Sir, - I have just returned from a holiday to the West of Ireland, intended as a touring and walking holiday with my dog. Being aware of the foot-and-mouth scare in Ireland, I was conscious of possible restrictions on my planned activities. For several weeks before my visit I had monitored the Internet sites of the Irish Tourist Board and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development for information and also phoned the tourist board for advice on several occasions. The information obtained, along with Mr McDaid's statement that Ireland was open for tourism, prompted me to proceed with my visit.
Unfortunately, the foot-and-mouth restrictions were far more severe than I had been led to expect and the holiday was a bitter disappointment. On numerous occasions I would follow signposts to tourist sites, driving several miles before finding that they were closed. Each day became a challenge to find somewhere different to walk with my dog. Signposted walks would be closed part-way along their length, leaving you with no alternative but to retrace your steps. Plans to tour in my car were curtailed because of the difficulty in finding places to exercise my dog. One day I drove for over six hours, unable to find anywhere suitable that wasn't closed off. In the end I simply decided to cut short my holiday.
My letter is not intended to be a criticism of Ireland's foot-and-mouth measures (though it is difficult to see what protection can be obtained from carpeting that is either bone dry or rain sodden); rather, of the misleading message to tourists. For a Government Minister and tourist officers to claim that Ireland is open for tourism is disingenuous. This may be the case in major towns and cities, but rural Ireland was quite definitely closed with available information providing a misleading picture. It may well be possible to drive through and admire the countryside, but God forbid you should want to stop and photograph it or view it more closely, even away from the National Parks and forests.
My family and friends are planning to visit Munster in the summer; I have advised them that if restrictions are in place they should cancel the holiday, otherwise they would also have a frustrating experience. Over the past 12 years my family and I have visited Ireland many times for business, leisure activities and holidays and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Unfortunately, my recent experience has left me feeling very disappointed and reluctant to return in the future. - Yours, etc.,
Nigel D. Dawson, Bacup, Lancashire, England