Prague, Czech Republic.

Galway is the festival capital Ireland. It has a thriving youth culture and a richly diverse blend of events and attractions throughout the year. It is a vibrant, friendly city and a powerful magnet for tourists from all over the world.

‘Going to Galway’ has become synonymous with ‘going on holiday’ or ‘getting away from it all’. ‘Going to Galway’ means stepping off the treadmill of life and entering that other dimension where imagination reigns supreme, where fun and merriment dictate your progress from day to day.

Galway is celebrated for its lively pubs, atmospheric restaurants and dynamic street entertainment. There are concerts, displays and exhibitions throughout the year. Music, conversation and laughter seem to emanate from the very walls.

The Galway Races, Galway Arts Festival and the Galway Oyster Festival are three of the most successful events in Ireland and, as such, attract many thousands of new and returning visitors annually. Bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation in Galway is understandably at a premium during these events and is usually booked well in advance by regular visitors and devotees.

According to a recent Bord Failte report, mainland Europe produced the strongest growth in overseas visitors to Ireland with significant increases from France, Spain and the Nordic countries, and good growth from Italy, Germany and Switzerland. In addition, the emerging markets in Eastern and Central Europe continue to generate significant increases.

The report added that visitor satisfaction levels with their holiday in Ireland remained high in 2007: “For 93% their holiday either exceeded or matched their expectations and 98% said they would recommend a holiday in Ireland. Their satisfaction with specific elements of their holiday here was very consistent: beautiful scenery (90%); friendly people (86%); natural, unspoilt environment (80%); and safety and security (78%).”

Thousands of these visitors gravitate unerringly to Galway beguiled by the city’s magical reputation and a host of travellers’ tales.

Downings, which is located in North West Donegal, Ireland is one of the most scenic areas on the Atlantic Ocean. And, the facilities on offer for a complete and relaxing family holiday are second to none. One proviso though, the weather. Sometimes the wind gets up but for the serious windsurfer, this is a boost.

The area around Downings, including Carrigart, is very much tourist oriented with golden sandy beaches, breathtaking scenery, four golf courses, equestrian center, angling facilities (with various charter boats), sub aqua facilities, indoor leisure center (with swimming pool, gym and sauna) open to the public. The local GAA Club has its own gym, which is also open to the public and they hold various training camps during the summer months.

So, to give the parents a break, you can sign up for a week’s activities for the children who will improve their football skills and also learn the Irish language. The Downings beach hosts an annual windsurfing and raft racing competition each August and is an ideal and safe beach for swimmers. Downings also hosts a festival over the August bank holiday with many attractions especially for the younger generation. The Rosapenna Hotel complex includes two quality golf courses and in August each year, you can partake in the open week with prizes galore on offer. In the Rosgoill peninsula, there are four hotels, three independent restaurants and a number of lounge bars and public houses. There are approximately 300 holiday homes in the immediate area. These have been built over a period extending back several years, but there is presently a substantial short fall of holiday properties available. This has been brought about by the seven-year cap imposed on the construction of holiday homes within residential areas. The effect of this limit is that the proportion of holiday homes to conventional residences cannot exceed a maximum of twenty percent.

That proportion has largely been reached already in the Downings, Carrigart, Glenree and immediate surrounding areas. The effect of this is that any properties that have prior planning without the residential clause will attract strong levels of demand. The strong demand for holiday homes arises primarily from the development of the several golf courses in the Downings and Rosapenna areas including, in particular, the 36-hole Rosapenna golf course originally designed by Tom Morris. Work has also started on a Jack Nicklaus 36-hole golf course, presently under construction and within approximately 2 miles from Carrigart and 4 miles from Downings. Planning has also been granted for two more large hotels. A marina has also been mentioned as a possibility in Mulroy bay.

The majority of the market for holiday homes over the past 10 years has been from Northern Ireland due to its close proximity and accessibility, being no more than about two hours away. A large percentage of these purchasers would have come on holidays here with their parents as children and have now grown up and have young families themselves. The tourist season now extends right throughout the year with holiday homes being in constant use during the summer months and most weekends throughout the winter apart from the month of December. However, this area has now effectively become a Golf Mecca and is likely to attract interest in holiday homes from as far away as America and Japan. The Donegal Estate Agent in Carrigart known as Rosgoill Properties will provide you with all the details of holiday homes for sale. Whether a walker, cyclist, golfer, windsurfer, fisherman, diver, you will find that the Downings area will cater for your every need.

Figures from the Central Statistics Office in Ireland show that there was another big jump in the number of people on the Live Register last month. The number of job seekers signing on for dole payments rose by almost 1,000 per day during the month of June, by far the highest amount ever recorded. It brought the total on the dole to 220,811 - the highest for a decade, worrying us all.

It we multiply this up over the months left to Christmas, well its not good. Better leave it at that. However something rather interesting is stirring in the land. The number of small and micro businesses start ups is going up. So maybe when things are good and we all have jobs the motivation to start our own businesses is not strong. When that climate alters it stimulates us to start looking at our options. It is interesting to note that adversity or the threat of adversity stimulates entrepreneurial spirit much more than plentiful jobs.

So can it be a good time to start a micro business when there is so much uncertainty. Maybe - the micro business is the only business that we soul be considering in these uncertain times. Maybe - gone are the days of the big big loans, big gig risk, long payback times and reliance on a buoyant economy. Maybe - we are growing into the time when small is beautiful when it comes to our new business set ups. Maybe - sustainability in our business structure today has as much meaning as the need for constant growth in the previous decade.

Henry Street is located just off O’Connell Street (Dublin’s main thoroughfare) right in the heart of the city. If heading north on O’Connell Street, just take a left at ‘The Spire’ and you’re there!

Henry Street is definitely the place to go if you want to shop ’til you drop, as it’s literally overflowing with shops and it’s pedestrianised too. It’s home to the Jervis Centre, which is the largest shopping centre in Dublin city centre, with every kind of shop located under the one roof. Another popular shopping centre on Henry Street is the Ilac Centre, which is home to shops like Roches Stores, Dunnes and Argos.

A visit to Arnotts is a must when shopping in Henry Street. It opened in 1843 so it’s one of the oldest in the city! It’s a particulary good place to stop off if you’re looking for clothing, houseware and cosmetics.

Other notable shops on Henry Street include Penny’s, Marks & Spencers, Debenhams, HMV and some high street stores like Oasis, A-Wear, Sasha, Zara and River Island.

While on Henry Street it’s really worth taking a stroll down Moore Street - a colourful and lively market area which has become an attraction in itself!

If you want Dublin hotels in the Henry Street area we suggest you check into the nearby Abbey Hotel, the Ripley Court Hotel, the Gresham Hotel, the Royal Dublin Hotel, Cassidy’s Hotel and Lynam’s Hotel.

Grafton Street is the other shopping destination in Dublin and is located on the south side of the River Liffey stretching from College Green up to St. Stephen’s Green. It’s also a pedestrainised street lined with high street shops, shoe shops, jewelry shops and the odd souvenir shop.

Grafton Street is home to the fashionable Brown Thomas store where you can buy designer gear, so if you’re looking for Gucci, Prada or Chanel head here.

Other shops to be found on this street include Vero Moda, Next, A-Wear, Oasis and some designer stores like Pia Bang, Karen Millen, Ted Baker, Laura Ashley and Reiss.

At the top of Grafton Street, you’ll see the St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, which has over 100 shops under one roof. It’s a definite stop-off if you’re a visitor to Dublin as it’s got some very good gift and souvenir shops.

When the shopping is done, take the time to soak up the atmosphere on the street, as Grafton Street is renowned for its street entertainment. It was here, in fact, that many famous musicians started their career like Glen Hansard and Damien Rice who both started off as buskers on this very street!

If you want to be close to Grafton Street then choose Dublin hotels like Buswells Hotel, the Central Hotel, O Callaghan Mont Clare Hotel, Premier Suites Dublin Stephen’s Hall, the Grafton Capital Hotel, the Westbury Hotel, Brooks Hotel, Drury Court Hotel or the Conrad Hotel.

There are also some really good shopping centres outside Dublin city. If you’re going shopping at the Liffey Valley Centre we suggest you stay at the nearby Clarion Hotel Dublin Liffey Valley, for the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre stay at the Ballymum Plaza, or the Park Plaza Tyrrelstown. For The Square Shopping Centre in Tallaght, stay nearby at the Abberley Court Hotel or if you’re heading for the Dundrum Shopping Centre, stay at the Stillorgan Park Hotel.