Happy St Patrick’s Day: Fill Your Heart with Ireland

With summer just around the corner, thoughts turn to planning the perfect vacation. When it comes to finding an indulgent retreat, one key factor that often dominates everyone’s must-have list is a breathtaking swimming pool. If you’re deciding where to take the plunge, then check out these 7 hotels with outstanding pools. From the serene beauty of a countryside manor, to the historical charm of a reinvigorated convent, each of these accommodations offers a unique guest experience that epitomizes luxury and features an amazing pool. Let’s dive in!

By most European standards, Ireland can be quite expensive. Accommodation and food are generally priced at the upper end of the scale, which means a sizeable daily budget is needed.

Visiting Ireland is a cinch if you’re visiting from a country that requires no visa or with whom Ireland has a visa waiver agreement. If you are visiting from a country with a visa requirement, then things can get a little more complicated, but here’s what you need to know to get you started.

For many visitors, Ireland lives large in the imagination.

The business concept of a new travel company called WeatherPromise is simple, if not a little outlandish. Book a trip with them, purchase a WeatherPromise, and you'll get a refund if it rains a certain number of days during your vacation.

A lifetime of living in Ireland has given me some insight into the vagaries of my home country, beginning with the number one rule: never assume anything. This is a country that delights in confounding even your most comfortable expectations about pretty much everything, from the weather to the quality of the wifi.

You know the saying, “No shoes, no shirt, no service”? Whether you like it or not, the shoe portion of the warning doesn’t really apply to airplanes. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Kayak, dubbed the Unspoken Rules of Air Travel, 44 percent of Americans think it’s OK to take their footwear off while at cruising altitude.

Alice Mansergh is spending St. Patrick’s Day 2024 in Washington, D.C., to participate in a longtime tradition. It involves delegates from Ireland presenting the current U.S. president with a bowl of shamrocks to mark this Irish holiday.

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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Karen Edwards, who blogs about her family's life abroad. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Last September, my husband and I left our kids with their grandparents and set off to Ireland. Our $2,132 itinerary took us from Minneapolis to Toronto to Dublin on tickets booked on United Airlines through Expedia but ultimately operated by Air Canada, a United partner. We had boarded our connecting flight in Toronto (and I was already dozing in my seat) when the captain announced an operator had crashed the jet bridge into the starboard engine. We were given hotel vouchers and told we would be rebooked for the next day. Checkout time came and went without a word, so we went to the airport and were told to call Air Canada customer service. An agent booked us a flight for that evening, and we printed out boarding passes at an airport kiosk. But when we tried to board, we were told the boarding passes were invalid. Eventually, we were offered two options for the next day: Fly to Dublin via Newark, or return to Minneapolis. We cut our losses and went home after staying the night in Toronto at a hotel. But United refunded us only $1,087, barely half of what we paid. Air Canada did reimburse us for the second hotel and other expenses, but we believe the airlines owe us not only a full refund, but also 400 Canadian each ($295 apiece) under Canadian law for denied boarding. Both refused. Can you help?

With a diaspora in the millions, Ireland’s national holiday has become an international phenomenon.