A round up of today's other holiday stories in brief...
Flashpack fashion
More and more Irish people are joining a new breed of independent traveller. "Flashpackers", as opposed to backpackers, are young professionals, usually in their 30s, who take time out to see the world.
The website www.flashpacker diaries.com/home.html defines this new traveller as "individuals who are perhaps a little older than the post-uni, pre-life 21-year-old backpacker, who have a larger budget, but less time". Instead of enduring 24-hour bus journeys, sharing a dormitory, and eating from suspect cafes, they fly, have en suites, and dine on fresh seafood and fine wine.
Rock'n'roll bus tour
A Rock'n'Roll and Writers bus tour has hit the streets of Dublin. The 75-minute tour stops off at spots around the city that helped shape the lives of some of the country's best known scribes and singers, including Samuel Beckett, Bono, Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzy, Oscar Wilde, James Joyce and Brendan Behan. The tour costs €15 and leaves from Westmoreland Street several times a day. 01-6203929, www.dublinrocktour.ie.
Sunny south Dublin
South Dublin County Tourism has launched a marketing campaign to win visitors to the area. Chairman David Kennedy says the county has loads to offer: "South Dublin county is the hidden gem of the greater Dublin area, with an impressive range of hotels, restaurants, shops, recreational facilities and attractions on a par with anywhere in the country," he says. www.southdublintourism.ie.