IRISH TOURIST DEVELOPMENT.
ITO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:A '
SIR,—It may be alleged that, owing to the International Exhibition in London, the American Presidential Election, and the depression of trade in England; the tourist traffic to Ireland during 1908 was rather dull; but there are indications that the present season will be a good one. The number of those who are regular visitors to Ireland, as distinguished from those who make an experimental trip, is steadily on the increase. - Perhaps the opening of a branch office at 65 Hay- market by the Irish Tourist Development Company for the purpose of further developing Irish tourist traffic may do something in this direction. In any case, Mr. Richard Croker, the late " boss " of Tammany Hall, announces a monster pilgrimage of forty thousand visitors next year from America. In the meanwhile I wish to draw atten- tion to a few new developments in Irish tourist traffic. Two companies have initiated the idea of eight-day con- tract tickets in Ireland : the Dublin and South-Eastern Railway have inaugurated a system of eight-day tours, by which for the sum of £1 first, 15s. second, and 10s. tbird.class any one who presents a ticket from a British railway company May use the railway for a week. This includes excursions by
railway to Bray, Wicklow, Rathnew for the Devil's Glen and the Pass of Dunran, Rathdrum for the Valley of Glendalough, the Seven Churches, and the Vale of Glenmalure, Ovoca for the Meeting of the Waters, Woodenbridge, the Old Town of Wexford, New Ross for St. Mary's Abbey, the Abbeys of Dunbrody and Tintern and Waterford. Similar tickets are also issued covering the hundred miles of the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway, as well as the steamers which run from Faham to Ramelton and Portsalon. These excursions include the whole of Inishowen from Buncrana to Carndonagh, Letterkenny, Creeslough, Dunfanaghy, Gweedore, and Burton Port. In this case the contract tickets are still cheaper, being 15s. first, lls. 3d. second, and 7s. 6d. third class. At Rosa- penna, in North Donegal, the hotel, which is close to the golf- links, has been practically doubled in size, while a small hotel, quite clean, simple, and beautifully situated, has been opened at Fintragh Bay, three miles from Killybegs, in South Donegal. In addition to this, the Strabane and Letterkenny Railway, which was opened last January, gives a much more direct route to Rosapenna and Dunfanaghy.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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