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IRELAND: Cliffs of Moher | ISRAEL: shalomjourneys.com | NEW ZEALAND: Hobbit Tour I R E L A N D
Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience Celebrates First Birthday
A civic reception was held today at the Cliffs of Moher and guests were welcomed by the Mayor of Clare, Councillor Patricia McCarthy. Mayor McCarthy stated in her address that �the location of a flagship visitor destination with state of the art facilities and customer care here at the Cliffs of Moher will help ensure that County Clare maximises opportunity within the tourism economy in a challenging economic environment and wins the hearts of more international and domestic visitors each year. As an additional benefit for the local economy the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience provides direct employment for over 100 people.� Highlights of the past year have included the live broadcast to over 6 million US breakfast TV viewers of NBC�s The Today Show in May when presenter Matt Lauer featured the Cliffs of Moher as a destination in the hugely popular �Where in the World is Matt Lauer?� travel feature. Aer Lingus US reservations reported their busiest day EVER following the live broadcast from the Cliffs on Tuesday, 1st March. In October royalty descended when King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium concluded their state visit to Ireland with a trip to the Cliffs of Moher. Their majesties were so impressed with the iconic venue that their scheduled stop of 45 minutes extended in almost two hours before they headed back to Belgium via Shannon Airport. Katherine Webster, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, looks back on the last year with pride �It�s been a fantastic first year for us here at the Cliffs � we�ve seen our way through the controversies and come out the other side smiling. The response of visitors on the ground has been overwhelmingly positive and we are looking forward to the second and many more years ahead.� In November a dispute between coach operators and Clare County Council over admission and parking charges at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience was resolved. Today the centre is celebrating one year of successful operation with over 950,000 visitors from all over the globe in the past twelve months. 17 years in the making, the ambitious project was directed toward an overall enhanced visitor experience at one of Europe�s busiest tourist attractions, attracting more than a million visitors in 2006. The "Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience" project includes a state-of-the-art underground visitor centre building and substantial cliff edge improvement works. See www.cliffsofmoher.ie for more info, pics and more. TRAVELLING TO IRELANDFlying to Shannon:Shannon Airport offers the easiest access to the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs of Moher are approximately 1 hours drive from Shannon Airport. Direct (charter) flights to Shannon are available from major European airports, and selected American and Canadian airports ( www.shannonairport.com, www.aerlingus.com, www.ryanair.com) Directions from Shannon AirportTake the N18 to Ennis. From Ennis take the N85 to Ennistymon where you turn left onto the N67(signposted Lahinch). In Lahinch turn right onto the R478 and continue on to the Cliffs of Moher passing through the village of Liscannor and St. Brigid�s Well. Journey time - From Shannon approx 1 hour. Flying to Dublin:Media flying to Dublin can either take an onward flight to Shannon Airport (www.shannonairport.com, www.aerlingus.com) or may travel by train from Dublin Heuston Station to Ennis (www.irishrail.ie) or alternatively by coach from Dublin Bus Station (Bus�ras) to Ennis (www.buseireann.ie). Car rental is also available in the arrivals hall in Dublin airport. Directions from Dublin Airport.From the Airport take the M1 and then the M50 South Bound and from the city take the N11 to the M50. On the M50 exit at Junction 9, continue to the Red Cow Roundabout, taking the 3rd exit onto the N7, signposted The South (N7, N8, N9). Continue forward to join the Motorway M7, signposted Limerick, Cork. At junction 9 take the right hand lanes to continue forward on the N7. Continue on the N7 to Limerick. From Limerick take the N18 to Ennis. From Ennis take the N85 to Ennistymon where you turn left onto the N67 (signposted Lahinch). In Lahinch turn right onto the R478 and continue on to the Cliffs of Moher passing through the village of Liscannor and St. Brigid�s Well. Journey time
From Dublin to Limerick approx 2 hours 15 minutes. Directions From Galway/Ballyvaughan/Lisdoonvarna:Leave Galway in the direction of Limerick (N18). Continue on to Kilcolgan. In Kilcolgan turn right onto the N67 (signposted Ballyvaughan). Continue on until Lisdoonvarna. Turn right onto the R478 signposted for the Cliffs of Moher. The road will follow the coastline and climb a steep hill before curving sharply to the right. The Cliffs of Moher are on the right hand (sea side) of the road but cars should turn in to the visitor centre carpark on the left hand side. Journey time
CLIFFS OF MOHER FACTSThe Cliffs of Moher, located in the west of Ireland, stretch for 8km and rise up to 214 metres above the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is currently seeking World Heritage Site designation for the cliffs. O�Brien�s Tower is a round stone tower at the approximate midpoint of the cliffs. It was built by Sir Cornellius O�Brien, a descendant of Ireland�s High King Brian Boru, in 1835, as an observation tower for the hundreds of tourists that frequented the cliffs even at that date There are many animals living on the cliffs, most of them birds: 30,000 birds of 29 species. The most interesting are the famous Atlantic Puffins, which live in large colonies at isolated parts of the cliffs and on the small Goat Island. Also present are hawks, gulls, guillemots, shags ravens and choughs.
The Cliffs of Moher are: CONTACT:
Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience
I S R A E L
www.shalomjourneys.com Now Offer The Holy Land Tour To Israel
The trip �The Holy Land Tour to Israel� normally is for eight days that starts on every Tuesday. Extension can be considered for the Holy Land Tour, along with accommodation and sources. Shalom Journeys Inc. arranges this trip for both the individuals and groups. The Holy Land Tour to Israel, & The Footsteps of our LORD are two Christian trips provided by Shalom Journeys. The trip �The Holy Land Tour to Israel� normally is for eight days that starts on Tuesdays, while trip �The Footsteps of our LORD� is weekly and the journey is for nine days starting on Sundays. With Shalom, your eyes would get the feast of the past of Israel and your heart would get the joy. For people interested in spirituality, it would be a great occasion, as they would not enjoy the sightseeing but also the grace of the Lord. The program of the Holy Land to Israel is given ahead to the travelers so that they would be well prepared for the excitement. Shalom Journeys Inc. sends its representatives both at your arrival and departure. You would be given transportation from airport to the hotel in Tel Aviv and from hotel in Jerusalem to airport. Entrance fees on touring days, hotel taxes and service charges are borne by Shalom Journeys Inc. You would get a private motor coach along with the services of an English-speaking guide who has a license. The charges of the porter at airports and hotels would also be borne by us along with the portfolio of travel documents. The main highlights and facilities of this trip are the provision of the cable car to the top of Mount Massada, and the entry to the Dead Sea. There are certain provisions, which you should take care of, on your own. The package does not include the airfare from your destination; however, that would be provided only on request. The departure taxes, fuel surcharges and Travel insurance also would not be included in the package. You may give gratuity to guide, drivers, maids, waiters and porters on your own wish; however, Shalom Journeys Inc. does not bear it. Visit this web site for more information on �IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR LORD�: http://www.shalomjourneys.com/index.php?url=the-footsteps-of-jesus-226.html CONTACT:
Shalom Journey's Inc.
N E W Z E A L A N D
Rings Scenic Tours: Hobbiton Movie Set & Farm Tours
The farm was perfect. The large established pine tree, later to become known as the "party tree'' was already perfectly placed in front of the lake. The surrounding rolling farmland was untouched by the 20th century clutter such as roads, buildings or powerlines. Site construction started in March 1999. Initially this involved heavy earthmoving machinery provided by the New Zealand Army. Total site construction took nine months. Throughout construction and filming all activity on the site was kept under strict security due to commercial restraints by the movie company. Filming commenced in December 1999 and continued for three months. At its peak 400 people were working on site, including director Peter Jackson, Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen), Frodo (Elijah Wood), Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) and Sam (Sean Astin). The Alexander family has lived on the 500 hectare property since 1978. The land supports a thriving sheep and beef cattle business. The Alexander farm runs 100 beef cattle and more than 12,000 of New Zealand�s famous sheep on the lush, rolling hills. DAILY TOURS AVAILABLETours of the Hobbiton village movie set are available in Matamata, New Zealand. Visitors can see the remnants of the original Hobbiton village set from The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. The remnants of the LOTR movie set are on picturesque private farmland near Matamata in the North Island of New Zealand. There are spectacular views across to the Kaimai Ranges from the rolling green hills of the farm, which is a working sheep and beef unit. There are spectacular views across to the Kaimai Ranges from the rolling green hills of the farm, which is a working sheep and beef unit. The Hobbiton movie set has been returned to its natural state. However, hobbit holes and some structures from the film set are still present. Your tour guide will escort you through the 10-acre site, recounting fascinating details of how the Hobbiton set was created. Tours of the Hobbiton movie set depart at 9.30am, 10.45am, 12pm, 1.15pm, 2.30pm and 3.45pm each day. Over summer we also offer twilight tours leaving at 5pm. Bookings are recommended. CONTACT:
For bookings and prices contact:
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o. Clare Friday 8th February 2008: The mighty Cliffs of Moher are over 320 million years old but the new visitor centre at the Cliffs of Moher today celebrated their first birthday. One year ago today the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience was officially opened by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, to a fanfare of publicity.
From Galway approx 1 hour 35 minutes.
halom Journeys Inc., a premier Israel tour operator in North America fulfils your interest of checking out new destinations at Israel since 1989, now offers The Holy Land Tour to Israel, the land of milk and honey.
n September 1998 Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema discovered the Alexander family farm during an aerial search for suitable film sites. The fantastic views and rolling country side of the Alexander farm closely resembled that of Middle Earth as described by The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien.
