Doolin: History and Memories

This book is about growing up in Doolin, County Clare, Ireland in the 1940s. It is based heavily on the author’s memories and recollections, reinforced and supported by historical and archival research. Contained herein are a variety of stories and memories, tales and yarns, all documenting a way of life that is now only found in the folklore and historic records of ‘old Ireland’. The selection of episodes and experiences is eclectic, based on memory and reminiscences, chats with friends and family and all is blended with detailed historical investigation. Our overall aspiration is that this book will help to recreate the spirit and character of a time, a place and a people from long ago. Perhaps some of the memories are presented in ‘soft-focus’, but we make no apology for this sentimentality. The recollections from those times are happy ones, where life was simpler, and much less complicated. This book is intentionally situated in what Seamus Ennis described as ‘the old world’ of Darby Griffy, and is dedicated to our ancestors, who were uncomplicated, yet strong people, in tune with the land, their ancestors, their language and their culture. While the overall focus of the book is on daily life in Doolin in the 1940s, the documentary and archaeological history of the area is also explored, with sections detailing the main historical features of the landscape, the important landmarks, and historical events. Particular attention is paid to the quarries and mines, and the early education of the area, which were important influences on daily life in the period under exploration

Determining Best Practice Methodologies in the Pedagogy of Tourism Related Fieldwork

This project explores issues around the practice of fieldwork related activity which is undertaken as a teaching and learning methodology in third-level education. The main focus in this project is to glean best practice examples from colleagues who undertake fieldwork in the broad area of Tourism education (encompassing hospitality, leisure and event management), but also related disciplines of Geography and Business/Management. Having initially scoped out the available literature and explored the topic in strategic interviews with colleagues (Irish and international), it appeared that very little work has been undertaken heretofore on the particular angle being investigated – that of planning and managing fieldwork. A reasonably solid body of work exists on the learning outcomes of fieldwork (albeit very descriptive and focused on individual iterations – see Bibliography), but very little material has emerged related to the management of such activity. In order to commence a dialogue on this topic, an online survey was administered, with a range of closed and open-ended questions. In total 152 usable surveys were returned, with 45% of respondents from Ireland, the remainder being from 29 different countries. Overall, the project finds that educators who use fieldwork as a teaching tool are very enthusiastic about the practice and think deeply about the pedagogical value of this activity. However there are many concerns in evidence, ranging from health and safety, financing of trips, to the amount of additional time that is required to plan and manage such trips. This project has merely opened the doors for a discussion, but the enthusiasm of respondents and their desire to engage with any future action suggests that a rich vein of research has just begun

The Wild Atlantic Way: a Tourism Journey

The Wild Atlantic Way is possibly the most celebrated, high profile tourism initiative to be launched in Ireland in recent years. It consists of a defined touring route along the western seaboard, one of the most scenic, remote, and sensitive stretches of Irish landscape. This paper presents the principal findings from a survey of 341 tourism and hospitality product providers along the Wild Atlantic Way. The main aim of the research was to investigate the perceived impacts (economic, environmental, and socio-cultural) of this new tourism initiative on the local areas through which it passes. The results paint a generally positive picture of the effects of the route so far. However, a number of significant issues are of concern to many of the respondents; these include insufficient or inappropriate infrastructure, heightened traffic problems, increased pressure on local facilities and the perception of imbalance with regard to the dispersal of economic gain from the route. The importance of striking a balance between accessibility and sustainability is a key message which can be taken from the study

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage is a high-quality, international, open access, online, double blind reviewed publication which deals with all aspects of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage. The International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage (IJRTP) was founded in 2013 by an international group of researchers (the Institute for Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage). The journal is published by the Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. All articles in this journal are full text and available on open access. The journal takes an interdisciplinary international approach and includes all aspects of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage. It is inclusive of all denominations, religions, faiths and spiritual practices. The journal\u27s online platform facilitates a truly integrative approach. While the main emphasis is on primary research articles, it also welcomes suitably relevant discussion papers, research / review pieces, industry focused case studies and evaluations, management guides and reports, economic evaluations, book reviews, announcements of forthcoming meetings etc. Papers / articles should be relevant to both academics and practitioners. All papers are subject to ‘double – blind – review’. Papers can include a variety of media elements including audio and visual files, a range of image formats and hyperlinks to websites and other online resources

The Impact of COVID-19 on Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage to the Holy City of Karbala

Religious tourism and pilgrimage around the world have changed dramatically in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, thousands of sacred placed closed their doors; religious leaders appealed to their followers not to perform their spiritual or pilgrimage journeys for their own and others safety. The holy city of Karbala, like any other sacred place is affected by the pandemic; every year, the holy city of Karbala witnesses the convergence of millions of pilgrims, being among the most important pilgrims for Shia Muslims. Of particular importance for these pilgrims is Ashura, which marks the day that Hussain bin Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was killed in the Battle of Karbala and subsequently, Arbaeen (Arba’een), or the forty days of mourning, that follow. The religious tourism sector in Iraq has been witnessing a continuous decline since demonstrations against the government began last October 2019, but the spread of Coronavirus in the world has had a severe impact on the tourism industry in Iraq and in Karbala in particular. The country closed its borders with Iran and other neighbouring countries, and prevented gatherings, including religious events, to avoid the outbreak of the coronavirus. Under the direction of the Iraqi Ministry of Health, religious cities have stopped receiving tourists and pilgrims from inside and outside the country. Karbala has experienced a significant decline in the number of visitors for the past number of months, a decline never witnessed before. The tourism industry is seriously impacted as a result; hotels, restaurants & local shops are suffering the most

The Effect of COVID-19 on Independent African Churches (IACs) in Johannesburg, South Africa

This paper explores the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the religious tourism activities of the four most prominent Independent Apostolic Churches (IAC) operating in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is an interpretive qualitative research study based on data from 15 telephone-based semi-structured interviews with congregants and church leaders of the Zion Christian Church, Zimbabwe (ZCC Mutendi), The Apostolic Church of Johane Marange, The Apostolic Church of Johane Masowe and Apostolic Faith Church, Mugodhi. Thematic content analysis was used for data analysis. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the religious tourism activities of all four IACs in the study as they accepted and implemented various aspects of the lockdown regulations. The cancellation of their main annual events and weekly and monthly activities combined with a considerable reduction in contribution from their members resulted in churches’ inability to finance their main activities, i.e. their healing camps. It is evident that the ripple effects of reduced IAC activities in and around Johannesburg has negatively affected the city’s income from churches’ religious tourism activities. This is the first study to explore the activities of IACs in Johannesburg (and Africa) before and during the pandemic, pointing to churches’ significant contribution to religious tourism in the city