Travel guide ditches the blarney for the boozer

WHETHER it’s discovering a traditional music seisiún in “an old traditional boozer” or touring West Belfast’s divided neighbourhoods with a “wise-cracking” driver of a black taxi, the new Discover Ireland guide by Lonely Planet still finds much to favour in an Irish tourist industry in the doldrums.

It’s a message which chimes well with those promoting Irish tourism.

Chief executive of Tourism Ireland Niall Gibbons said “the various experiences mentioned in the new Lonely Planet Discover Ireland guidebook reflect Tourism Ireland’s promotion of the island of Ireland around the globe.”