ALLWAYS IRELAND has holidays to suit all interests - from walking to a tapestry-and-embroidery weekends, to golfing and murder-mystery events with a 1930s Caribbean theme. The tapestry-and- embroidery weekend takes place in Carrickfergus on November, 12th to 14th - it costs £110stg and is limited to 16. The golf break is for seniors available for midweek playing - based at the Galgorm Manor Hotel close to Ballymena, this break provides four rounds of 18-holes during your three-night stay. Murder-and-mystery takes place on November 19th to 21st in Co Antrim. Details from 54 Harbour Road, Carnlough, Co Antrim, BT44 0EU - phone 080 1574 885995, website www.allways.ireland@virgin.net
Christmas in the Canaries is still available from Budget Holidays. Lanzarote for 11 nights from December 18th, from £479, will get you back just in time to celebrate the New Year at home. Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura are also available for the same time for seven and eight night stays from £369. After Christmas breaks from December 26th are available in Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura from £459. New for the winter are cruises from the Canary Islands from £699. Details from your local ITAA travel agent or from Budget on (01) 6311111.
Ryan Holidays is running its famous £99 special during the winter in its Killarney, Limerick and Dun Laoghaire hotels - that's three nights, breakfast served until noon and dinner each night. The same break will cost £109 in the Metropole in Cork and the Gresham in Dublin, and £119 in Galway. Prices are per person sharing. Details from callsave 1850 777 777 - and why not ask about the special offer to London of £179 for a midweek break.
The many Irish people with holiday homes in northern Spain will be delighted to hear that Michael Stein Travel, at (01) 4755401, has a twice weekly flight to Alicante on Wednesdays and Sundays from November 3rd. Prices from £229.
If you don't have your own place, you could take the opportunity to try the Paradores of Spain who offer terrific savings from November to March. Contact Lorna Roberts at Barr an Bhaile, Aillebrack, Ballyconneely, Co Galway - phone (095) 23511 who will be happy to fill you in on what's available.
Closer to home, a three-day weekend break to Liverpol costs £75 per person for four people and a car travelling from Dublin on Friday nights on Merchant Ferries vessel and returning on Monday morning. Accommodation on board in is luxury two-berth cabins and in Liverpool in the famous Adelphi Hotel. Book before the end of November. This offer runs until the end of February. Details from (01) 8192999.
jscales@irish-times.ie