Welcome to the final epsiode of 2025 and Season 8 of the podcast where I go through my recommendations for my favourite European Christmas markets.

I also go through other other options to do over the Christmas period inclusing River cruises on the Dabnube and Rhine, pre Christmas skiing in Austria and exploring warm countries like French Polyneia and Australia.

I have some great episodes coming on in January for Season 9 so if you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode.

Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide.

Please follow on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am delighted to have Pádraig McGillicuddy, the third-generation proprietor of the Ballygarry Estate Hotel and Spa set over 100 aces outside Tralee in Co. Kerry as our guest this week.

Ballygarry has recently been voted in the top 10 of the Irish Independent hotel awards, number 6 in the Tripadvisor awards and included recent Irish Examiner and Sunday Times Top 100 awards.

I recently stayed in the brand new Cabins on the hotel grounds and I chat to Pádraig about these stunning new cabins and the history of this renowned Kerry family run hotel.

Check out the Ballygarry Estate Hotel here https://www.ballygarry.com

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode.

Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide.

Please follow on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For an Irish travel podcaster, I have never dedicated a full episode to Ireland, so it is great to have as my guest today travel author Cian Byrne, who has just completed a new Moon Travel Guide to Ireland. This is a real insider’s guide to travelling Ireland.

As Cian said to me “This book is the culmination of two years of hard work and a lifetime spent in Ireland. I’m lucky enough to travel to many places in the world, but it was a real treat to be able to be a tourist in Ireland. There’s plenty in the new Moon Guide to Ireland; there’s lots about places everyone will know about and lots about places that often get forgotten about”.

From dramatic cliffs and soaring mountains to lively cities and charming villages, local Irish author Cían Byrne reveals the magic of Ireland with Moon Ireland.

You can get the guide from here

https://www.moontravelguides.com/titles/cian-byrne/moon-ireland/9798886471427/

Follow Cian’s travels on his Instagram @Cianwrites

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode.

Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I’m joined by Conor Power — travel writer, historian, and the author of Hurling 1810, a remarkable deep dive into the origins and cultural significance of our national game.

Conor’s work uncovers stories, characters, and passions that shaped hurling decades before the foundation of the GAA and long before the modern rules we know today.

Conor’s book traces how the game evolved and its surprising early similarities to rugby and why its spirit has endured for generations.

In this fiction book set in 19th century Ireland, Conor brings to life the communities, traditions, conflicts, and passions that shaped the sport long before it took its modern form. He tells us about a time when the big Anglo Irish landlords ruled with an iron fist and owned professional hurling teams to help flex their power.

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode.

Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide.

Hurling 1810 published and available from menmabooks.eu.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to part 2 of my Cordoba Special series with tour guide Paco Gonzalez as he tells us about the best places to visit in Cordoba and he guides us through the beautiful countryside, villages, forts, palaces, olive farms and vineyards around that stunning area between Seville and Cordoba.

The Cordoba Region

Most tourists go to the cities like Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Malaga but there are small villages and towns between these cities are real gems full of character including Carmona and Ecija, Alcalá de Guadaíra, Cazalla de la Sierra, Almodovar del Rio, Palma Del Rio and Montilla.

Cordoba

The Mesquita - Once one of main cities in the ancient Arab world with one of the most famous mosques to rival Mecca

Guided tour of the Jewish Quarter, Roman bridge, Alcazar and Historic Centre of Córdoba

Equestrian show at the Royal Stables

Food Cordoba

Dinner at Taberna La Viuda

Lunch at La Cazuela de la Esparteria

Stays

Cordoba - Hotel Mezquita Center

Cazalla de la Sierra - Casa Rural Las Navezuelas

Alcalá de Guadaíra - Hotel Oromana

Activities

Palma Del Rio - Palacio Portcarrero

Almodovar Del Rio – Old Moorish Castle to visit from Games of

Thrones

Montilla – Visit to local winery Alvear 1729

Wine tasting at Bodegas Colonias de Galeón

Stargazing activity (Sierra Morena is a certified Starlight

Destination)

El Viso del Alcor - Olive oil tasting at Basilippo

Cycling along the Sierra Morena Greenway, which is part of the upgraded Camino Vertical

Check out my Cordoba Special Pt 1 with Christina Ybarra of Palacio Portocarrero in Palma del Rio, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain.

How to get there

Aer Lingus flies to Seville three times per week until 17 May, 2026. Fares are available from €50.99 each way, including taxes fees and carrier charges. For more see  https://www.aerlingus.com

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode.

Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide.

The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is my 100th episode and I wanted to make it a very special episode, so I am delighted to have Christina Ybarra of Palacio Portocarrero in Palma del Rio, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain.

Christina's story is a story of Andalusia taking in Roman, Moorish and Christian heritage, history, archaeology, architecture, culture and art.

Palma del Rio is a town with the most stunning countryside surrounded by orange groves between Seville and Cordoba once called “the garden of Andalucia” by a visiting Spanish King.

The Cordoba Region

Most tourists go to the cities like Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Malaga but there are small villages and towns between these cities are real gems full of character including Carmona and Ecija, Alcalá de Guadaíra, Cazalla de la Sierra, Almodovar del Rio, Palma Del Rio and Montilla.

The region is made for a road trip through fields filled with olive and orange grove and vineyards and many beautiful villages with old Moorish Alcazar forts and palaces in the Sierra Morena mountains.

@prodeturprovinciasevilla

Activities

Palacio Portcarrero

Almodovar Del Rio – Old Moorish Castle to visit from Games of Thrones

Montilla – Visit to local winery Alvear 1729

Wine tasting at Bodegas Colonias de Galeón

Stargazing activity (Sierra Morena is a certified Starlight Destination)

El Viso del Alcor - Olive oil tasting at Basilippo

Cycling along the Sierra Morena Greenway, which is part of the upgraded Camino Vertical

Cordoba

Once one of main cities in the ancient Arab world with one of the most famous mosques to rival Mecca – The Mesquita

Food Cordoba

Dinner at Taberna La Viuda

Lunch at La Cazuela de la Esparteria

Stays

Cordoba - Hotel Mezquita Center

Cazalla de la Sierra - Casa Rural Las Navezuelas

Alcalá de Guadaíra - Hotel Oromana

How to get there

Aer Lingus flies to Seville three times per week until 17 May, 2026. Fares are available from €50.99 each way, including taxes fees and carrier charges. For more see  https://www.aerlingus.com

Check out my Cordoba Special Pt 2 with guide Paco Gonzalez as he guides us through Cordoba and the beautiful countryside, villages, forts, palaces, olive farms and vineyards from Seville to Cordoba.

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I am delighted for part 3 of my Belfast special series to have Barney Gribbin - Founder & Tour Guide of the If Buildings Could Talk tour

If Buildings Could Talk Tour reveals all the best kept secret stories wrapped up in the history of Belfast, so if you want a city tour that is a little off the beaten track and full of hidden stories, this is the tour for you. That’s because when you join Barney on this leisurely walk you are guaranteed to see and hear things about Belfast that most visitors will never be aware of. In fact, even to people born and bred in the city, many of Barney’s stories will come as a revelation.

I loved the city so much that I have made this into a three part special series so after this episode make sure to also check out episode 1 with great insider tips from travel writer Erin McCafferty and Belfast hotelier Melanie Harrison.

For more information on Belfast check https://visitbelfast.com and https://discovernorthernireland.com

Accomodation

The Harrison, 45 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 6RX | Tel: +44 745630965 | www.chambersofdistinction.com| Twitter & Instagram: @harrison_belfast The Harrison

Activities

Black Taxi Tour with Blue Badge Guide Billy Scott,

Contact: +44 77 9860 2401 | www.touringaroundbelfast.com | X: @TouringBelfast

Titanic Museum Belfast

www.titanicbelfast.com | Instagram @titanicbelfast

Food

Deanes at Queens, 1 College Gardens, Belfast, BT9 6BQ |T: +44 28 9038 2111| https://www.michaeldeane.co.uk/deanes-at-queens/| Instagram @deanesatqueenbt9

Wolff Grill, Titanic Hotel, Queens Road, Belfast, BT3 9DT, T: +44 28 9508 2000 | www.titanichotelbelfast.com | X: @titanicbelfast | Instagram: titanichotelbelfast

Saga, 43 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 6RX | Tel: +44 7495467341 | https://sagabelfast.com | Instagram: @sagabelfas

Coco, 7-11 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8AA | Tel: +44 2890311150 | www.cocobelfast.com | Instagram @cocobelfast_

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am delighted to have renowned hotelier Melanie Harrison for part 2 of my Belfast Special series.

Melanie's hotel is the Harrison Chambers of Distinction which is located in the heart of the vibrant Queen’s Quarter of Belfast and is a restored, landmark Victorian merchants’ residence dating from 1879 designed to serve the culturally curious traveller.

This is a boutique hotel is curated by the charismatic and vivacious owner Michelle Harrison whose personality is reflected in the Victorian style where every room is different and often named and styled after artists reflecting the bohemian character and mischievous tongue in cheek humour of Melanie with eccentric curios and surprises and every corner and in every unique room.

Belfast feels like a young, vibrant city full of life with great food, nightlife, festivals and of course history. It feels like a city on the cusp of something special with lots of new hotels and bars opening and the Irish Fleadh coming there in 2026.

I loved the city so much that I have made this into a three part special series so after this episode make sure to also check out episode 1 with great insider tips from travel writer Erin McCafferty and the brilliant tour guide Barney Gribbin of the famous If Buildings Could Talk Tour. 

For more information on Belfast check https://visitbelfast.com and https://discovernorthernireland.com

Accomodation

The Harrison, 45 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 6RX | Tel: +44 745630965 | www.chambersofdistinction.com| Twitter & Instagram: @harrison_belfast The Harrison

Activities

Black Taxi Tour with Blue Badge Guide Billy Scott,

Contact: +44 77 9860 2401 | www.touringaroundbelfast.com | X: @TouringBelfast

Titanic Museum Belfast

www.titanicbelfast.com | Instagram @titanicbelfast

Food

Deanes at Queens, 1 College Gardens, Belfast, BT9 6BQ |T: +44 28 9038 2111| https://www.michaeldeane.co.uk/deanes-at-queens/| Instagram @deanesatqueenbt9

Wolff Grill, Titanic Hotel, Queens Road, Belfast, BT3 9DT, T: +44 28 9508 2000 | www.titanichotelbelfast.com | X: @titanicbelfast | Instagram: titanichotelbelfast

Saga, 43 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 6RX | Tel: +44 7495467341 | https://sagabelfast.com | Instagram: @sagabelfas

Coco, 7-11 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8AA | Tel: +44 2890311150 | www.cocobelfast.com | Instagram @cocobelfast_

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

--

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am delighted to have Irish travel writer Erin McCafferty to tell us all about the highlights of her recent trip to Belfast including the Titanic Music and a Black Cab tour with Billy Scott.

Belfast feels like a young, vibrant city full of life with great food, nightlife, festivals and of course history. It feels like a city on the cusp of something special with lots of new hotels and bars opening and the Irish Fleadh coming there in 2026.

I loved the city so much that I have made this into a three part special series so after this episode make sure to also check out episode 2 with great insider tips from the Harrison hotel owner Melanie Harrison and the brilliant tour guide Barney Gribbin of the famous If Buildings Could Talk Tour. 

For more information on Belfast check https://visitbelfast.com and https://discovernorthernireland.com

Accomodation

The Harrison, 45 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 6RX | Tel: +44 745630965 | www.chambersofdistinction.com| Twitter & Instagram: @harrison_belfast The Harrison

Activities

Black Taxi Tour with Blue Badge Guide Billy Scott,

Contact: +44 77 9860 2401 | www.touringaroundbelfast.com | X: @TouringBelfast

Titanic Museum Belfast

www.titanicbelfast.com | Instagram @titanicbelfast

Food

Deanes at Queens, 1 College Gardens, Belfast, BT9 6BQ |T: +44 28 9038 2111| https://www.michaeldeane.co.uk/deanes-at-queens/| Instagram @deanesatqueenbt9

Wolff Grill, Titanic Hotel, Queens Road, Belfast, BT3 9DT, T: +44 28 9508 2000 | www.titanichotelbelfast.com | X: @titanicbelfast | Instagram: titanichotelbelfast

Saga, 43 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 6RX | Tel: +44 7495467341 | https://sagabelfast.com | Instagram: @sagabelfas

Coco, 7-11 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8AA | Tel: +44 2890311150 | www.cocobelfast.com | Instagram @cocobelfast_

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

--

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have always loved the idea of the great American road trip, romanticised in so many films and books. So, this episode I am delighted to have photographer Ben Geier to tell us about his decade traveling America on the road, his tips for the perfect great American road trip, and the nostalgia of America's forgotten towns.

Ben shares his tips for the perfect cross-country road trip, why the architecture and design work of the 50s and 60s still speaks to us today, and why America is still a magical place to get a little bit lost.

There's no doubting the beauty of the design and architecture of the '50s and '60s America. From bright teal, sun-splashed and gleaming motel signs to cherry red diner seats, these two decades have held America’s attention for 75 years.

American photographer Ben Geier has spent the last decade traveling the United States to capture the images of his country's once vibrant and now abandoned treasures in his new book Viewing Hours. Evoking a sense of nostalgia and solitude, Geier’s work highlights the modernist architecture, minimalist design, and muted colour palette of the mid-century. 

Check out Ben’s website here https://www.bengeier.com/

Get View Hours here https://trope.com/products/viewing-hours

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.