Romantic Ireland is alive and kicking

Springtime is the most significant time of the year for romance, and of course St Valentine?s Day is the most special day. Gifts of roses and cards filled with love messages are equally the rage in Ireland as anywhere else in the world. For some Dublin lovers it is also the time for the blessing of the rings at Whitefriars Church near the city centre, as it is the last resting place of St Valentine himself. You can take a peak at the saintly remains if you visit the church.

There are so many options for those who take a romantic break on the Emerald Isle, be it the first time away together to while the night away in the dance clubs of Dublin or Belfast, for that unforgettable honeymoon, or even to mark the Emerald anniversary of twenty years together. For those who desire consummate luxury, then the ultimate treat is to stay at one of a myriad of plush Irish castles with levels of comfort beyond imagination. Ashford Castle in Cong, Co. Mayo, has an incredibly scenic location on the shores of Lough Corrib. The 13th century castle was where the actor, Pierce Brosnan, tied the knot. Kinnity Castle, in Co. Offaly, in the centre of the country, offers supreme period elegance and four-poster beds. The great Country Houses are no less salubrious, and provide legendary warm Irish welcomes, but are less heavy on the wallet. Rosleague Manor with its roaring log fires and antique furniture is in the wilds of scenic Connemara. Sheen Falls Lodge has a health spa and is near the colourful and lively town of Kenmare, a gateway to the famous Ring of Kerry.

Restaurants are the most traditional place to propose. Many Irish castles and country houses have their own award-winning restaurants. Alternatively, a night out in one of those wonderful small restaurants dotted all over Ireland will provide a more intimate experience and could spur some unorchestrated spontaneity. Pangur Ban in Letterfrack, Co. Galway is a cosy cottage with a thatched roof where you can dine on local fare, from the freshest Atlantic fish to Irish stew. The restaurant at the Bushmills Inn in Bushmills, Co. Antrim, has intimate snugs and offers tasty cuisine in a traditional setting. You can even end the evening with a glass of triple distilled and smooth Bushmills whiskey from the ancient distillery down the road.

Those looking for a slightly unusual location to propose could try popping the question on a balloon flight over the green hills and valleys of Ireland. To date, Irish Balloon Flights boast a 100% success rate for those who go on bended knee in the basket way above the tree line.

The precarious rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede in Co. Antrim is an equally vertiginous place to make the decisive move. One adventurous man did, with champagne corks a popping, and was accepted. Perhaps the thrill of it all and the excitement of the prospect ahead was what moved him to be original and choose the middle of the gently swaying bridge with its spectacular backdrop of cliffs and foamy sea.

Oysters are renowned as an aphrodisiac, as is Guinness stout. At the International Oyster Festival, held in September in Galway, the oysters are plentiful and the Guinness flows freely, so you never know what might happen. The unique blend of the two is guaranteed to get the juices flowing even in the most unromantic of souls.

Those looking for that elusive ideal partner should visit Lisdoonvarna in Co. Clare. The local matchmaking festival runs through September and guarantees a better chance of meeting an ideal mate than through Internet dating. The professional matchmakers boast years of experience and much success, but if you?re not lucky, the music, dancing and merriment lasts all day and all night for a whole month.

You can make a romantic wish when you interlock your hands in an embrace around St Kevin?s cross in the monastic village of Glendalough in Co. Wicklow. Glendalough is a wonderful mystical valley with two serene lakes, one of which is rumoured to be the home of an Irish version of the Lough Ness monster. St Kevin, the local hermit monk, lived here long ago in a small hut high up on the hillside above the lake with the monster serpent. Given the romantic power of the cross it is a great irony that he rebuffed the only amorous advance ever made to him by a young novice nun and threw her down the cliff and into the lake to her death. A recluse, he preferred the company of the serpent, animals and birds to humans. He famously stood in the freezing lake with his arms outstretched until a crow that had landed on his hands and built its nest had hatched its young.

One of the most romantic drives in Ireland is immortalized in the Van Morrison song Coney Island. His early Sunday morning drive along the western shores of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland, with his loved one beside him, seems idyllic in the Autumn sunshine. On their journey they pass through Downpatrick, where St Patrick is buried, Ardglass, St John?s Point, Portaferry (where they buy some fresh mussels from the lake), and Killyleagh. The crooner enthuses, ?Wouldn?t it be great if it could be like this all the time?.

To cast a magic love spell should really be the last option and is not recommended if you don?t want to run the risk of turning your loved one into a toad. In ancient times, the Celtic Druids used all kinds of plants and herbs for their love potions. It is no great surprise that rose petals were used, but strawberries, apple blossoms, cherries, lavender and vervain were also common ingredients. The most sacred druidic herb was mistletoe, which is still hung in Irish houses at Christmas, and a kiss underneath a bunch will seal a love forever. Collect it from a magical oak tree to get the best effect, but avoid puckering distant aunts with well ?rouged? lips early in the evening if you are planning to be successful later. Christmas is also the time to cradle a couple of traditional hot toddies (hot whiskeys with lemon and cloves) in front of a turf fire in a country pub.

Sunsets are special times for couples and Ireland has some spectacular fiery displays all year round. For many there could be no more romantic feeling than gliding across a mirror ocean towards the end of a perfect day. The best sailing craft for this experience is, of course, the elegant Galway Hooker, a traditional wooden sailing boat with red sails.

The famous Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy (who wrote hits for Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis) was inspired by such a trip out of Portstewart in Co. Antrim to pen his most famous of songs: ?Red sails in the sunset, Way out on the sea, Oh carry my loved one Home safely to me . . .?

Contact Information: Ashford Castle, Cong, Co. Mayo. Ireland, Tel: 094 954 6003. Web-site: www.ashford.ie. Kinnitty Castle, Kinnitty, Birr, Co. Offaly, Ireland. Tel: 0509 37318. Web-site: www.kinnitycastle.com. Rosleague Manor, Letterfrack, Co. Galway, Tel: 095 41101. Web-site: www.rosleague.com Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, Web-site: www.sheenfallslodge.ie For a trip in a Galway Hooker: The Truelight, Carna, Connemara, Co. Galway, Tel: 095 21034, Web-site: www.truelight.ie Galway Oyster Festival, 22-25 September 2005. Web-site: www.galwayoysterfest.com Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival; Web-site: www.matchmakerireland.com. Irish Balloon Flights, 80 Cypress Road, Templeogue, Co. Dublin, Tel: 01 406 4777; Web-site: www.balloons.ie

For information on Ireland contact Tourism Ireland: Tel: 02 9299 6177 e-mail: info@tourismireland.com.au www.tourismireland.com.au