A timely piece from Lucy Madden about the ideal level of 'friendliness' in restaurants - just when we are concentrating our own efforts on addressing complaints from many of our assessors about staff who fail to engage with customers. Pleasing everyone may not be an option, in Lucy’s view. more...
This month Lucy Madden considers what an 80 year old friend calls 'romantic Ireland' - but, while mourning the passing of so much that was unique about this country, she also finds its spirit flourishing anew in unexpected places more...
Lucy Madden considers ‘deception’, in various intriguing forms. In a desperate but undisputedly mean-spirited way I booked a lunch-time table for twelve at a restaurant of which I am particularly fond and visit as often as I can. more...
This month our intrepid thinker Lucy Madden wonders once again about the merits (and otherwise) of TripAdvisor - and The Rule Book that seems to apply to the modern 'wedding by website'... more...
This month our intrepid thinker Lucy Madden wonders about the longterm value of The Gathering - and has some excellent ideas of her own to put forward
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When the news reached our house that the G8 talks were to be held this year in Enniskillen, my initial reaction – joy that such an auspicious gathering would be on our doorstep – was replaced by a worry about décor. The chosen hotel has a fine site on the edge of the largest inland waterway in these islands, a championship golf course and no doubt has passed all the checks necessary to host the world’s great and good. I more...
This month our intrepid thinker Lucy Madden considers the irresisistible force that so often lures the wrong people into opening a restaurant - and gives some excellent examples of the good and the bad more...
A selective companion guide to our famous broad-based online collection, the ‘glovebox bible’ includes a uniquely diverse range of Ireland's greatest places to ...