Sir, - Having read Dick Hogan's article about farmhouse holidays(Southern Report, December 1st), I am quite surprised that Ms Eileen McDonogh of Irish Farmhouse Holidays Ltd feels tourists will find they become part of a family and learn first-hand about local customs and history.
Having made my first trip to Ireland this past August with my husband and two daughters, I would have to say we found the opposite to be true. I was truly disappointed in the farmhouses we stayed at - because there was a very real lack of warmth and hospitality. When we decided to make the trip to Ireland (a trip I had been waiting to make since I was a small child), we looked for a way to encounter and learn about not only the local customs but the people themselves. When we found out about Irish Farmhouse Holidays we were thrilled. We felt this was exactly what we were looking for. What we discovered was that farmhouse owners were pleasant, but had absolutely no interest in carrying on conversations other than to inquire about the time of your morning meal. It was evident that they were pleased you were there and pleased to take your money, but even more pleased that you would soon be on your way. Were we rude and unpleasant ourselves? No! We are a polite and easy-going family. Even my daughters (16 and 11) who can strike up a conversation with anyone had no luck!
Needless to say, I was devastated. My anticipation of 40 years in no way matched the final reality. Had it not been for a final stop in Dublin I would say I would never return to your country. It was only in this city that we found true hospitality and friendliness. Friendly people approached from every direction. Walking down a street, we'd be asked if we needed directions; a cab driver picked me up, but because he was making a delivery and couldn't take me the full distance, he refused to charge me a fare; we struck up a casual conversation with someone on the street and wound up having coffee together and discussed events in both our countries. So I would tell Ms McDonogh she should include in her lessons a section on how not to make guests feel like trespassers. If not, this industry that has "not yet reached its full potential" may well end up discouraging business and visitors - not just from the farmhouses but from Ireland itself. - Yours, etc., Kathleen McNamara-Larmett,
Annandale, Virginia, USA.