And the Oscar Goes To...

This year we are adding some glitz & glamour to our Christmas Party Night’s. The theme is “A Night at the Oscar’s” featuring entertainment from Motown Big Band “The Jewelettes”. To co-incide with the theme of our Christmas Parties here is a little history about the most anticipated film industry event each year...

Each January, the entertainment community and film fans around the world turn their attention to the Academy Awards. Interest and anticipation builds to a fevered pitch leading up to the Oscar telecast in February, when hundreds of millions of movie lovers tune in to watch the glamorous ceremony and learn who will receive the highest honors in filmmaking.

The Oscars reward the previous year’s greatest cinema achievements as determined by some of the world’s most accomplished motion picture artists and professionals. The Academy’s roughly 6,000 members vote for the Oscars using secret ballots, which are tabulated by the international auditing firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. The auditors maintain absolute secrecy until the moment the show’s presenters open the envelopes and reveal the winners on live television.

Far from the eagerly anticipated and globally televised event it is today, the first Academy Awards ceremony took place out of the public eye during an Academy banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Two hundred seventy people attended the May 16, 1929 dinner in the hotel’s Blossom Room; guest tickets cost $5. It was a long affair filled with speeches, but Academy President Douglas Fairbanks made quick work of handing out the statuettes.

There was little suspense when the awards were presented that night: the recipients had already been announced three months earlier. That all changed the following year, however, when the Academy decided to keep the results secret until the ceremony but gave a list in advance to newspapers for publication at 11 p.m. on the night of the Awards. This policy continued until 1940 when, much to the Academy’s consternation, the Los Angeles Times broke the embargo and published the names of the winners in its evening edition – which was readily available to guests arriving for the ceremony. That prompted the Academy in 1941 to adopt the sealed-envelope system still in use today.

Fifteen statuettes were awarded at the first ceremony for cinematic achievements in 1927 and 1928. The first Best Actor winner was acclaimed German tragedian Emil Jannings, who had to return to Europe before the ceremony. The Academy granted his request to receive the trophy early, making his statuette the very first Academy Award ever presented.

The first presentation was the only one to escape a media audience; by the second year, enthusiasm for the Awards was such that a Los Angeles radio station produced a live one-hour broadcast of the event. The ceremony has been broadcast ever since.

The Academy continued to hand out the awards at banquets – held at the Ambassador and Biltmore hotels – until 1942, when increased attendance made these dinner ceremonies impractical. Starting with the 16th Oscar ceremony, which was held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, the event has always been held at a theater.

In 1953, the first televised Oscar ceremony enabled millions throughout the United States and Canada to watch the proceedings. Broadcasting in color began in 1966, affording home viewers a chance to fully experience the dazzling allure of the event. Since 1969, the Oscar show has been broadcast internationally, now reaching movie fans in over 200 countries.

Click here for more information on our Christmas Party Nights 2010

21 Interesting Facts you may not know...

1. In Disney's "Fantasia", the Sorcerer's name is "Yensid" (Disney backwards) & Walt Disney's autograph bears no resemblance to the famous Disney logo.

2. 2 billion videos are watched per day on YouTube. Every minute, 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube, or about 200,000 videos per day. It will take a person more than 400 years to watch all the videos on YouTube.

3. If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. For when a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.

4. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

5. The Titanic was the first ship to use the SOS signal.

6. The pupil of the eye expands as much as 45 percent when a person looks at something pleasing.

7. The average person who stops smoking requires one hour less sleep a night.

8. Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.

9. Dalmatians are born without spots.

10. The ‘v’ in the name of a court case does not stand for ‘versus’, but for ‘and’ (in civil proceedings) or ‘against’ (in criminal proceedings).

11. Men’s shirts have the buttons on the right, but women’s shirts have the buttons on the left.

12. Every time you sneeze some of your brain cells die.

13. Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart.

14. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle was built in 1903, and used a tomato can for a carburetor.

15. The lion that roars in the MGM logo is named Volney.

16. Google is actually the common name for a number with a million zeros.

17. It cost 7 million dollars to build the Titanic and 200 million to make a film about it.

18. There are 1,792 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

19. The sound you hear when you crack your knuckles is actually the sound of nitrogen gas bubbles bursting.

20. The average person laughs 13 times a day.

21. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

If you know any other interesting facts your would like to share, add a comment and let us know!

Did you know... 11 Facts about the Dublin Horse Show!

Since it was first held in 1864 the Horse Show has become a Dublin institution. A celebration of Ireland's affinity with the horse, from the best show horses to the best international show jumpers. It is one of Ireland's largest events, a highlight of the summer, each year welcoming tens of thousands of people from Ireland and all over the world.

11 Facts about the Dublin Horse Show:
1. The first show was held in 1864 under the auspices of the Society, but organised by the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland. There were 366 entries in the first show with a total prize fund of £520.

2. On the 28, 29 and 30 July 1868 the first show was held and organised by the Royal Dublin Society on the lawns of Leinster House. The Council granted £100 out of the Society's funds to be awarded in prizes. It started as a show of led-horses and featured ‘leaping' demonstrations.

3. Ass and mule classes were listed at the first show!

4. In 1869 the first Challenge Cup was presented for the best exhibit in the classes for hunters and young horses likely to make hunters.

5. With over 800 entries in the Show in 1895, it was necessary to run the jumping competitors off in pairs - causing difficulties for the judges at the time!

6. No lady was allowed to ride in any jumping competition until 1919.

7. A novelty class for women was introduced in 1919. In 1920 women were able to compete freely. Women were permitted to compete in the international competitions from 1954 (an international rule).

8. In times past the Ladies Hunter Classes for ladies riding side-saddle in traditional costume (veil and habit) were judged on the Thursday of the Show. As a result Thursday became Ladies' Day, the longest

9. Six countries competed in the first international teams competition for the Aga Khan Challenge trophy - Great Britain, Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Ireland. The Swiss team won the title on Irish bred horses.

10. The Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show is Ireland's largest equestrian event, and one of the largest events held on the island.

11. The show has the third largest annual prize pool for International Show Jumping in the world.

Attending the Failte Ireland Dublin Horse Show this year? Check out our accommodation packages by clicking here!

Celebrate 4th July

What way to celebrate America's Independence Day than to cook a nice traditional American dish.

Pulled Pork

with Mint Julep Barbecue Sauce

Makes 12 sandwiches

Ingredients
1 bone-in pork shoulder, 5 lb. (2.5 kg)
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) apple cider
1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) cider vinegar
4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green bell pepper seeded and finely chopped
12 sesame seed-topped sandwich buns, split and warmed
12 dill pickle spears

Sauce
2 oz/60 g unsalted butter
3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peeled and chopped fresh ginger
16 fl oz/500 ml tomato purée
9 oz/280 g dark molasses
3 oz/90 g coarse-grain Dijon mustard
4 fl oz/125 ml bourbon
4 fl oz/125 ml cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 lemon, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 oz/15 g chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot-pepper sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C. Lightly coat a large baking pan with vegetable oil. Rub the pork shoulder with the pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and mustard seeds and place in the baking pan. Pour the cider and vinegar over and around the pork. Scatter the onions, garlic, and bell pepper over and around the pork. Cover with aluminum foil.

2. Roast for 3 hours. Uncover and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 82 degrees C, about 1 hour.

3. While the pork is roasting, make the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and ginger and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée, molasses, mustard, bourbon, vinegar, Worcestershire, lemon, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very thick, about 2 hours. Discard the lemon slices. Stir in the mint and Tabasco.

4. Remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a plate. Let stand for 1 hour. Reserve the roasted vegetables. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other, discarding any fat. Place the shredded pork in a bowl. With a slotted spoon, transfer the roasted vegetables to the bowl with the pork.

5. Mix the sauce with the shredded pork. Stuff each bun with some of the pork and serve immediately with the pickle spears on the side.

Enjoy!

Don't Forget Fathers Day

Story of Father's Day

 Father's Day is about acknowledging and appreciating the important role played by a father in raising their child. The tradition to celebrate Father's Day was recognised thousands of years ago where studies have claimed that over 4,000 years ago in Babylon a son called Elmesu carved a father's day message on a clay card. In his message Elmesu wished his father a long and healthy life.

The tradition of celebrating Father's Day as seen today originated in the last century. Though there are several people who are credited for furthering the cause of Father's Day, there is far greater acceptance for Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd's contribution. A doting daughter from Spokane, Washington, Ms Dodd is recognized as the Founder or Mother of the Father's Day Festival.

Sonora recognized the hardships her father must have gone through while bringing up his six children alone. When Sonora was 16, her mother had died during childbirth. Sonora's father a Civil War veteran by the name of William Jackson Smart raised six children including the newborn on his own. Sonora questioned that if there is a day to recognize mothers then why is not there a day to honour fathers?
She began a sincere campaign lobbying for the cause of Father's Day. Her hard work began to show signs of success when Spokane celebrated its first Father's Day on June 19, 1910 with the support of Spokane Ministerial Association and the local Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). To pay tribute to her affectionate father, Sonora wished that Father's Day be celebrated on her father's birthday on June 5, but it so happened that there was not enough time for preparation and the day came to be celebrated on third Sunday in the month of June.

Father's Day has now become a hugely popular festival. World over people thank their father and pay tribute to them. Most commonly children gift Father's Day cards and flowers to their father. Neckties are a popular gift on the occasion of Father's Day. Due to the tradition of giving gifts, cards makers, florists and gift sellers campaign for Father's Day Festival in a big way and cash in on the sentiments of the people.

Ideal Gifts for your Father

• Weekend Golf Break at any Talbot Hotel

• Enjoy an evening meal for two in any of the Talbot Hotels Award Winning Restaurants

• Enjoy a spectacular show at Wexford Opera House along with accommodation and an evening meal at the Talbot Hotel

• Talbot Hotel Gift Card

• Bar Food Voucher

Out of Your Tree 2 launched in aid of the Irish Cancer Society

Stillorgan Chamber of Commerce continues to boosts its profile in the local community with its latest networking event last Tuesday night attracting over 100 local business people to the Stillorgan Park Hotel. The Guest of Honour at the event was Minister Conor Lenihan.
On the night we saw Dominic Lee of Priory Studios, Stillorgan presenting €20,000 in proceeds from his latest book Out of Your Tree 2 to the Irish Cancer Society. Out of Your Tree 2 is a beautifully designed book of photographs featuring well known national and international figures enjoying their leisure hours.

This anthology has been skillfully shot and arranged by Dominic Lee award winning Dublin born and globally renowned photographer. Out of Your Tree 2 comes on the crest of the popularity of Out of Your Tree I but the second edition is a big bolder more colourful one and includes a kaleidoscope of people and activities. Highlights include; Sir Richard Branson kite surfing off the beautiful Necker Island in the Caribbean, Darina Allen tending to her pet chickens in Ballymaloe County Cork, RTE Gardener Dermot O’Neill singing with the RTE Concert Orchestra, Ross O’Carroll-Kelly (Aka Paul Howard) at his home with his collection of Star Wars toys. This is to name just a few of the many highlights in this book.

For more information about the book or to purchase a copy of the book visit http://www.priorystudios.ie/publications/index.htm

Start your Summer the Health Way with our Executive Chef, Enda Dunne's Summer Salad Video Tutorial

Summer Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
4 slices of Watermelon
130gm Feta Cheese
Handful Toasted Pumpkin & Sunflower Seeds
10-15 Kalamata Black Olives
Bunch of Mixed Salad Leaves of Choice

Method:
1. Remove rind from watermelon and cut into triangular bite size pieces
2. Lightly toast the pumkin & sunflowers seeds in a pan & let cool
3. Mix all ingredients together
4. Dress with a vinaigrette dressing if you wish

Get in shape this summer

CREATING A CALORIE DEFECIT
This is the crucial step in controlling your weight.

The Trick

To give the body slightly less than it needs to encourage it to burn fat, if you cut your calories by too much your body will activate its starvation response which is to say it will start holding onto body fat and start burning muscle instead.

Our bodies don’t realise that we are trying to look the best that we can all it knows is that all of a sudden there is no longer enough calories to match the number of calories needed during the day. Your metabolism starts slowing down so that you are burning calories at a slower rate and since fat is the bodies favourite fuel source its going to hold onto it.

The way you encourage your body to burn fat, is to feed it what it needs give it slightly less calories than it needs and it will burn fat.

When creating a calorie deficit you want to decrease your calorie intake by 10-20%, the body will recognize this and react by burning more fat to produce the energy it needs. If you cut your calories more drastically you will not shed fat any faster, instead it will cause your body to lower its metabolic rate in attempt to conserve energy. In addition to this it will start burning muscle to produce the energy needed therefore if there is less muscle you will have a lower metabolic rate and more fat storage, this will lead to loss of muscle, low energy levels and extreme hunger.

So first you need to know what your resting metabolic rate is.
Then you multiply resting metabolic rate by how active you are this will give your maintenance level

English BMR Formula
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

Metric BMR Formula Women: BMR = 655 + ( 9.6 x weight in kilos ) + ( 1.8 x height in cm ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) - ( 6.8 x age in years )

 Sedentary BMR x 1.2 less than an hour a week

 Lightly active BMR x 1.375=1-3days exercise

 Mod active BMR x 1.55=3-5 days exercise

 Very active BMR x 1.725=5-7days

 Extreme active BME x 1.9=8+times a week

Once you have done this in order to create a deficit you take between 10-20% of your calories away from your maintenance level this will create a small energy crisis causing your body to burn more fat to make up for the shortage in energy without affecting your metabolism.

Weigh yourself each week if there is no change takes another 100-200kcal out of your diet keep repeating this until you start loosing weight 1-2 pounds of weight loss a week is ideal any more than this and you run the risk of burning lean tissue ie muscle.

How Skype Saved the Day for our Bride & Groom

We all know that the recent eruption of the Icelandic Volcano has caused many problems from airport closures to people stranded abroad but here’s a story of how our Bride & Groom coped on the most special day of their life after finding out that the Bride’s parents were unable to make it to Ireland for their daughter’s wedding due to stoppage of all flights to Ireland because of the Volcanic Ash.

They used Skype! Yes that right, our Bride & Groom placed a laptop on their top table where the parents were due to be seated and placed a video call to the bride’s parents in Mexico. It was as if the bride’s parents were in the room with them and turned a very upsetting situation into something they will fondly remember!

It just shows how much of a daily impact that today’s advanced technology has on people all around the world. The world wide web, social media and tools such as Skype play a vital role in communicating with family, friends & colleagues around the world to the extent that it saved the day for our Bride & Groom.

We think this was a story worth telling and wish to congratulate the newlyweds on their recent marriage.

Let us know if you have a similar story where online technology saved the day for you!

"Laundry and Bourbon ... Chit Chat and Chardonnay"

"Laundry and Bourbon ... Chit Chat and Chardonnay" comes to Wexford

for the May Bank Holiday Weekend

White Feather Theatre Company present Laundry and Bourbon…Chit Chat and Chardonnay, an evening at Wexford Opera House. Running for two nights only, Friday 30th April and Saturday, 1st May which takes the form of a play followed by some post-show gossip with RTE’s Shonagh Lyons.


Three Wexford actresses, Shonagh Lyons, Olga Conway and Sarah Robinson have come together to perform in American James McClure’s witty one-act comedy, Laundry and Bourbon under the direction of Alan Corcoran, the audience finds themselves in a small town in the deep south of Texas. The play tells the story of three small town gals, how they cope in a place where lives are intertwined, gossip is rife and the only thing they know for sure is that the bourbon tastes great.

During the second part of the show, the scene changes from small town Texas to small town Wexford and swaps shots of bourbon for complimentary chardonnay. Hostess, Shonagh, fresh from presenting RTE’s Sattitude, will lead guests in some good old ‘wined-up’, off-the-cuff post-show chat and gossip.

The girls will be joined on each night by the infamous, fabulous and hilarious, Catherine ‘Biddy’ Walsh. A born comedienne, Catherine has been threading the boards since she could walk and is best known for her comedy sketches in Wexford Light Opera Society productions and pantos. The rest of the line-up will change from Friday to Saturday, and sees some of Wexford’s finest take to the panel. Eoin Colfer, acclaimed author of Artemis Fowl and the latest installment of The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as well as beautiful Ferns girl, Aileen Mythen, star of his new musical Lords of Love, will be there also. Representing the north of the county, Gorey man Garrett Lombard, best known for his portrayal of the character Scobie, in RTE’s Pure Mule will join the girls. White Feather has also managed to steal the larger-than-life Brian Merriman away from Dublin’s Gay Theatre Festival to join in! Brian is founder and creative director of the Festival, grew up in Wexford and also directed Wexford Light Opera Society’s 50th anniversary show.

White Feather doesn’t want to give all the game away, so come along on the night to see who else might be joining the girls!

Tickets are only €15/€12 and include a complimentary glass of wine! Book on-line at www.wexfordoperahouse.ie or by calling the box-office at 053 912 2144. No booking fee applies.

If you are thinking of making a weekend of it click here for more information!

Top Facts about the Most Awarded Female Artist in History & Travel Tips to the o2 this weekend!

In the twenty-five years since she recorded her history-making debut album, Whitney Houston has become a legend and icon. One of the bestselling female artists of all time, she has sold over 140 million albums worldwide and is the most awarded female artist in history with 411 awards to her name. Her long time producer Clive Davis encouraged her to record her recent release I Look To You which has topped charts across the world.

Did You Know?

• Whitney's nickname, Nippy, was given to her by her father, John Houston, when she was a baby. "Nippy" was a cartoon character who was always getting into trouble. As baby Whitney kept kicking off her winter blanket, her father kept covering her again, and thought, "Nippy, seldom right"

• Aretha Franklin is Whitney's godmother. Whitney and Aretha recorded the duet "It Isn't It Wasn't It Ain't Never Gonna Be" in 1988 for Aretha's album, "Through The Storm."

• Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" from "The Bodyguard" soundtrack is the best selling commercial single in history, and the biggest selling record by a female solo artist. The song also is the longest-running No. 1 single by a female solo artist, residing at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks.

• Whitney holds the record for highest one-week single sales by a female artist, as 632,000 copies of "I Will Always Love You" were sold in the final week of December 1992
• Whitney’s favourite Actor is Robert DeNiro!

• Whitney has won 22 American Music Awards, more than any other female solo artist, and second only to Michael Jackson

Going to the concert? How to get there..

KBR Transport Shuttle Bus
This shuttle bus service has three routes:
1. A service from St Stephen’s Green to the 02
2. A service from Eden Quay (Laughter Lounge) to the 02
3. A service from Amiens Street /Connolly station to the 02
All buses will carry signage indicating that they are The 02 shuttle buses. The Shuttle bus runs approx every 20mins from the above locations. Fare: €3 One Way / €5 Return

DART
DART networks provide excellent service from many different parts of Dublin. In most cases parking is available at the various stations along the route. The nearest DART station is located within a 10 minute walk from the hotel in Blackrock and takes you to Connolly Station. The Luas (Red Line) can be taken from Connolly Station directly to the o2 and runs frequently.

Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus offers a high frequency, accessible and easy to use service from all over Dublin to within a 20 minute walk of the Venue. The 46A bus departs every 5 minutes and takes you to O’Connell Street, located approximately a 20 minute walk from the o2.

Road Routes
If you plan on driving to the show, traffic restrictions are in place on North Wall Quay and on East Wall Road. Although there is no parking at the venue itself, limited car parking is available at Jury’s Custom House, Connolly Station and the NCI.

Enjoy the Concert!!

Do you know the story of the Easter Bunny?!

When it comes to the actual character that we know as the “Easter Bunny” and the idea of him bringing us chocolate eggs on Easter, there is a very interesting pagan story behind the legend. The legend claims that the Germanic Goddess “Eastre” felt very bad for arriving late one spring and in order to help make amends for this she decided to save the life of a poor bird whose wings had frozen in the snow. Eastre made this bird her pet. Feeling compassion for this bird of hers because he no longer had the ability to fly Eastre decided to turn him into a snow hare named “Lepus”. She also gave him the ability to run very fast so he could avoid hunters and she also gave him one more special gift. In remembrance of his life as a bird Eastre gave Lepus the ability to lay “eggs”. Not only could Lepus lay eggs but these eggs would also come out in all the different colours of the rainbow. There was only one downfall to this great ability Lepus had, he could only lay these eggs on one day each year, on the day that the festival of Eastre was celebrated. From this simple and earliest known pagan legend we get the first stories of the birth of the idea of the “Easter Bunny” and also Easter Eggs and where they get their multiple bright colours from.
The first actually documented use of the “Bunny” as a symbol of “Easter” occurs in the late 1500’s in Germany of all places. Although pagan traditions and legends point the hare or rabbit as often being strongly associated with the time of “Eastre” or “Easter”. Following along with their firsts in terms of the “Easter Bunny” it was the Germans in the 1800’s who were the first ones to also create edible “Easter Bunnies”. Every spring their children would be spinning with excitement in their wait for the arrival of “Oschter Haws” (their Easter Bunny character) and the gifts that accompanied him.

The character of the rabbit or bunny is revered around the world in different cultures. Many Asian cultures hail the rabbit as a sacred messenger to the divine & for Buddhists and Egyptians the rabbit has special meaning. And of course Western Europe has their strong beliefs in the rabbit as a symbol of fertility and new life. Over time these many different legends about rabbits/bunnies has moulded this animal into the “Easter Bunny” a symbol of the Holiday which celebrates resurrection.

When it comes to the modern day tradition of the Easter Bunny, in Ireland, we follow the idea that on Easter Sunday children wake up to discover either that the “Easter Bunny” has left them a basket full of candy or that he has hidden eggs for them to find. There are only a few other countries who follow this same tradition. For example, in Austria, the “Easter Bunny” who is known to them as “Osterhase” hides decorated eggs, for children to find the next day, on the night before Easter Sunday. In New Zealand the stores all carry Hot Cross Buns and chocolate eggs that the Easter Bunny fills his basket with and delivers to all the children during his delivery rounds on Easter Sunday morning; usually hiding these treats just like the Irish “Easter Bunny” so that children have to search for them.

Happy Easter to all and we hope that the Easter Bunny is good to you this year!

Free Rail Travel Scheme for Visitors to Ireland over 66

Developed by Fáilte Ireland in conjunction with Iarnród Éireann, the free rail scheme is now available for all visitors to Ireland aged 66 or over.

The scheme launched for St Patrick’s Day, is designed to increase overseas visitor numbers to Ireland. Overseas visitors aged 66 or over can reserve free rail travel by booking their free Golden Trekker Tickets when in Ireland.

The Golden Trekker Tickets will take the form of a four-day Trekker ticket, or a sequence of four-day tracker tickets depending on the length of stay, providing visitors with unrestricted rail travel for a set period. Each four-day Trekker ticket is worth €100. The scheme provides for free travel to all tourists to Ireland aged 66 and over and there is no restriction on nationality or country of residence.

To avail of your Golden Trekker, send an email to goldentrekker@tourismireland.com at least 72 hours prior to your arrival in Ireland, and provide the following information:
o First and last name
o Date of birth
o Passport Number or National Identity Card Number
o Date you wish your Golden Trekker Pass to commence (each pass is valid for four days. If you intend to travel for longer periods, you have to apply for more than one pass.)
o Country of residence
o Email address and/or Postal address
o Origin of first rail journey

Once you have provided this information, your Tourism Ireland agent will process your application for a Golden Trekker, and a confirmation will be delivered to you in time for your trip to Ireland.

To get your the Golden Trekker when you arrive in Ireland, present your Golden Trekker Confirmation at the Irish Rail ticket office in any train station, along with the Passport or National Identity Card used when requesting the Golden Trekker.

For more information on the Golden Trekker visit the Discover Ireland Website by Clicking Here

Where will you be this St Patricks Day?

Join in the fun at the Official St. Patrick’s Day Parade
With the Parade theme in 2010 being ‘Extraordinary World’, the much anticipated annual favorite, the festival Parade features newly commissioned, highly original and inventive street theatre troupes, artists, giant puppetry, dancers and marching bands from Ireland and across the globe. Thousands are anticipated to be cheering on the city streets and many millions more tuning in to the RTE 1 broadcast on TV and live streaming on-line.
Also, don’t miss the World Record Breaking 80 Metre Stiletto Heel Dash kicking off the parade tomorrow in aid of the Marie Keating foundation. The Woman with the most outrageous shoes in the dash will win a voucher for Marks and Spencer!!
Events Details:
Date: Wednesday 17th March
Event: St. Patrick’s Festival Parade
Locations: City Centre, Starting at Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Time: 12 noon

Take a trip to the St Patrick’s Festival Funfair
Make Dublin yours this St. Patrick’s Festival and enjoy the City at Play with Chills, Thrills and Near-Spills. A firm Festival favorite, the spine-tingling Festival Funfair will light up with top-notch carnival fairgrounds, gripping high-flying attractions as well as the much-tamer kiddie rides. And don’t miss the breath-taking views of our Fair City from the 150-foot high Jubilee Wheel.
Event Details:
Venue: Merrion Square
Times: Friday 6.00pm-11.00pm / Saturday-Tuesday 11.00am-11.00pm / Wednesday 11.00am-9.00pm

Click here to visit the official St Patricks Festival Website for more information

Tell us where you will be this St Patrick’s Day!!

Support “Seachtain na Gaeilge” agus Labhair as Gaeilge!!

Seachtain na Gaeilge (2nd – 17th March 2010) is the annual international festival organised by Conradh na Gaeilge to promote the Irish Language. The festival is used as a means to celebrate the Irish language with activities and events organised throughout the country in the weeks leading up to St Patrick's Day in order to facilitate the promotion and use of the Irish language.

With this in mind, here are some useful Irish words & phrases to help along the way!

Failte - Welcome
Dia Dhuit - Hello (pronounced “dia gwuit”)
Conas atá tú? - How are you?
Tá mé go maith. - I am good
Cad is ainm duit? - What is your name?
Claire is ainm dom - My Name is Claire
Slán leat - Goodbye
Is ea – Yes (pronounced “sha”)
Níl – No (pronounced “neil”)
Go raibh maith agat - Thank you
Tá fáilte romhat - You're welcome.
Ba mhaith liom dul go dtí Sráid Grafton - I would like to go to Grafton Street. (pronounced “ba why lum dull guh d srawd Grafton”)
Ní thuigim - I don't understand.
Más é do thoil é - Please.
Ba mhaith liom pinta Guinness le do thoil - I would like a pint of Guinness please

Some of the best and most culturally rich Irish is to be found in the old Irish proverbs. (Seanfhocal – literally meaning “Old Words”)

Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile - One beetle recognizes another. (Meaning: It takes one to know one; Like sees like.)
Níl aon tintéan mar do thintéan féin - There’s no place like home
Dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi... - A woman told me that a woman told her... (Meaning: Don't believe everything you are told. It may be just gossip.)
Is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte - Health is better than wealth.
Molann an obair an fear - The work praises the man (Meaning: Good work is its own reward.)

Whether fluent or not, Seachtain na Gaeilge is an opportunity to experience, practice, learn and enjoy the Irish language. So go on… speak as Gaeilge!

Click here to watch the YouTube video for Seachtain na Gaeilge

Slan go foill! (Bye for now!)

Employee of the Year at the Talbot Hotel Wexford

Employee of the Year at the Talbot Hotel Wexford

Congratulations  to Colm Bennett who has been awarded the employee of the year 2009 in recognition of his outstanding customer service, loyalty and valuable contribution to the Talbot Hotel Wexford.

Stillorgan Park Hotel Awarded Optimus Service Excellence

The Stillorgan Park Hotel has recently been awarded of the Optimus Service Excellence Award. Developed by Fáilte Ireland, Optimus is a multi-tiered programme to support tourism businesses in becoming more efficient and more competitive. The industry is challenged by rising costs and consumers are comparing what Ireland can offer with increasing international alternatives. For many in the industry, Optimus is welcomed as a lever to regain competitive ground. “The hotel has been rigorously tested and judged to exceed the expectations of its guests and to make the best use of its resources,” said Tony Lenehan, Head of Industry Standards and Quality, Fáilte Ireland. “Increasingly consumers will choose Irish hotels that have the Optimus standard and that must be good news for hotels like this.”

The hotel achieved the Optimus award following a deep-rooted review of service and guest satisfaction. “It’s probably one of the most rewarding journeys a business can make,” says Daragh O’Neill, General Manager of the Stillorgan Park Hotel. “For nearly a year we questioned everything we did and tested it against what is known to be excellent service in other countries, quite systematically and always with the customer as the starting point. Standard of Procedures were put in place for all sectors of the business and constant training and re-training of our team has been implemented to accurately measure how we were performing against the best in the field. The effect on guests and staff has been considerable and the Optimus award will flag this achievement to the market.”

For global travellers, hotels displaying the Optimus symbol will offer an assurance that superior service and value for money expectations can be met. For individual hotels, like the Stillorgan Park Hotel, achieving the new standard will have significant marketing and profit advantages. At the heart of Optimus is the customer - and an ongoing tracking system which measures customer satisfaction and identifies areas of improvement. A similar system monitors the commitment of employees to the company’s goals and identifies ways in which to increase morale.

Pictured (Left to Right): Aidan Pender, Fáilte Ireland; Magda Fras, Optimus Coordinator Stillorgan Park Hotel; Redmond O’Donoghue, Chairman Fáilte Ireland; and Daragh O’Neill, General Manager Stillorgan Park Hotel.

Talbot Wexford shares their secret recipes

Paella

Cooking Instructions



INGREDIENTS:

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

½ red pepper, boiled until soft and then cut into long thin strips

2 medium-sized tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

100g peas, cooked

200g prawns (if using cooked prawns substitute fish stock for the water)

200g small clams

200g squid

12 mussels

350g rice (traditionally short grain rice is used but I prefer to use long grain)

2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

a pinch of saffron strands (if you can’t get saffron, use yellow food colouring instead and add it once you have added the liquid)

a sprig of parsley, finely chopped

olive oil

about 800ml water

PREPARATION:

MUSSELS: Wash the mussels, removing the beards. Throw away any that don’t shut on contact with water.

FRESH SQUID: Rub off the outer dark skin. Pull out the insides (including the transparent back bone) and pinch the eye away from the tentacles. Save the tentacles. Cut the squid into rings.

CLAMS: Wash in water and then put in a bowl with some salt so that the grit comes out. Throw away any that are open.

PRAWNS: Whether you peel them or not is up to you. If you decide to peel them, save the shells and boil in water for about ten minutes. Save the liquid and add later instead of water.

GARLIC: In a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, saffron (if using), parsley and a pinch of salt.

RECIPE:

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, green pepper and carrot and fry gently for about five minutes. Add the chopped tomato and squid (with the tentacles) and fry on a low heat for another ten minutes.

Add the rice and stir well to make sure that it is thoroughly coated. Add water (or the water from boiling the prawn shells or fish stock if using frozen fish), clams and the garlic/saffron/parsley mixture and bring to the boil. Season with salt. Put a lid on it, turn the heat right down and cook very slowly for about ten minutes. Add the prawns and peas and give it a stir. Arrange the mussels and strips of red pepper artistically on top, put the lid back on and leave for another ten minutes - checking that it has enough water. If you think it is getting too dry, add more water, but shake the handle of the pan rather than stir so as not to upset the pattern. Once the rice is cooked and the mussels have opened, it is ready to eat.

Talbot Wexford

On the Quay

Wexford

053 912256

http://www.talbotwexford.ie/

Visit the Stillorgan Park Hotel's Wedding Fair Sunday 28th February from 2pm- 6pm

Join us for an informative and entertaining afternoon and meet our experienced wedding co-ordinators who will guide you through your preparations.

Don't miss our..

• Canapes on arrival
• Sample our Wine Selection with our Wine Expert
• Top Bridal Fashion Show
• Wide Range of Exhibitors
• New Wedding Package's from €40 per guest.
• Book your 2010 / 2011 wedding on the day and receive a further 10% off your chosen menu. 
• Chance to win a fabulous weekend away

For further information please contact our Wedding Coordinators on 01 2001800 or email sales@stillorganpark.com

"The Memory Man of Sport", Jimmy Magee visits the Stillorgan Park Hotel

The Staff at the Stillorgan Park Hotel were delighted to wish our Restaurant Supervisor, John McNamara a Happy 50th Birthday last Thursday, the 25th February.

To help him blow out the candles on his cake, John was joined by ‘Memory Man of Sport’ Jimmy Magee. Legendary voice of Irish sport for over half a century, he has covered everything from Olympic Games’ to European and World Cup Finals and from All Ireland Finals to Tours de France. Jimmy Magee has captured the pride and the passion of the most famous and memorable sporting triumphs of our generation.

A nice surprise for John on celebrating his 50th birthday!!

Pictured: Jimmy Magee and the Team at the Stillorgan Park Hotel

The Cookery Course with a Difference

As you know from our previous posts we recently embarked on creating a Learn to Cook Course with our Executive Chef, Enda Dunne. We have hosted gourmet evening’s in the past which proved to be very popular. With this in mind we decided to create a cookery course with a difference.

Enda Dunne said “What made this cooking course so unique is that each class was followed by a dinner party and wine tasting. Our pupils, male and female of all ages showed a great desire to learn to cook from our international senior chef’s in a working hotel environment. But no only that, they then sat down to eat the menu that they had prepared themselves. We have successfully combined a cooking course with a dining out experience aswell.”

The pupils not only enjoyed the fruits of their labour, but also served their course to the rest of the group including the chef’s. We have found that this gave everyone the opportunity to ask questions and also added an element of humorous competition between the teams. We have posted some photos of our Learn to Cook Class hard at work in the kitchen!

The Learn to Cook Course is the only one of its kind in the community and due to popular demand, further course dates will be scheduled in the coming weeks.

As requested by our Learn to Cook Class of January 2010, we have posted Enda’s Sweetbread Recipe which went down a treat when he made it during the course!

Sweetbread Recipe
1 cup all bran
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup mixed dried fruits
1 cup milk
1 cup self rising flour

Mix first four and leave overnight.
Fold in the flour and bake @175-180C for 45 min.

Jedward’s Performance at National Television Awards

John & Edward Grimes, the 18 year old Twins from Dublin set the stage alight with their performance of “Ice Ice Baby” with Vanilla Ice at the National Television awards in Britain last night.

Known for their distinctive blond quiffs and entertaining performances, the identical twins have risen to fame since appearing in the X Factor in 2009 & have created the "Jedward Phenomenon" worldwide.

We think their performance last night stole the show and look forward to see what the Irish Twins do next. Something tells us they have a long career ahead of them!!

We want to know what you think, so have a look and let us know!

Click here to view Jedward’s Performance

VAT Free Food in Talbot Hotels

Due to popular demand the Talbot Hotel Group, Talbot Wexford, Talbot Carlow & the Stillorgan Park Hotel are launching their VAT Free Food initiative during the months of January & February 2010 for the second time.

Due to the success of this initiative in 2009 the Hotel Group have decided to re-launch VAT Free Food for 2010 & will pay the 13.5% VAT on all guest food bills.

VAT Free Food will be launched across each of the hotels on January 1st 2010.

Eating out has never been so affordable!