Incantato Concert Tours presents "The Greeley Chorale" at Waterford's Theatre Royal: "Danny Boy"

The Greeley Chorale at Theatre Royal in Waterford

The Greeley Chorale in Ulster Hall

The Greeley Chorale along with the Donaghadee Male Voice Choir had an amazing joint concert at the beautiful Ulster Hall in Dublin, Northern Ireland. The hall was about 75% capacity with an estimated 600 - 700 in attendance. The concert ended with the Chorale and Choir singing "This Land Is Your Land" together, which led to a standing ovation.

Greeley Chorale rehearsal at Ulster Hall

Incantato Tours proudly presents: Travelers from the Greeley Chorale and Donaghadee Male Voice Choir at Belfast's Parliament Building

Remember the Incantato Facebook Page

Dear Friends and Family of the Greeley Chorale travelers, 
If you are eager for updates and pictures from the Performance Tour 2013 trough Ireland, remember that the Incantato Concert Tours Facebook page will be continually updated with pictures and information from the tour. We are awaiting pictures from dinner at the Parliament any minute now. 

The Greeley Chorale Landed Safely In Dublin

After the long overnight flight, The Greeley Chorale arrived safely at the Dublin airport this morning.  They have stopped for a quick lunch, and then will be continuing their drive to Belfast.

Welcome to Ireland dear Members of the Greeley Chorale

We wish the Greeley Chorale a smooth and safe journey to Ireland

While some of you had to get up really early, the good news is that both flights are still shown as "on schedule" and the Incantato Team will keep monitoring them carefully as you journey from Denver to Dublin. Have a pleasant journey!

The Irish and their food

When asked about Irish food, almost every response will include two things – Irish Stew and Corned Beef with Cabbage. And almost every visitor to Ireland is surprised to find that neither is featured all that commonly on restaurant menus!

In fact, corned beef is not traditionally Irish at all – but Bacon and Cabbage is. This is also true for Irish stew, which has been recognized as the national dish for at least two centuries. A poem from the early 1800s praised Irish stew for satisfying the hunger of anyone who ate it:

"Then hurrah for an Irish Stew 
That will stick to your belly like glue."

That isn't to say that such dishes are no longer eaten, they are, but they are homely dishes, served to family, rather than ones which would be chosen on an evening out. And so their appearance on a restaurant menu is a rarity.

Most traditional Irish foods use simple, basic and fresh ingredients. Many have been given a modern twist by a new generation of chefs or incorporated into dishes that better suit the tastes of a more widely travelled population.

Irish traditional cuisine is a peasant cuisine and food in a poor household is never wasted. There is nothing that illustrates this so well as the pig. Few ordinary Irish households in the past would have eaten beef – this was a food for the rich – but many kept a pig and it is said that they ate every part of it except for the grunt. Crubeens or pig trotters, tripe (pigs stomach) and drisheen (a blood sausage) were all popular dishes and are still eaten in parts of the country, notably Cork. 

Irish people are still extremely fond of their fried breakfast, which always includes pork sausages, bacon rashers and black pudding (another type of blood sausage).
In addition to that, breakfast is rather elaborate and typically includes orange juice, porridge, cereals, eggs, the traditional soda brown bread, toast, as well as tea.

 

When talking about Irish food, it is impossible to go without mentioning the potato. They are eaten boiled, mashed, fried, chipped and baked, mixed with cabbage or scallions to make colcannon or champ, made into potato cakes and used to top pies and thicken soups or stews.
It’s common to find potatoes cooked two ways on the same dinner plate. It’s not all about dinner either. The food that Irish people miss most when they are overseas is Tayto, an Irish brand of potato crisps. Irish people are very fussy about their potatoes. Typically a supermarket will stock at least 5 or 6 different varieties, often many more, with the varieties changing depending on the season and each suited to a particular method of cooking.

Of all foods, the humble spud is certainly the most traditional. The Irish may not be dependent on them in the way they were in the past but there are a lot of Irish people for whom a dinner without potatoes is not a dinner at all.

Incantato Sightseeing Highlight: The Ring of Kerry

   

The Ring of Kerry (the correct term is Iveragh Peninsula - the Irish call it Mórchuaird Chiarra) is a famous tourist trail in the county of Kerry (South-Western Ireland). It is known for its spectacular beauty and besides hiking you can play golf, do water sports or go fishing or riding. It is also one of Ireland's most visited attractions besides Dublin. 

The route covers the 179 km (111 miles) circular road, starting  from Killarney, heading around the Iveragh Peninsula and passing through Kenmare, Sneem, Waterville, Cahersiveen and Killorglin.
Popular points include Muckross House (near Killarney), Staigue Stone Fort and Derrynane House.

Just South of Killarney there are Ross Castle, Lough Leane and Ladies View (a panoramic viewpoint), all located within Killarney National Park, those are major attractions located along the Ring.
What a lot of people do not know is that the Ring of Kerry has some of Europe's finest beaches.
Here you can find a wonderful video about the Ring of Kerry.
Pictures are taken from: http://www.ringofkerrytourism.com/

Some insights about the National Holiday in Ireland on the 3rd of June, 2013

When you are visiting Ireland you will experience a national holiday, the so-called June Bank Holiday. This national holiday (Irish: Lá Saoire i mí Mheitheamh) is celebrated in Ireland every year on the first Monday of June.
But what do the people do on the June Bank Holiday? The answer is simple: The people take time to enjoy the spring weather to attend local cultural and sporting events. We all know there are not that many sunny days in Ireland (no wonder why the landscape is so green) during the year so it is no surprise they celebrate a spring weather day and enjoy the great outdoors.
Especially in June Ireland's weather is often mild and pleasant. Hence, many people spend time outside over the June Holiday weekend. Popular activities and events include:

• Picnics and barbecues
• Open-air concerts of traditional or modern music
• Family camping, walking or sailing weekends
• Arts, cultural and musical festivals around the country
• Marathons and other sporting events
• Agricultural and garden shows
• Other people use the June Holiday weekend take a short early summer break or vacation in Ireland or abroad

Public life is generally quiet on the first Monday of June. Banks, post offices and many businesses and organizations are closed. However, stores and pubs are generally open, although they may open later and close earlier than usual.

But where has this holiday its origin? The day after Pentecost was traditionally a holiday known as Pentecost Monday or Whit Monday. This enabled people to attend extra church services and organize local fairs and cultural events. Pentecost Monday became a public holiday following the Bank Holidays Act 1871. Following the Holidays (Employees) Act 1973, this holiday was moved to the First Monday of June. The new date was first observed in 1974.

(Picture and information are taken from http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/ireland/june-bank-holiday)

Welcome to Dublin!

Dublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool".
It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. Originally founded as a Viking settlement, it evolved into the Kingdom of Dublin and became the island's primary city following the Norman invasion.

Today, it is ranked 23rd in the Global Financial Centres Index, has one of the fastest growing populations of any European capital city, and is as a global city, with a ranking of Alpha - which places Dublin amongst the top 25 cities in the world. Dublin is a historical and contemporary cultural centre for the island of Ireland as well as a modern centre of education, the arts, administrative function, economy and industry

Fun Pub Concert for the Greeley Chorale on Thursday, June 6, at "Molly Darcys Traditional Irish Pub & Restaurant" in Killarney

On Thursday, June 6, The Greeley Chorale is going to give a pub concert prior to the resident band taking the stage at 08:00 pm at the award winning Molly Darcy's Traditional Irish Pub & Restaurant.
It is known to be the perfect location for a taste of Kerry with wooden floors, stonewalls, beamed ceilings and open fires. This very traditional Irish pub and restaurant enjoys a privileged location on the edge of Killarney's world-renowned National Park.

Those are just some of the awards the pub won during the last few years:

• Black and White Irish Pub of the Year 
• Kerry Pub of the Year 
• Traditional Irish Music Pub of the Year
• Dining Pub of the Year
• RAC Award for Dining Excellence
• AA Award for Culinary Excellence

Molly Darcy’s Pub & Restaurant offers traditional Irish dishes, made from supplied locally products, such as seafood chowder, kerry lamb stew (which is suppose to be one of the best stews in Kerry) and of course bacon and cabbage. Bar food is served all day until 10:00 pm.

You can find the famous pub also on facebook.

Extension Tour: Your last hotel in beautiful Ireland - the Clarion Hotel in Limerick, Wednesday June 12th to Thursday June 13th, 2013

The Clarion Hotel in Limerick, which was voted in 2012 as one of the Top 10 Best Family Friendly Hotels by Primary Times Readers, enjoys a city center location overlooking the Shannon River within the heart of Limerick City. It is just a 2 minutes walk to the famous O'Connell Street and a 6 minutes walk to Colbert bus and train station. The hotel is also a short walk away from the Thomond Park, home of Munster Rugby. Click here to view a Thomond Park Map.

All of the guest rooms are decorated with décor designed to create a relaxed atmosphere of modern luxury and sophistication. They feature a full-range of luxury amenities and the latest in technology, including flat-screen LCD TVs and high speed internet access, as well as 24-hour room service, tea and coffee making facilities, high performance hairdryer, iron and ironing board and a safety deposit box.

The Clarion Hotel offers three different restaurants -  Sinergie Restaurant (opening times 06:00 pm to 09:30 pm Friday and Saturday - here you can check out its well-known wine list); Kudos Bar, which serves oriental food straight from the wok with exotic flavors and spices and Savour Lounge, which offers coffee, tea and pastries in a relaxing environment.

The SanoVitae Health and Fitness Club at the Clarion Hotel offers a fully equipped gym including treadmills, bikes and cross trainers, a heated indoor swimming pool overlooking the Shannon River, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi.

Extension Tour: Your home away from home the Maldron Hotel in Galway, Monday June 10th to Wednesday June 12th, 2013

The Maldron Hotel is one of the best-known hotels in Galway with over 15 years of professional experience. All the bedrooms offer hairdryer, iron and board with trousers press, satellite TV, tea and coffee making facilities, shower over bath and a complimentary wi-fi internet access.

The hotel is centrally located and only a few minutes away from:
Oranmore (5 minutes walk)
Galway city (10 minutes drive)

The Maldron Hotel has several dining options such as the Stir Restaurant which is known as one of the finest restaurants in Galway. It is a lively, modern restaurant with striking decor, warm atmosphere, friendly service and of course good food. The menus also include seafood and vegetarian dishes.

Here are the meal times:

• Breakfast: buffet style, served from 7:30 am to 10:00 am throughout the week and until 11:00 am on Saturday and Sunday
• Lunch: carvery style lunch and sandwich bar open 7 days, 12:30 pm to 02:30 pm Monday to Friday and 01:00 pm to 03:00 pm Saturday and Sunday
• Dinner: Friday and Saturday 06:00 pm to 09:00 pm for the remainder of the week, dinner will be served in Q bar and cafe

The Q Bar with its contemporary design and relaxed atmosphere offers a wide range of dishes also special gluten free and coeliac meals. Bar food menu is available from 02:30 pm to 09:00 pm daily and dinner from 06:00 pm to 09:00 pm.

In your leisure time you can also enjoy the 20m swimming pool with permanent swim lanes, aerobic studio with over 40 cardio and resistance machines, several fitness classes, steam room, jacuzzi and sauna.

Your Dublin home away from home Ballsbridge Hotel June 7th and 8th

Your Dublin home away from home Ballsbridge Hotel, Friday June 7th and Saturday 8th, 2013 and for the extension tour from Sunday June 9th to Monday June 10th, 2013

The Ballsbridge Hotel is one the largest hotels in Dublin and has 392 classic guest rooms which have tea and coffee making facilities, wi-fi internet (charges apply), multi channel TV and a hairdryer in the bathroom.
This classic group and business hotel is only a 15 minute walk away from parts of Dublin's city center, but only five minutes walk in the other directions is where the American Embassy is located and little bit further is a mixed-used neighborhood of residences, some smaller stores and also restaurants and pubs. The Thai place there is really good! It is easily accessible to the top Dublin must-sees such as Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse, the Jameson Distillery and Temple Bar and the shopping districts of Grafton and Henry Street. With your Incantato tour coaches at disposal, sightseeing will be a breeze, especially if we manage to avoid rush-hour.

The hotel features two restaurants - The Raglan's Restaurant offers a more formal dining experience with traditional Irish dishes whereas The Dubliner Pub has a traditional pub atmosphere with traditional furnishing such as vintage leather couches and original bar fixtures. 

Here you can take a look at the menu of the Raglan's Restaurant.

Your Waterford home away from home: Tower Hotel and Leisure Centre - Sunday through Tuesday, June 2 to June 4

Your Waterford home away from home from Sunday June 2nd through Tuesday June 4th, 2013: Tower Hotel and Leisure Centre

The Tower Hotel and Leisure Centre is a 3 story hotel located in the heart of Waterford City, on the Mall, overlooking the Marina, with 135 rooms. Each room is equipped with complimentary wi-fi access, coffee-teamaking facilities, multi-channel tv and hair dryer.

Here you can take a look at the guest directory, an A to Z guide to all the services the hotel offers for their guests. 

The leisure center features a a good size swimming pool as well as gym and spa with jacuzzi. The Tower Hotel Waterford prides itself on the highest standards of customer care, health, safety and hygiene. In accordance with these high standards the hotel has been awarded the so-called White Flag Award by An Taisce and ILAM Ireland seven years in succession as of 2011 / 2012.

While at the hotel there are several on premise dining options. The Lara Restaurant, which is overlooking the famous Reginald’s Tower,  features local fish and seafood, which comes from the nearby Dunmore East Fishing village, as well as locally sourced meat and poultry.
The redesigned Bistro at the Tower is a bright, award winning and very elegant restaurant. The menu is a mixture of local and European influences and is very popular amongst the locals. The Bistro is open daily for dinner from 06:30 pm to 09:30 pm with extended hours over the weekend. Lunch is served on Sunday only from 12:30 pm to 02:30 pm. Click here to take a look at their A La Carte Menu.

Home away from home: The Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa - June 5 and 6, 2013

The Greeley Chorale will be staying at the Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa for two nights - Wednesday June 5 and Thursday June 6, 2013

In the unique and stylish Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa each room has satellite tv, wireless internet access, in-room safe and hair dryer. The hotel is fully air-conditioned and the big windows flood the hotel rooms and suites with daylight.

There are three in-house restaurants to try out while staying at the Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa. A very special thing is that it has two separate kitchens and kitchen teams which means there are two completely different cookings styles and menus. Not matter if you are a 'real food' lover or you simply looking for a casual dining experience you fill find plenty of options at this hotel.

The Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa has two bars - the Plaza Bar and the Piano Bar. The Plaza Bar is suppose to be one of the busiest bars in Killarney and a real hit with guest and locals alike.

For leisure time the hotel features a gym, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, swimming pool and spa with a highly experienced staff. A great way to relax after an exhausting sightseeing tour.

 

Located in the beautiful heart of Killarney Town at the gateway to the famous Ring of Kerry, there are dozens of great pubs and restaurants around the hotel to visit in your leisure time.

The wonderful Killarney National Park and all of its breathtaking beauty is just a few footsteps away from your hotel and it is definitely worth a visit.

Updated flight information for the two travel groups

Dear Greeley Travelers, unfortunately there are some elements of your tour that are out of control for us as your tour operator and the most challenging aspect is that the airlines can change flight times as they wish and have done so several times ever since we secured your seats and fares. The schedules then were much more favorable and both groups had similar departure and arrival times. Below are the two itineraries as of this week and we are hopeful that there will not be any further changes. We understand that it is not good news that those of you on the extended return flights have to be at the airport much earlier than the other group, face a long layover at JFK and we wish there was something we could do about that, but we cannot. We have contacted Delta numerous times and urged them to make changes for the better, but not the worse, unfortunately Delta could care less about these requests. The good news that remains is that by using Delta we were able to significantly lower the overall tour cost and hopefully that makes up a bit for this inconvenience caused by Delta. Your blog will see a lot of activity in the days of the final countdown to the actual tour departure, and we also invite you to visit Incantato Concert Tours on Facebook where we already started a picture album and will provide "live" coverage of the journey. We wish you a great weekend and look forward to welcoming you in Ireland soon. 

Main Group traveling May 29 to June 9 

Departure to Europe:

On Wednesday, May 29, DELTA AIR LINES  DL 1316 leaves Denver, Colorado at 12 noon with a scheduled arrival at 4:49 pm in Atlanta, Georgia. Your aircraft is a Boing 757.         

You will then continue at 6:25 pm from Atlanta with DELTA AIR LINES DL 176 at 6:25 pm and are scheduled to arrive in Dublin, Ireland at 7:30 am. Your aircraft is a Boing 767-300. 

Return from Europe: 

On Sunday, June 9, Delta Airlines DL 177 departs Dublin, Ireland at 9:20 am and is scheduled to arrive in Atlanta, Georgia at 12:40 pm. Your aircraft is an Airbus A330-20. After clearing immigrations and customs, and rechecking your bags, your next flight is Delta Airlines DL 2016 with a 3:10 pm departure to Denver, Colorado and a scheduled arrival at 4:33 pm. 

Extension Group traveling May 29 to June 13
Departure to Europe:
On Wednesday, May 29, Delta Airlines DL 1312 departs Denver at 8:45 am to New York JFK with a scheduled arrival at 2:39 pm. Your aircraft is a Boing 737-800.

Connect to Delta Airlines DL 92 at 9:45 pm to Dublin with a 9:40 am arrival. Your aircraft is a Boing 757-200.
 
Return to Europe:
On Thursday, June 13, Delta Airlines DL 123 is leaving Shannon, Ireland at 10:45 am to New York, JFK, with a scheduled arrival at 12:45 pm. Your connecting flight to Denver is Delta Airlines DL 971 departing at 7:00 pm and a scheduled arrival in Denver at 9:43 pm. Your aircraft is a Boing 737-800.

Incantato Tours is welcoming the Greeley Chorale to Ireland

Save the dates of June 1 (Belfast), June 4 (Waterford) and June 9 (Dublin), for the three formal highlight concerts of the Greeley Chorale who is touring the Emerald Isle starting May 30, 2013. For more information on the performances and live coverage, please visit Incantato Concert Tours on Facebook.

 

Incantato Tours Ireland Impressions: Have a look at the many beautiful sites of Dublin

First home away from home for the Greeley Chorale: The Park Inn by Radisson Belfast

The Greeley Chorale travelers will be staying for the first three tour nights (Thursday May 30, Friday May 31 and Saturday June 1st, 2013) in Northern Ireland's charming and lively capital city Belfast, at the Park Inn by Radisson Belfast Hotel.

This stylish four star hotel is centrally located and has 145 rooms that include free wireless high-speed internet.
Each room features a flat-screen television. The bathrooms are furnished with complimentary toiletries, a hair dryer and a shower with sunflower head. There is an onsite fitness center with flat-screen TVs that includes a sauna and steam room. 

The hotel restaurant RBG Bar & Grill is open 24 hours and is famous for its delicious sizzling steaks served directly from the grill. Here you can take a look at their latest menu. 

The Park Inn by Radisson Belfast Hotel is centrally located and just a few minutes away from Belfast's must-sees such as Victoria Square and St. Anne's Cathedral.
There are also restaurants, bars and pubs close to the hotel as well as shopping malls.
A very convenient hotel service is the direct line to the preferred taxi company - Black Taxi Rank.
However with the Incantato Tour busses at your disposal you may not need a cab after all, especially since a lot of Belfast's sites are also within walking distance.

Travel Tips: Money Matters

Republic of Ireland

The euro is the currency of the Republic of Ireland. 
One euro consists of 100 cent. 
Notes are €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500. 
Coins are 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, €1 and €2. 

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, the currency is sterling. 
One pound sterling consists of 100 pence. 
Notes are £5, £10, £20, £50 and £100. 
Coins are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.

Credit Cards 

Any credit cards that bear the Visa, MasterCard or American Express symbol will be widely accepted in Ireland. Visitors with other cards should ask in advance or check if that card is on display where they wish to use it. 

Banks 

Banking hours are generally 10.00am to 4.30pm Monday through Friday. Some banks are open on Saturday. ATM (cash) machines are located at most banks and accept most credit and debit cards.

Traveller’s Cheques

Traveller’s Cheques are no longer widely accepted currency on the island of Ireland.

Exchange $100 bills in Ireland

Visitors may have difficulty exchanging $100 bills in Irish banks. For more information, please see the US Embassy Website.

For more information, be sure to visit the Tourism Ireland Official Website.

Travel Tip: Electricity in Ireland

The electrical supply in Ireland is 230v 50hz. The plugs and sockets are different from the USA and involve a three-pronged formation, the same as those used in the United Kingdom. If your appliances operate on a different current (such as those from North America) you will need a power converter and plug adapter.

A plug adaptor does not change the electricity supplied to the appliance, only allows it to be plugged into a different type of wall socket. If the appliance you are using supports dual voltage and dual frequency then a plate/tag will be located on the item stating "120/240v, 50/60Hz".

Most laptop computers and battery chargers are dual voltage, so all you will need to use them with a different supply is a plug adaptor.

Power converters step down the voltage from 240v to 120v, allowing equipment which is not dual voltage to operate at the voltage for which it was designed. Converters do not alter the frequency at which electicity is delivered and should be used a maximum of 1-2 hours at a time.

Converters can be purchased at travel stores, some discount stores, office supply stores, and electronics stores. Make sure that you select a converter that will accommodate the wattage of the appliances you wish to operate. Some laptop computers, electric razors and hair dryers have built-in power converters. However, an adapter plug will be required. Adapters and converters may be found at Walmart and Radio Shack etc.

About Glendalough

Glendalough is the most spectacular and perhaps the best known Glen(a narrow valley) and attraction in County Wicklow. The valley of the two lakes lies a kilometere west of Laragh. In the 6th century St. Kevin founded a monastery and from this grew a monastic city, which became famous as a centre of learning throughout Europe. The spectacular Round Tower in the Monastic City stands an impressive 34m high and 16m in circumferences. There is also a visitor centre in Glendalough to help those discover more about this impressive and historic place. The area surrounding Glendalough is a paradise for walkers as along this part of the Wicklow Way there is plenty of accommodation and 'craic' nearby and the scenery is very impressive.
Here are some impressions, and several weblinks:
Frommers
Wikipedia
GCSU

Sightseeing Highlight: Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney,  near Cork and the River Martin. The building  originally dates from before AD 1200, when a wooden structure was built  on the site. Around 1210 A.D. this was replaced by a stone  fortification. It was destroyed in 1446, but subsequently rebuilt by Cormac MacCarthy -  then King of Munster. The castle was besieged during the Irish Confederate Wars and was seized in 1646 by Parliamentarian  forces under Lord Broghill. However, after the restoration the  castle was restored to Donough MacCarty, who was made 1st Earl of Clancarty. During the Williamite War in Ireland in the 1690s, the then 4th Earl of Clancarty was  captured and his lands (including Blarney Castle) were confiscated by the Williamites. The castle was sold and changed hands a number of times before being  purchased by Sir James St. John Jefferyes. Members of the Jefferyes family would later build a mansion near the keep. This house was destroyed by fire however, and in 1874 a replacement baronial mansion - known as Blarney House - was built  overlooking the nearby lake.
The castle is now a partial ruin with some accessible rooms and  battlements. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone. Tourists visiting Blarney Castle may hang upside-down over a sheer drop to kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence. There are many legends as to the origin of the stone, but some say that it was the Lia  Fáil - a magical stone upon which Irish kings were crowned. Surrounding the castle are extensive gardens. There are paths touring the grounds with signs pointing out the various attractions such as several natural rock formations which have been given fanciful names, such as Druid's Circle, Witch's Cave  and the Wishing Steps. Blarney House, also open to the public, is a Scottish  baronial-style mansion that was built on the grounds in 1874. (The pictures are from the official website of Blarney Castle)