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The Broad Majestic ShannonAt 344km in length, the River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland and one of the finest in Europe. Winding

through an area of outstanding natural beauty, this unspoiled waterway flows from the Shannon Pot on the

slopes of the Cuilcagh Mountains in County Cavan to Loop Head in County Clare, where it meets the

Atlantic. Rich in glorious scenery, filled with prolific wildlife, and dotted with pretty villages, the Shannon

Erne Waterway is the longest navigable waterway in Europe, and is a paradise for nature lovers, boating

enthusiasts and those who prefer the quiet life.

An Island PeopleIsolated and remote, Ireland's islands resound with mythical beauty and are excellent hideaways for those after

a vacation away from it all. There's no feeling quite like standing on an Irish island. Gazing out at the Atlantic

blueness, sensing the salt on your tongue and the sea breeze on your cheeks, a visit to these outposts is an

enlivening experience, and a brisk detox from the stresses of modern-day living.

Wild, rugged and beautiful, Ireland's islands have captured the imagination for thousands of years. Prehistoric

settlers, early Christian monks, Vikings, pirates, farmers and fishermen have all put down roots here, building

communities that today are unique to each island. Though remote, these islands are more accessible than you

may think, some can be driven onto via a bridge and many others are within a 20-minute ferry crossing!

GUINNESS ARTHUR’SDAYSeptember 22, 2011

Arthur’s Day returns on the 22nd

September for another round of headline

concerts and intimate gigs along with a

couple of pints of the black stuff.

Established in 2009 during the 250-year

anniversary, Arthur’s Day is a celebration

to celebrate the life and legacy of Arthur

Guinness and the much-loved Guinness

beer which Arthur brought to the world.

Look out for big names and smaller

bands as Arthur’s Day heads into its third

year and join the worldwide toast to

Arthur at 17.59.

WWW.GUINNESS.COM

THE 2011 SOLHEIM CUPSept. 23 - Sept. 25, 2011

The Solheim Cup is often referred to as the

Ladies’ equivalent of the Ryder Cup. It fol-

lows the same three-day format; eight four-

somes and eight four-ball matches, climax-

ing in an exciting 12 singles matches on

the final day. The cream of women’s golf

will be in Meath for the event. The 12-

strong European team is captained by leg-

endary British golfer Alison Nicholas, who

will choose four of her players. The top

four players on the Ladies European Tour

automatically qualify along with the next

four tour players on the Rolex Rankings.

The USA team is captained by Rosie Jones,

who chooses two of her players, with 10

qualifying based on their ranking points.

Killeen Castle is situated in a 600-acre

estate close to the picturesque village of

Dunsany in County Meath. The area also

hosts some of the country’s most spectacu-

lar historic landmarks, including the

UNESCO World Heritage Site Newgrange

and the Hill of Tara.

WWW.SOLHEIMCUP.COM

Shannonbridge, Co. Offaly

Inis Meain on the Aran Islands, Co. Galway

30

DUBLIN CULTURE NIGHTSeptember 23, 2011

Come and enjoy a late FREE night of

culture for all the family! For one night

only the city’s museums, galleries,

churches, historic houses, artists studios,

cultural centres and more, will open their

doors late for a free night of entertain-

ment, discovery and adventure.

Hundreds of talks, tours, performances

and events for you, your family and

friends to participate in and enjoy. Join

the thousands who will be staying up

late for culture! On Friday September

23rd locals and visitors across the island

of Ireland will enjoy the unique experi-

ence of Culture Night, a free night of

entertainment, discovery and adventure

taking place in a record 28 towns, cities,

counties and islands in Ireland.

Museums, galleries, churches, historic

houses, artists’ studios and cultural cen-

tres will open their doors late into the

evening welcoming people of all ages to

taste and sample their cultural delights

for free on the evening. Bring the chil-

dren, catch up with friends, meet new

people, participate, interact and experi-

ence the exhilaration of free entry, live

performances, workshops, tours, talks,

drama, dance and a whole range of

other creative activities for free! Culture

Night brings together a very unique and

diverse audience who all share a desire

to explore and enjoy culture. Last year

Dublin saw over 150,000 people in the

City of Dublin for Culture Night and this

year thousands more are expected to

descend on Culture Night with people

travelling from far and wide to experi-

ence the excitement in their preferred

area. And remember, everything that’s

open on Culture Night will be there when

you visit the next time, and the next time...

so why not make a habit of it!

WWW.CULTURENIGHT.IE

A Truly Emerald IsleWith its rolling green hills, forests, lakelands and glens, Ireland is rightly famed as The

Emerald Isle but it is also home to strikingly beautiful gardens made more enthralling by

the rich and varied history and heritage associated with their creation. With gothic revival

houses, formal 17th-century gardens, landscaped parks, rustic wilderness gardens, cottage gardens, botanical

gardens and arboreta, a visit to Ireland's houses and gardens is a visual bonanza for those with even a passing

interest in gardening!

Located just 12 miles from Dublin city center, Powerscourt House and Gardens is one of Europe's great

treasures. Formal tree plantations frame the vista from the house, with a walled garden, fish pond, cascades,

grottos and terraces to the south, all linked by carefully designed walks set in the striking surroundings of the

Wicklow mountains

Tullynally Gardens in Co. Westmeath are on a magnificent scale, with terraced lawns surrounding the cas-

tle that overlooks the grand 18th Century parkland. Its walled gardens have extensive flower borders and an

avenue of majestic 200-year-old Irish yews.

Located in the sheltered harbor of Glengarriff in Bantry Bay, Garinish is a small island known to horticul-

turists and lovers of trees and shrubs all around the world as an island garden of rare beauty. Mount Stewart

in County Down boasts subtle beauty, with history and political reverence in every room. Outside, the beguil-

ing gardens are generally acknowledged as one of the great horticultural collections in Western Europe.

Seventy-eight acres comprising of formal areas, terracing and a water garden.

Powerscourt House and Gardens, Co. Wicklow

Keeping TraditionsTwo of the most enduring and internationally famed traditions are Irish traditional music, and Irish dancing.

Traditional music can be heard all over the country from city center pubs to rural festivals. The bodhrán, which

is like a hand-held drum, is one of the most popular instruments in Irish music, along with the fiddle and the

tin whistle.

Irish dancing is fiercely competitive and taken very seriously with provincial, national and international

championships. If you want to have a go yourself, catch a céili, where everyone joins in together.

From the 17th century on, a string of Irish literary geniuses have come from Ireland. Jonathan Swift and

Oliver Goldsmith shone through and led the way for such greats as Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, C S Lewis and

Brendan Behan. Ireland is bursting at the seams with literary giants old and new. Patrick Kavanagh is one

Ireland's most famous authors, and his great works of literature. Raglan Road, The Great Hunger and Tarry

Flynn are celebrated with the annual Patrick Kavanagh Poetry weekend in Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan from 30

September to 2nd October.

Dubliner Roddy Doyle and Kerryman John B Keane are internationally feted for their evocative portraits of

their hometowns, while the renown of Northern authors and writers, such as Seamus Heaney from County

Derry, and Brian Friel from Tyrone, resonates far beyond Irish shores.

Today Dublin basks in its glory being designated the fourth UNESCO City of Literature, a wonderful acco-

lade that celebrates its unparalleled literary past and vibrant contemporary literary scene.

32

THE BELFAST FESTIVALAT QUEENSOctober 14 - October 30, 2011

Ireland’s largest arts festival gets under-

way in 36 venues across Belfast, includ-

ing Ulster Hall, The Waterfront, Grand

Opera House and The Great Hall at

Queens. As the festival has grown in

size down the years, this year promises

to be the biggest yet with an expected

50,000 visitors enjoying some of the

performances which include Paul Brady,

the National Theatre of Scotland and

the Royal National Theatre.

WWW.BELFASTFESTIVAL.COM

Literary Dublin Belfast Festival at Queens

Eating and DrinkingIndulge your senses on the lush pastures of the island of Ireland

where abundant appeitties are welcomed with local produce

from land and sea. You won't travel far on the island without

discovering a feast of world-class produce. With producers pas-

sionate about their artisan food, delightful country houses,

award-winning chefs, cozy pubs and the landscape itself, Ireland

is truly a food island!

Embracing Ireland's food culture is easy. Venture out after

breakfast - think Norah Brown's Bushmills oatmeal from Grange

Lodge in County Tyrone or organic scrambled egg and smoked

salmon from Number 31 in Dublin City. A visit at lunch to

Cork's English Market to sample Kay O'Connell's pristine fish, or Bay Lough Cheese from On The Pig's Back, And if you are feeling like a challenge

a Cookery School - where some of the best are located in Ireland - from Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork or Belle Isle Cookery School

in County Fermanagh - whichever school you go to, you will learn cookery skills for life!

The pub lies at the heart of cultural, social and musical life in Ireland. The pub is not just a place to have a drink. In an Irish pub you can phi-

losophize on the meaning of life, ruminate on global politics, listen to a poetry reading, tap your feet to a traditional session, feast on a delicious

bowl of mussels or just enjoy the quiet settling of a pint of Guinness in front of a crackling fire.

Discover Your RootsFind your family roots, meet relatives you didn't know you

had and be open to go where Ireland takes you. Each county

in Ireland has a genealogy center waiting for you to discover

ancestors and experience the country that they called home.

Take in the Ulster American Folk Park or Dunbrody Famine

Ship and enjoy a vacation of personal discovery.

Throughout the 18th Century, faced with high rents, low

wages and religious oppression, the Scots Irish, or Ulster Scots

as they are also known, emigrated from Ulster and went in

particularly high numbers to colonial America. The impact

made by the Scots Irish immigrants upon their new homeland

was great, with no less than 14 of the US Presidents of Scots

Irish descent, as were many of the signatories on the

American Declaration of Independence. So take a step in your

ancestor's shoes and retrace the footsteps of your ancestors -

you won't be disappointed and you never know who you

might meet!

33

Dunbrody Famine Ship,New Ross, Co. Wexford

The English Market in Cork City

34

THE T ITANICAs the centenary anniversary of the

launch of the RMS Titanic approaches,

there are many events and celebra-

tions taking place in Belfast and across

Northern Ireland to commemorate this

bittersweet occasion. There are a

range of walking tours relating to the

RMS Titanic which take visitors on a

journey through Belfast city sites con-

nected to the Titanic story. From the

Harland and Wolff Headquarters,

where the ship was built, to Thomas

Andrews, the man behind the creation

of this famous ship, every facet of the

ship's history is discovered on these

tours. Belfast Splash Tours are also a

fun way to explore the historic city of

Belfast so don’t hesitate to venture into

the Titanic shipyards aboard the

famous amphibious Splash Craft.

A special event happening at the

moment is the Belfast Bred Tour. This is

a walking tour with a twist. On this

tour, you will discover the city's fasci-

nating culinary history in the company

of Barney, a chef from the RMS Titanic

- and sample some great Belfast food

along the way.

WWW.THE-TITANIC.COM

The Titanic Clock Tower, Belfast

A Titanic AdventureIt took just two years for the Titanic to grow from a pile of girders and rivets at Belfast's harbor to the loom-

ing structure visible from anywhere in the city. With the sound of hammering rivets and clanging steel echo-

ing around the streets, and the thousands of locals marching to work in the shipyard each morning, you could

say the city grew around the ship as much as the ship grew up there.

Belfast was once the greatest ship building port in the world, it built the largest man-made structure ever

moved, and made a ship of dreams a reality. When the Titanic slid from its slipway into the chilly waters of

Belfast Lough, it's fair to imagine that the pride of a city soared with it.

April 12th 2012 marks the centenary of the Titanic's first maiden voyage and to celebrate, the Ulster Folk and

Transport Museum in Ballycultra, Co. Down is showing the TITANIC a Exhibition. This exhibit allows you

to step back in time and uncover life in Belfast from 100 years ago. The innovative Titanic trail links the world-

class Titanic exhibition in the Transport Museum to the outdoor Folk Museum recreating people's daily rou-

tines, activities and stories in the age of Titanic. Stroll through Ballycultra Town and experience the adventure

that takes you from the shipyard worker's home, to the carpenter's workshop, to Kelly's Coal Yard at Belfast

Lough. Visit the Post Office to buy souvenir telegrams or pop into the printers for a Titanic ticket and news-

paper of the time. Watch Titanic movies in the Silent Cinema or dress up in period costume as you get your

picture taken in the surroundings of Titanic.

The story of the Titanic is etched, hammered and carved into the city of Belfast. Though the ship left almost

one hundred years ago, visitors will find portholes of this history around each corner, whether it's the White

Star drawing rooms, a Titanic-inspired mural, or the Samson and Goliath cranes of the shipyard itself.

In a city full of stories, the Titanic can be the first page from which you explore Belfast.

Let Belfast share what it knows. A tour of the ship itself is a bit beyond their remit, but the Titanic Boat Tour

does sail the city's Titanic sites, including the shipyard, slipway and harbor. A guided tour by a relative of a

Titanic engineer who was lost on the ship is another experience guaranteed to bring the story alive.

35

WEXFORD FEST IVALOPERAOct. 21 - Nov. 5, 2011

One of the world’s most important

Opera festivals promising a special

experience of rarely programmed and

neglected Opera in Wexford’s stunning

Opera House. Daytime concerts,

recitals, lectures and a lively fringe festi-

val, as well as the chance to dress up in

style for the main performances.

WWW.WEXFORDOPERA.COM

APPALACHIAN ANDBLUEGRASS FEST IVALSept. 2 - Sept. 4, 2011

Now in its 20th year, this festival at the

Ulster American Folk Park in Co. Tyrone

features performances from some of the

biggest names in bluegrass music, both

international and home grown, in a

unique open-air setting.

WWW.NMNI.COM

The Titanic Pump House at night