Sir, – We are a family of expats living in Geneva and have just returned from our annual three weeks in Ireland. Reading this paper, and in particular the Letters page, it is easy to become bleak and depressed about the Irish situation, so I thought I would remind readers that Ireland still has lots to feel good about and to promote.
The Irish welcome remains undiminished and we had countless examples of helpful and humorous individuals, from the lovely bus-driver in Dublin who called out our stop to the smiling cashier in the supermarket in Clifden who asked me every day how our holiday was going.
The countryside is still breathtakingly beautiful and unspoiled. We spent one week in Connemara and it remains wild and spectacular, with world-class beaches, the most gorgeous carpets of wild flowers and randomly grazing herds of ponies (perhaps placed there by Bord Fáilte?). Likewise, we spent a few days in west Cork, which is lush and green and must be one of the most interesting coastlines in the world.
Food has improved in Ireland over the past decade and one benefit of the recession is that prices have come down. We ate wonderful local produce and saw lots of examples of entrepreneurship, from little stands on the roadside selling eggs and potatoes to farmers markets with stalls offering jams and breads and cheeses. We also saw local produce for sale in large supermarkets, which must be applauded and supported.
The wetsuit has revolutionised the Irish beach. We could have body-surfed, kite-surfed, kayaked, mountain-biked and ridden on the beaches, if we had wished. These are great developments in such a wet and cool climate. We also took a boat tour of marine wildlife in Baltimore which was eye-opening.
Visitors still love a good “seisun” and fortunately lots of pubs know this, with Clifden and other towns featuring traditional music every night.
On the negative side, local authorities should do a better job of providing bins on beaches. It is disappointing to see rubbish left behind.
While motorways have improved travel times, it means that historic sights along the way are not evident. There are signs on the motorway indicating the sights at the next exit, but there is no distance. You don’t know if a sight is five minutes or 50 from an exit. Why not indicate on signs how far away a particular sight is?
I also wonder where are the Indian, Chinese and Arab tourists? Switzerland is a big and growing destination for those tour groups in the summer and there is no reason why they wouldn’t also visit Ireland. The cool, wet summer should be a perfect draw for Arabs escaping the heat.
While Ireland has undeniable economic challenges, it has some unique attributes to show off to the world and in particular the new tourists from the emerging hot-climate markets.
So there is something to be cheerful about! – Yours, etc,