Clients visiting Galway can take the opportunity to discover the natural beauty of Connemara on a day trip to some of the region’s top sights with cycling company Fat Bike Galway.

Founder and owner Martin Brannelly says guests are able to explore the area on an electric fat bike and admire the diverse landscapes on a private guided excursion with roundtrip transportation from Galway.

The tallest hotel on the island of Ireland, the Grand Central, has been awarded a five-star rating by the AA.

The AA inspector’s report noted the hotel’s ‘five-star service delivered by a friendly and engaging team’ and said ‘the diverse, spacious and versatile public areas present extremely well, having benefited from some serious investment.’

Crindle Stables, a horse riding school in Northern Ireland, has announced some special events in the first quarter of next year.

A group beach experience will be held to mark Valentines Day on 12 February and a Ceili, Craic and Forest Hack will take place for St Patrick’s Day on Friday 17 March.

The Grafton is one of Dublin 2’s newest four-star hotels, designed for city stays for business, couples, friends and families.

This newly refurbished hotel is positioned adjacent to South King Street, a minute from Grafton Street and St Stephens Green, and within walking distance of landmark visitor attractions

Hanna’s Close offers self-catering cottages in Kilkeel, Co. Down.

This traditional ‘Claghan’ of original 17th Century cottages is nestled between the foot of the Mourne Mountains and the Irish Sea. Cottages sleep between two and seven people.

Clients can visit the award-winning Irish Racehorse Experience at the Irish National Stud & Gardens, County Kildare.

The attraction combines cutting-edge gaming technology with live video, audio and graphics which offers visitors the chance to buy and train their own thoroughbred racehorse, culminating in a real-time race to set pulses racing.

Original Irish Hotels has two new members.

The first is The Lodge at Ashford Castle in Co. Mayo which sits in the magnificent 350-acre estate of Ashford Castle overlooking the Lough Corrib. The surroundings and the views offer guests the opportunity to freely explore the magnificent woodlands and village of Cong. The estate offers over 20-plus amenities ranging from relaxing to adventurous.

Clients who are looking to do something crafty in Ireland next year will be able to find a good yarn and like minded company with Knittingtours.com.

Ireland is a haven for quality wool and generations of handed down knitting skills. Knittingtours.com highlights the finest Irish knitting experts as well as authentic knitting and craft based activities during exclusive Ireland tours.

Registrations are open now for Tourism Ireland’s B2B roadshow visiting Auckland on Monday 20 February at SkyCity Grand Hotel. This will include an evening event for travel agents with presentations and networking opportunities.

Suppliers attending from Ireland include EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum; Griffin Hotel Group; Hastings Hotels; Killeavy Castle Estate; MCT Irish Tours; Original Irish Hotels; Park Hotel Kenmare; Powerscourt Distillery; Titanic Belfast and Visit Derry.  Register HERE.

In a world where so much has changed for people over recent years, what hasn’t changed is the search for people’s sense of identity.

At EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin, Ireland, the story of identity is explained in an engaging and informative way.