I feel compelled to take a few minutes and thank your team for our wonderful week in Ireland.

It's been a few days since we returned home from Ireland. In the midst of the usual post-vacation catch-up, I feel compelled to take a few minutes and thank your team for our wonderful week in Ireland. Alison Lonergan and Eric Lye did masterful work planning and hosting my wife, Tammi's surprise 60th birthday trip.

I have been working with Alison since October. She first planned a trip for six (Tammi & me, our two children and their spouses). Then after I moved dates and added Tammi's sister and her husband, Alison replanned it for eight without so much as batting an eye. [I think you met Terri and John when they stopped in to load a wheelchair from your depot.] As requested, Alison booked hotels within walking distance to pubs, cafes, restaurants, shops -- just perfect locations. Even with John's limited mobility, he was able to venture out and experience the local fare. When I later asked for a manor house stay, Alison suggested and booked Ballynahinch Castle. We all loved the two nights there!

Alison was very helpful with our restaurant bookings as well, recommending a mix of traditional and "foodie" fare at stops along our tour. She worked around limited opening times and confirmed every reservation ahead of our arrival. We didn't experience a single hiccup the whole week! Dinner at Davy Byrne's on Tammi's birthday (the day we landed), was a terrific start. Their staff had as much fun helping us celebrate as we had pulling them into the revelry. Of note, on a Monday in Kinsale, Max's is an excellent choice. Chef's food was outstanding, paired with Ann Marie & her daughter, Siobhan, as delightful hosts.

Alison was also instrumental in securing an 11th hour booking at Old Head Golf for my son, Jonathan, and me. Reserving a 7:15 tee time, she enabled us to delay our group departure from Kinsale by only an hour. Teeing off first that day, we were assigned their most senior caddie, Ian. He saved us at least a half-dozen strokes and lost balls. I was told to expect Pebble Beach on steroids. Old Head didn't disappoint... just spectacular! Checked off a Bucket-list item and made an unforgettable father-son memory.

Next, our whole family was thoroughly impressed with Eric Lye, our Host & Coach driver. What an amazing font of Irish history and culture! We have had guides accompany our travels around Europe in the past, but we've never experienced a host as prepared, well-versed, informed in ancient/medieval/...contemporary micro- and macro-history as Eric. At no point did we feel like we were being lectured. Instead, we revelled in entertainment from a master storyteller who would engage in conversation as shallow or deep as we wished to go. And delving into local culture, Eric would regale us with humorous stories and jokes to fill travel time, including those involving his family.

Tuesday evening in Killarney, we asked Eric if we could detour the next day to Ross Castle, the 14-17th century home of our son-in-law, Trevor Donahue's ancestors. Eric drove us there first thing the next morning. On the way, we were surprised to find that Eric had read up on Ross Castle history the night before, and was ready to inform of its historic past. He answered all of Trevor's questions.

Eric battled a cold the back half of the week, but he gutted his way through it and never let it affect his driving or guiding. He's a special, special ICT resource... Ireland's English national treasure! We miss him already.

So thanks again to your team for a wonderful trip. We'll be talking about it for years to come.

Slainte!

Eric Stahre on behalf of Tammi Stahre, Jonathan & Lindsey Stahre, Trevor & Katie Donahue, and John & Terri Fitzgerald