As Tourism Ireland’s Alison Metcalfe says of gatherings in Ireland, “it is the experiences that delegates have outside of their conference that contribute to the overall high satisfaction levels.”
From Gaelic football to Guinness, here are some quintessentially rewarding experiences of Irish life.
Ireland’s culinary scene is complemented by a thriving farm-to-table movement. Visits to Cork’s English Market, dating to 1788, or Belfast’s historic St. George’s Market, are ideal for meeting local food producers.
An hour from Dublin in Wicklow, Ballyknocken Cookery School is an award-winning choice for groups, along with Mourne Seafood Cookery School (www.mourneseafoodcookeryschool.com) in the Northern Ireland fishing port of Kilkeel.
At Dublin’s St. James’s Gate Brewery, home of Guinness since 1759, the event-capable Guinness Storehouse is a memorable event and tour venue, while the Jameson Distilleries in Dublin and Middleton, County Cork, are spirited options for tastings.
Dublin-based Experience Gaelic Games travels throughout Ireland to customize group programs based on the ancient Irish games of hurling and Gaelic football, along with instruction in ceili dancing and bodhran drumming.
Authentic recreations of farming and village life await groups at Muckross House and Traditional Farms in Killarney, or the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum near Belfast. Established in 1204, Dublin Castle today serves as a premier conference and dining facility.
Kiss the Stone of Eloquence at Blarney Castle near Cork, and as advertised, “if your sales team has lost their gift of the gab, they’ll never again be lost for words.”
