Darby's Destinations
  • Home
  • About Darby
    • Testimonials
    • Travel Gallery
  • Work with Darby
  • Extraordinary Trips
    • Authentic Italy
    • Europe
    • Hawaiian Islands
    • River Cruises >
      • AMA Waterways River Cruises
  • Travel Planning
    • Darby's Destinations Travel Talks
    • The World's Top Wine Destinations
  • Contact Us
    • International Destinations Open to Travelers from the United States
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Blog

The Irish Storyteller

7/7/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
​The stories, history, and folklore bring so much magic to a tour of Ireland.   I went on a tour of Ireland last you, and our guide was Mickey Nolan.  Mickey has been a tour guide been with Celtic Tours since 1988,and he was full of stories about everything Ireland; to the history and fun facts of the country today.
The stories, history, and folklore bring so much magic to a tour of Ireland.   I went on a tour of Ireland last you, and our guide was Mickey Nolan.  Mickey has been a tour guide been with Celtic Tours since 1988,and he was full of stories about everything Ireland; to the history and fun facts of the country today.
  
In Ireland, the accents are very strong depending on where you are in the country.  Even Mickey, who is from Dublin said there were some places it was hard for him to understand the dialect.  The country of Ireland is the size of North Carolina with a population of over six million people with a majority living in the county of Dublin.  The homeownership in Ireland is high at approximately 82%.  The one interesting story Mickey shared with us about homeowners is the water bills in Ireland are similar to taxes and are very high.  Many people in the country do not pay their water bills for years and years, and the counties had done nothing about it until recently.  Since fifty percent of Irish household do not pay their water bill and never have, the county is trying to pass laws to make people pay.  The Irish water commissions do not turn off the household's water either.  It has become a hot topic in Ireland over the last year.  

They drive on the left side of the road (more about the history of driving on the left in another blog), and unlike the US, there are seat belt laws on all buses.  The driver is responsible for all of the passengers.  The company tracks all of the buses, and after a certain amount of time, it alerts the driver to take a break.  The tracking systems only allow the driver to drive so many days per week to be driving the truck. At any time the police can board the bus and see if everyone has their seatbelt on and check the driver’s log.  There are stringent rules in Ireland with coaches to keep everyone safe.
  
The Euro is the currency in Ireland.  Mickey shared with us a simple way to quickly know which Euro is the 1 and 2 Euro coin since all of the coins are similar. If the coin has silver, it is the Euro coin.  The one Euro coin has a silver centerpiece, and the 2 Euro coin has the silver circumference.  He also offered a tip to make it easier in a shop – If you are in the shop, hold out your hand to let the shopkeeper take the coins as needed for the sale if you are unsure.  The shop keepers will happily help you with this.  Though Mickey pointed out to not do this with the beggars, since that may evoke a different reaction, then you may want.  

In the next blog, Mickey shares more stories about the political system in Ireland along with highway art and where did driving on the left side of the road come from.

Share the knowledge

 
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Darby Savasta

    Extraordinary trips for exceptional travelers, where the details make all the difference

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    January 2019
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    October 2015

    RSS Feed

​Darby’s Destinations LLC, an independent Affiliate of Departure Lounge LLC, a Virtuoso® Member, located at PO Box #26545, Austin, Texas 78755.  While our clients have had great experiences with the travel suppliers featured on this website, Darby’s Destinations is not an employee, agent, or representative of these suppliers and, therefore, cannot make any promises regarding the service clients will receive with a particular supplier.  Before booking a trip, clients are responsible for reviewing the services offered by the supplier, along with any terms, conditions, and exclusions​.
Picture
Proud Member of the Virtuoso® Network
Managed by Voyager Websites
  • Home
  • About Darby
    • Testimonials
    • Travel Gallery
  • Work with Darby
  • Extraordinary Trips
    • Authentic Italy
    • Europe
    • Hawaiian Islands
    • River Cruises >
      • AMA Waterways River Cruises
  • Travel Planning
    • Darby's Destinations Travel Talks
    • The World's Top Wine Destinations
  • Contact Us
    • International Destinations Open to Travelers from the United States
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Blog