in Ireland?:  Temperatures will rarely go below 32°F and only occasionally above 68°F – with June, July and August being the warmest months, January and February the coldest.  Extremes are not unknown though.  The summer of 2006 was the hottest on record for ages.  On the other hand rare freezing spells tend to bring the country to a grinding halt and even a sprinkling of snow will make the roads less manageable.

Best Time to Travel to Ireland: When should you plan your trip to Ireland then?  It all depends on your interests.  Irish weather wise, outdoor fun is only for the hardiest from mid-November to February.  Otherwise you could really pick any time to tour Ireland, with substantial savings to be had outside the tourist season.  The tourist season in Ireland generally runs from Easter to the October Bank Holiday, outside these times some attractions as well as accommodations might be closed.  Check carefully when planning your trip to Ireland outside the tourist season (even though the peace
and quiet even at major attractions can be rewarding.)  High Season – July and August are the traditional months for those to take vacations to Ireland and the roads, attractions and accommodations can be crowded.  This would be the only sensible time to enjoy a swim in the ocean.  It can be crowded and the most expensive time to travel to Ireland, but on the other hand seaside towns off-season can be definitely be a bit depressing.  Read more about the seasons and when is the best time to travel to Ireland here.

What to wear on a trip to Ireland:  The secret of coping with the weather in Ireland lies in taking the correct clothing.  You should prepare for moderately mild weather at all time and be able to supplement basic dress with a warm sweater, coat, and/or rainproof top.  A hat/rain jacket is a good idea, an umbrella may not always be the best when it gets windy and you’re strolling in crowds.  Be careful on sunny days especially on the beaches, the breeze can cool you while the sun still burns your skin.  Take sensible footwear, most rural attractions and even some urban areas are best described as “rugged terrain” and the ground is bound to be wet occasionally.  Dress around Ireland and in the pubs is very casual.  See more about pub etiquette in Ireland here and here is our packing list for Ireland here.

Like England’s Rose and Scotland’s thistle, the shamrock is an iconic symbol of Irish heritage and culture.  It appears on the flag of Erin Go Bragh, meaning “Ireland Forever”, was utilized by St. Patrick as a symbol of Irish identity, and can be found on the uniforms of Irish sports teams, and on the tail of the national airline, Aer Lingus.  Any Saint Patrick’s day event anywhere in the world is incomplete without it.  But although the use of the shamrock as Ireland’s national symbol dates back thousands of years, there appears to be a confusion about what constitutes the traditional shamrock; in particular, it appears to often be confused with the flour-leafed clover.

Earlier this month, the campaign to reelect Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States added itself to the list of offenders who had confused these two plants, when it released a series of Irish-themed t-shirts and merchandise ahead of St. Patrick’s day.  The green shirts added an apostrophe to O’bama, but also a four-leaf clover where a traditional shamrock should have resided.  The problem was corrected after the error was pointed out by observant Irish customers.

The word shamrock comes from the Gaelic word Seamrog, meaning “little clover”.  A clover is the commonly used name for any number of plants belonging to the genus Trifolium, meaning “having three leaves.”  Even among botanists, there is some disagreement on what species is the “true” shamrock, but most agree that the White Clover is probably the original shamrock of Irish symbolic heritage.  While trying to convert the Irish into Christians, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity with each leaf representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The three leaves of a shamrock are also said to stand for faith, hope and love.  A fourth leaf is where we get the luck from.  The four-leafed clover, or “lucky clover”, is an uncommon variation of the three-leafed clover, and widely considered to be a symbol of good luck.  Because they are a mutation, they are rare, and not found in the same abundance as the shamrock, and thus, considered lucky.  The traditional Irish symbol of a shamrock does not include the fourth leaf.

Before you venture off for your Shamrock vacations, or stocking up for your St. Patrick’s day celebrations, take a good look at the symbol on your “Kiss Me I’m Irish!” pin.  Does it have four leaves instead of three?  Knowing the difference between a shamrock and a four leaf clover could spare you the uncomfortable experience of having to explain your case of mistaken identity when it comes to the historical and traditional symbol of Ireland.

Many of the members of the Tenon Tours staff behind the scenes don’t get a lot of public attention or praise from our customers, but without them Tenon Tours wouldn’t be the Ireland travel company it is today.  The team voted this month and feel as though our Executive Assistant (/Project Manager/Website Editor/Emerald Isle Classic Guru/Anything we ask her to do) deserves some major attention!  If you’ve never met or worked directly with Hilary Flanagan the following interview will probably have our office lines ringing for a few minutes with this entertaining lady (781-435-0425).  For the thousand joining us for the Emerald Isle Classic this September, you’re in luck- she’ll be one of your hosts!

What attracted you to the travel industry?

Hilary: I did an Ireland study abroad program in the spring of 2008 while at Boston University.  Is it too cliché to admit that I absolutely fell in love?  Our program was based in Dublin, but BU gave us a lot of time to travel so we traveled across most parts of Ireland, including Northern Ireland, London, Oslo, Rome, Barcelona and Paris.  It was during this time that I became aware of the rest of the world.  As Americans, we naturally tend to think of ourselves.  It fascinated me to see what other cultures thought of Americans.  And I, in turn, became fascinated with their lives.  My favorite thing to do while traveling is to just talk to the locals – hear what they have to say, understand their lives, learn their stories.  That’s why I became attracted to the travel industry.  My biggest desire is for other people to experience what I have while traveling – to gain a broader perspective on the world and how you relate to it.

What have you enjoyed most about your job?

Hilary: I really enjoy reading the Tenon Tours reviews from our clients after they come back.  I do a lot of the background work, so I don’t get to talk to most of our clients – it’s so rewarding to hear how much they enjoyed their trip!

Did you ever think that you could make a living having this much fun?

Hilary: Not even close.  I’m so lucky I found Tenon and that they took a chance on me.  The people who work here are just the most amazing group of individuals.  We really are a family and it’s just so fun when we’re all together.  It’s also completely gratifying.  I spend my day helping to plan people’s dream trips – is there anything really better than that?  Well, maybe cheesecake.  And probably world peace.  But dream trips = close third.

Have you ever had the pleasure of assisting with positive life-changing travel?

Hilary: A lot of the groups I’ve had contact with have been exceptionally wonderful people.  I love working with our groups planning family trips to Ireland.  This summer we had a few couples wanting to take their entire families to Ireland.  They renewed their marriage vows and got to travel around the whole country with their family.  They’ve all been so grateful for our help after they return and it makes all the work putting together their trip incredibly gratifying.

Anybody who has dealt with you knows you’re responsible for a wide variety of responsibilities at Tenon Tours. Is there anything you don’t (or won’t) do?!

Hilary: Can I say sales? Haha JK LOLZ SIKE! Except not really… I’m too awkward for sales. I don’t have the soothing O’Mollie voice and I’m not a smooth talker like DMon (another person you want to call the office for).

.

How excited are you to be in Ireland when Notre Dame plays Navy in the Emerald Isle Classic?

Boston’s 4th Annual Irish Pub Challenge is back, and bigger than ever!  This year, we’ve planned for 4000 people in 30 pubs stretching all across Boston.  Best of all, we’ve added the option to create and captain your own team!  Join the best St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl in Boston! #BostonIrishPubChallenge @IrishPubChllnge

In the 2010 romantic comedy Leap Year (one of the movies filmed in Ireland featured in the “Reel” Ireland movie sights tour), Amy Adam’s character Anna sets out on an ill-fated voyage to Dublin to propose to her lead-footed boyfriend, Jeremy.  In the end love prevails, with a different gentleman, but the premise of the film is based on well-known Irish tradition.  Throughout Ireland, and much of Europe, women are allowed to propose to their boyfriend on Leap Day.  Folklore states the man must accept the proposal, or pay a small penalty in the form of money or goods.

Legend has it that in the 5th century St. Brigid of Kildaire brought the matter of sluggish beaus refusing to propose to their sweetheart to St. Patrick.  In an attempt to keep the peace in the war between the sexes, St. Patrick decreed that women were allowed to propose to a suspecting or unsuspecting suitor every four years on Leap Day.  If the man refused, he owed his jilted lover compensation for her broken heart.  Whether this deal is based on historical fact or folklore is a matter of debate.

Another Leap Day legend asserts that in 1288 Queen Margaret of Scotland, who was a mere five-years-old and residing in Norway, decreed that women were allowed to propose to the man of her choice on Leap Day.  If the beau refused, he was ordered by law to rectify the situation by providing his lady love with a silk gown, a pair of gloves, money or a kiss.

The superstitions surrounding the power of Leap Day spread throughout the rest Europe, and the world.  In Denmark, if a man refuses a proposal on February 24, or bissextile Leap Day, he is ordered to provide the rejected woman with 12 pairs of gloves.  Tradition holds that a declined Leap Day proposal in Finland is worthy of enough fabric to create a skirt.  The Greeks have a much different view Leap Day’s romantic powers and the date is actually considered unlucky.  Supposedly only 20% of betrothed couples planning to marry will say their “I dos” during Leap Year.

As the legend of Leap Day took shape in the 18th and 19th century, balls and dances were held throughout Ireland, and the rest of Europe, with the intent of allowing women to ask their secret crush to dance, and propose marriage.  Contemporary Americans put their own twist on this Irish tradition by throwing Sadie Hawkins dances on Leap Day.  Purists celebrate Sadie Hawkins day in November, as she was first introduced by Al Capp in the comic Li’l Abner on November 15, 1937.
.
.

Have your own favorite travel quotes? Submit it to travel@tenontours.com and we’ll add it to our collection!