What do you look for when you go on holiday? Friendly people who will give you a really warm welcome? Miles and miles of uncrowded roads through an endless variety of magnificent scenery? Or just a lazy time relaxing at the seaside? So asked Bord Fáilte Eireann in its 1965 Irish Holidays catalogue before advising that our horses, beaches, castles and ruins; golfing, fishing, eating and drinking; music, sport, culture and people make Ireland the perfect holiday island.
Bord Fáilte Eireann was established in the 1950s to develop and promote tourism in the Republic of Ireland and over the following decades produced many colourful brochures aimed at both the overseas and home markets. Brian McMahon of Brand New Retro has extracted some guidance from a selection (1950s – 1980s) and hopes they might help you plan and enjoy your 2021 summer holiday. Best read while listening to a red headed woman playing a harp…
Comparatively small and compact, Ireland is easily visited in all its varied regions. No point in the island is more than 70 miles from the sea.
Getting around in Ireland is the easiest thing in the world. Over 2,000 miles of well-surfaced uncrowded roads will take you from end to end of the country without ever meeting a traffic jam.
If you prefer to relax and leave the driving to somebody else CIE, the national transport company, offers an extensive programme of all-inclusive coach tours.
Safe swimming and enjoyable sunbathing help you make the best of our renowned good weather in the Sunny South East.
The past is everywhere about you. As you drive along the speedy, uncluttered roads, an ancient outline rears itself against the sky, tempting you to turn aside. Every turn of the road will bring you something new: a sculptured masterpiece, a thousand years old.
Friendliness to the stranger is an important tradition. You’ll find people always have time to exchange a smile and a joke with you, whether you’re buying flowers at a street-stall, enjoying a creamy pint of stout in a convivial pub, or taking a ride in a horse-drawn jaunting car.
The fishing is possibly the best in Europe – for salmon, trout, large pike and other varieties.
The horse is king in Ireland and much of the social and sporting life revolves around racing show jumping and hunting.
Rivers and lakes are everywhere, and so intricate is the western seaboard that it is often difficult to distinguish sea and lake.
The Shannon is the longest river and its lakelands are becoming renowned among the inland waterways of Europe. Recent industrialisation has been carefully planned to retain the unspoilt nature of the landscape.
Words: Brian McMahon
