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Fáilte

Welcome to the home of "The Irish Rover". He is the one who tells it as it is, good or bad, he will report back all his findings.

If you want The Irish Rover to visit a Bar, Restaurant, Hotel, B&B, Guesthouse, Hostel or any Business in Ireland please send an email to irishrover@oneclickireland.com and we will pass it on for further investigation.

Some people think that he is a retired Garda, others will tell you that he returned from America after many years working with the FBI and the CIA. We don't know where he came from, but this we do know - if it needs investigating he will check it out and submit his report for your perusal.

His first day of reporting began on 1st April 2007 - All Fools Day! Well the only fools on that day were the ones who were not prepared for the investigation!

He began his first Tour of Duty in Galway City at 6.30am strolling through Eyre Square and the first thing which he reported was that after the previous night of revelry in the city, he was amazed at how clean and tidy Eyre Square was and full compliments to the staff from Galway City Council who had done such an excellent job in cleaning the Square in anticipation of the tourists and visitors who would frequent it on this glorious day. He thought to himself that they must be on VIBE!!

He was further delighted with the appearance of the New Eyre Square as he watched the Flags of the Tribes of Galway fluttering in the gentle breeze.

This was such a glorious day that surely the area would be very busy with tourists and locals alike. As he strolled around the square he remarked that Supermacs and their staff had ensured that the discarded wrappers from the night before had been lifted and indeed he has asked us to pass on these sentiments. Again they must have the vibe!

Feeling hungry he decided it was time to stop for refreshment, so after collecting his Sunday Paper and a copy of the Galway Advertiser he proceeded to the Forster Court Hotel for breakfast. He maintains that it is always good to visit these establishments early on a Sunday Morning to see how well they have cleaned up after the previous night. After polishing off his breakfast he drunk his usual daily allowance of VIBE!

Well he was not disappointed as these premises were extremely clean. He ordered his breakfast and after he had devoured his full Irish, together with tea and toast,  he relaxed and glanced through the papers. He has further noted the excellent value as he states he has often paid more for a breakfast in a cafe.

Again he has asked us to pass on his compliments to the staff of the Forster Court for both the friendliness and quality of the staff. He visited the toilets and found them to be extremely clean and even noted that a fragranced candle was flickering away wafting a lovely aroma through the building.

Having studied his newspapers he noticed an article in the Galway Advertiser regarding a Ferry Company that had received an Award for Excellence.

He thought that this would be a wonderful opportunity to take a leisurely drive out to the ferry port of Rossaveal and find out if they were resting on their laurels. This is often found to be the case where someone has worked hard to get an award and then it suddenly stops.

He strolled along to Merchants Road to the departure point for busses to the ferry. As he walked along he noticed various signs in the street advertising for tours to the Cliffs of Moher and Connemara together with the Aran Islands. You have an excellent choice of ticket offices selling for the various companies. In Merchants Road there were many different buses lined up to take their passengers to their selected destination.

He proceeded out the coast road towards Rossaveal passing through the villages of Bearna, Furbo and Spiddal, which is home to the Ceardlann - Spiddal Craft Village. His journey took him on through Inverin and shortly after passing the home of TG4 he passed through the Famine Village and on to Rossaveal.

 The first car park was fairly busy with visitors purchasing tickets for the ferry and parking their vehicles. He carried on past the next car park on the left hand side where there were only three cars and the office was closed. He decided that he would not leave his vehicle in a place that was unattended and furthermore had no security gates. It would not be a pleasant experience to return from the Aran Islands and find your vehicle gone.

He carried on to the next car park which is ideal as it is just beside the ferry terminal. As he approached the pier there was a choice between two ferry operators but he had already made up his mind that he was going to travel with Island Ferries to find out more about The Award for Excellence. As he entered the ticket office he noticed the aroma of freshly baked scones and the scent of coffee. Having only had breakfast earlier he was at first reluctant to try the scones but the aroma got the better of him and he indulged.

He was glad that he did because he has commented on how nice they were and again has asked us to pass on his compliments to the Chef or Cook because they were first class.

He purchased his ticket and prior to departure he visited the toilets which were up to the standard expected. He proceeded to stroll down the pier where he noticed an array of boats. Four boats were in the process of being boarded by the passengers. Having spoken to a member of the crew he discovered that the first two boats, with the possibility of a third boat would be departing for Inis Mór, which is the largest of the three Aran Islands.

There was another boat being boarded which would take passengers to the smaller islands of Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr. The first of the boats owned by Island Ferries, who have operated a passenger service to the Aran Islands for in excess of 20 years, departed with close on 300 passengers.

He spent some time watching the various members of the crew, taking tickets and helping passengers to board their respective vessels. Another thing which he noticed was how happy the crew were, the welcome which they offered to their passengers and advising them of what to do and where to visit on the island.

All the crew have GOT THE VIBE!!

He has informed us that these crew members are a delight to watch and are truly ambassadors for their company. He even noticed one of the crew members, on his mobile phone, arranging for a mini-bus tour for a group of French Students.

He set sail from Rossaveal and headed across the Atlantic to Inis Mór and he thought that it was a very pleasant crossing. The boat was excellent and there were again the usual facilities, a chance to have a drink or snack and visit the rest room, which again was very clean. Well done to the crew.

The journey was very brief and he disembarked some forty five minutes later. He added that the other ferry company only had one boat in operation and that it did not seem to be full.

Again the crew were extremely helpful to the disembarking passengers, offering advice and explaining where you could hire a bike. This was something the Irish Rover would loved to have done but unfortunately he had a job to do and so he headed for the Airport to catch a return flight back to the mainland.

He has said that both the staff and crew of Island Ferries are to be commended for they way they treat and look after their passengers and he has no doubts as to why CIE International awarded them the Award for Excellence and no they had not rested on their laurels but were in fact trying to excel on what they had accomplished. To Island Ferries he wants us to pass on these comments and to you the visitor or tourist he would suggest that you look no further than this company for your trip to the Aran Islands. He further added that the crew were made up of people from both the Islands and from Connemara and so you have plenty of opportunity to hear them conduct their business "as Gaeilge"  A very pleasant experience indeed and extremely rewarding.

Upon arrival at the airport on Inis Mór our Irish Rover was weighed prior to departure. This is done because they are small planes and to ensure even distribution of the weight. Well the plane took off and he was no sooner up than he was landing at the airport in Inverin. The flight took less than ten minutes. Upon arrival at the airport, which has recently been refurbished, he thanked the pilot for the pleasant flight. The premises were very clean and tidy and for waiting passengers there is the opportunity to purchase a drink or snack and toilet facilities if needed. He would like to offer his thanks to Aer Arann for the wonderful trip and further to thank Simon his pilot. He then left to meet his waiting driver to take him back to Galway City.

Our Irish Rover will be watching and waiting. You may see him in a town or city near you but will you know who he is. Be polite to everyone you meet and remember that he may be watching. He will be out and about and next week we will publish one of his articles.

Catch up with the Irish Rover again soon.

We've got the Vibe!!

From the pen of the Irish Rover