TDY Gouge - Ireland

Dublin Ireland - Finnstown Country Inn and Golf Club ($112 per night). 10 miles south of the city near Casement Aerodrome. Under the per diem rate. Bring your clubs. Have dinner in the Hotel. Take a cab to downtown Dublin (10 punts per trip = $14 US). Go to the Temple Bar area. The girl/dude ratio is 6/1 in Dublin. All the pubs close at 1130 and everyone makes a MAD rush for the discos. You must be precise about this timing or your screwed and won't get in for some time (no joke). Keep a close eye on your watch no matter how piss drunk and make a dash for "Club M". This is the sweetest place in town where the chicks go and the liquor flows. Enjoy. Fitzwilliams Hotel 00353-1-478-7000 is a palace, located in the pedestrian area at the end of the Temple Bar area in Dublin. Hotel has really thick bathrobes. It also has a high flow water shower for thorough carcass scrubbing. ~The Davenport Hotel (phone: 353 1 6073900) was a palace! Hotel arranged by Embassy (congressional lift), so probably above per diem (150 euro). 3 minute walk to Trinity College and 10 minute to pub district. Breakfast not included, but good bar and restaurant in Hotel.

Limerick, Ireland - Limerick Ryan Hotel 061-453933/061-326333 was decent. We flew into Shannon International (EINN) on our way back from OEF. DAO can arrange transpo from the FBO to the hotel as well as hotel reservations if you ask them. The hotel was fine. It is a 15-20 minute walk from O'Connell Street (which is where several pubs and restaurants are). Durty Nelly's has good food but that's about it. It's a tourist trap for Americans. The pub in the bottom of the Old George Hotel is a good time. If you have the time, Bunratty Castle and the Cliffs of Moher are nice to visit. The people are all very friendly. The only problem children were our own. ~Clarion Hotel Limerick (phone: 061 444 100) was a nice hotel. Hotel arranged through DAO (congressional lift). $165 per night free broadband, breakfast included. One block from Dolan's Pub which has good food, but a slightly older crowd.

~The Limerick Hilton was awesome! It was about a 25 minute drive from the Shannon Airport but our handler arranged for a 'pathfinder' to lead us to the hotel. They ended up putting our whole crew on the 'Executive Floor'. You needed your room key to access the floor on the elevator and the floor was complete with it's own lounge with free breakfast, free beverages throughout the day, and a free cocktail hour at night! The cocktail hour had beer, wine, and some liquor. Our rooms were very nice and were decked out with free bottled water, sparkling water and cookies when we arrived. The gym was nice as was the pool (they are both billed as a spa/fitness club but you get free admission as a guest on the executive floor). They require swimming caps to use the pool, which you can purchase there if you forget to pack yours! Pubs and clubs are everywhere and are all within walking distance of the Hilton. For some sightseeing check out Bunratty castle, its about a 20 minute drive from the hotel.

Shannon Ireland - Limerick-Ryan Hotel (353-61-453-922) was decent. Shannon is a great place for an RON or gas and go. Great service from Shannon FBO (353-61-475-444) Radio Freq 131.675. The hotel rooms are average, clean but older. They are recarpeting the rooms. Nice pub at hotel and breakfast was included. It's about a 20 minute bus ride from the airport. It's very convenient to Limerick, short cabride to town. Many PUBS to visit, Disco's start after the Pubs close down on the weekends. Bunratty Castle is a neat place to visit and you can grab a pint of Guiness at Durty Nelly's right outside the castle. Aircrews heading towards the US, make sure you contact Shanwick Oceanic (121.7) 45 minutes prior to engine start to work your oceanic clearance. Clarion hotel was a palace! Great hotel right on the river. Numerous pubs within 5 blocks. Doolans Pub is three blocks from the hotel. Full service bar and complementary bfast in the morning. Various restaurants nearby also.

May 2009-U.S. Alliance was an awesome FBO. Declean was the man & made sure all of our needs were met. He even hooked us up with a last minute tee time & arranged to have a vehicle bring us. Stayed one night in The Strand Hotel in Limmerick...used to be a Hilton in 2008. Free breakfast high-speed internet & right across the bridge from downtown with ample places to get your Guiness fix. For excellent Fish & Chips go to The Golden Grill (the consierge will point you in the right direction) When you check out, the hotel gives you a 20 Euro voucher good to use @ the Duty Free shop in the Shannon terminal. Declean hooks you up with a ride to the jet & will ferry your crew back and forth to the Duty Free shop. If you are the AC, you are entitled to a "Captain's bottle" for gettiing gas, good for one bottle of booz up to 15 Euro in the Duty Free shop. Sweet!