How does Ireland break the script?
Clipping along in a horse-drawn buggy through four-leaf-clover-green Irish hills, over ancient stone bridges, and past pure blue lochs. Now THAT breaks the palm-trees-and-beach incentive travel script! You know, the trips that leave you wondering years later as you flip through pictures if you were in Hawaii, the Caribbean, or Mexico? But Ireland…breathtaking, surprising, unforgettable. For those who visit, it’s akin to finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Magic.
VENUES
The script has a tropical-theme hotel, the convention-style ballroom with psychedelic carpet the location for your farewell night. Nothing about that scenario creates memories that motivate. Time to break that script!
How about reserving all three floors of the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin where your guests can pull their own pints while eating delicious Irish pub grub and listening to an incredible U2 cover band? Imagine staying where the constitution of Ireland was written—the 5-star, landmark Shelbourne Hotel in Ireland’s capital city, your room overlooking St. Stephen’s Green. What could be more Irish and out-of-the-box than drinking in the views of Loch Leane and the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks Mountains from the sleek, modern balcony of the Europe Hotel and Resort in Killarney, roast lamb in hand? Now see yourself in a sumptuous hall where kings and queens have supped in the magnificent, vine-covered Luttrellstown Castle built in the 1400’s, being entertained by fantastic Irish performers like the Key Notes and the lovely Lisa Lambe. Extraordinary locations like these break the script and transport each guest to another time and place.
TRAVEL
The script has some hired buses with sketchy air conditioning transporting the group from one location to another. Break that script!
For our group travel from Dublin to Killarney, we prefer renting a private train from Irish Rail and stocking it full of roving musicians, magicians, and entertainers for our guests to enjoy while eating their gourmet box lunches. Not only does that give us the flexibility to control departure times, but it makes the travel a memorable, exciting part of the trip. A to B suddenly = PARTY!
ADVENTURES
The script has some pool time, followed by some beach time, followed by a group dinner in the hotel’s dining room. Where’s the fun in that?! This is your chance to break the script and create peak moments of insight and WOW!
How about immersing yourself in Irish culture and history at Muckross House, Gardens, and Traditional Farm where you can learn everything from Irish shepherding, to turf cutting, to falconry, to the Gaelic game of hurling–a breakneck combination of rugby, lacrosse, and baseball. Next explore Killarney National Park, the Gap of Dunloe, Black Valley and Lakes. We recommend a 7 mile jaunt by horse and trap through the stunning Gap of Dunloe, down through the Black Valley, and ending at Lord Brandon’s Cottage for lunch. Then hop on boats for the return trip down the successive lakes and rivers, passing under ancient stone bridges, making your way to picturesque Ross Castle. Get ready to create your own version of Owen Wilson’s “wow” reel. It’s just that amazing!
Memories motivate, especially if they are script-breaking moments loaded with sensory appeal, insight, and elevation. Ireland grants those wishes for those lucky enough to visit there. Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!
Check out our Ireland Podcast:
Destinations’ Brand Ambassador Kip Lambert and Maeve O’Connor with Irish Horizons discuss the All-Ireland Hurling Championships, making authentic Irish meat pies, medieval feasts in real-life castles, exploring the Cliffs of Moher by Land Rover, and other ways to “break the script” on an incentive adventure to the Emerald Isle.
