Family Reunion Tours: Overview
Like marriage, family reunions are a great institution. But, as Groucho Marx once observed: "Who wants to live in an institution?" Many of my retail travel clients used to book flights to see their North American relatives—and car hire for 48 hours after arrival so that both parties could emerge relatively unscathed. As one seasoned veteran observed: "You can get a toxic overdose of one another's company." Quite so.
All of which is why we seek to combine two main elements in our customised family reunions: genealogy and getaways.
For all but the most dedicated ancestor hunters, proceedings can get mighty tedious after oh, let's say half an hour? One of our first ever tour groups (October 1997) produced the adage that "it's not too long before you find the branch of the family tree from which your ancestors either hung, or were hanged." On the nail.
So it is our job to enliven proceedings for the "hangers on" - in the kindest possible sense, of course. Which is why the sample itinerary is precisely that. Every picture tells a different story—and every family needs a different get-together.
Two more points: it is reckoned that over 40 million North Americans are descended from Irish stock: Gael, Anglo-Norman or Ulster Scots. Much of your research will require time in both Dublin and Belfast. Not only will this give more variety to your tour but it also means that you can use our contacts in the National Library of Ireland (literature available from us at any time) or the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, known as My Little Proni (just kidding.) And whilst the core of the programme may be 2-3 days meetin' 'n greetin', there are many other options or your individual tour. Please see below.
Secondly, we will be happy to co-ordinate the immense amount of email traffic that such a gathering generates. If you are tired of being the organiser in chief for your family, then call or email us and we'll discuss how we can take the strain for you.
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