Dear Friend,

Thank you very kindly for your interest in Celtica Music & Tours. I'm really looking forward to next year's trip, because it's truly a holiday for me.

I hope you'll join me, and sign up right away. My tours are more like a small group of friends traveling together than a typical bus tour, so spaces fill up quickly.

One thing I'm proudest of is the intimate, friendly spirit on Celtica trips. If you wouldn't be caught dead on a tour, this is the trip for you. Small groups, native knowledge of the best sights, sounds and food in Ireland, and music every single night— that's how I travel in Ireland, and I want you to come along with me!

Celtica Music & Tours is designed to plunge you deep into Irish culture, history and daily life. My friends fill me in on the most fascinating, out-of-the-way places that you can't find listed in any guidebook, and that's where we go... no noisy, crowded, overrated tourist attractions for me.

And if there's one thing I know, it's where to find the wonderful traditional Irish music we all love. On my tours—whether it's West Cork, Galway, Sligo or even Dublin—I take you to where the music is every evening. Or some of my local musician friends will show up, and we'll sing and play for you—as long as there's music, laughter and friends, I'm happy, and I find my guests are, too!

We even have fun as we travel between stops. Have you ever been on one of those typical coach tours? We’ve been known to pass them by, singing, laughing and carrying on, and you can’t help but compare their long faces to the good time we’re having.

For the upcoming trip, I’ve planned stops in some of my favorite places. The lovely Beara Peninsula... the Kerry Mountains and seaside Ballycotton... musical Dingle... picturesque Kinsale... even a boat trip out to the Blasket Islands. I plan to show you beautiful vistas, delightful walks, traditional villages and incredible countryside—not to mention the poignant reminders of times past that are everywhere in Ireland.

And every evening—the tastes and sounds of Ireland! Dinner, music, craic*—what could be better?

I’m so devoted to getting off the beaten track, guests who’ve been to Ireland many times before tell me they’ve never seen Ireland quite this way. And that’s my goal—no "packaged" Ireland for me or my guests. Instead, you get the real Ireland that I love—and you meet my friends, see my favorite places and enjoy my favorite music.

This is a once-a-year trip for me, so it’s truly a holiday. Please come along, and get to know the heart of Ireland! Just fill in the Reservation Form and send it back to me. Since I only take a limited number of guests with me, I urge you to make your reservation right away -- and as I mentioned before, if you respond by December 31, I’ll also send you my new CD, Recollections Vol. 1, FREE!—just to help you get in the right mood for our trip.

I’d hate for you to miss this trip, so please don’t delay in reserving your space. I’ll look forward to getting your reservation form soon, and even more, to traveling with you.

Hoping to see you soon!

Sincerely,

Robbie O’Connell

P.S. Don’t put off planning this trip—it pains me when someone tries to reserve a spot and I have to turn them away because the tour is already full.

*craic - Gaelic for the wonderful mixture of music, friends and fun!