Since we moved to Ireland we have taken the opportunity t visit some of the places we only managed to drive through over the last 40 years, West Cork, West Kerry, Donegal, Connemara, rural Ulster.... - a wonderful experience and highly recommended for those who haven't.
One of the great joys since the smoking ban has been to stay in hotels and guest houses where the furniture, curtains, carpets and bedding don't reek of weeks and weeks of past smoking.
In the past, booking a 'non-smoking' room has often meant the proprietors hanging a 'no-smoking' sign on the door of any old room - now, whole sections of these places are designated as permanent no-smoking areas and some places are entirely 'smoke-free' buildings: utter bliss - fresh air at last.
Jim Carroll