Recorded: Sunday, April 3, 2016

Ireland Vacation Coaching is a service that Jody provides to people who need assistance with planning their own Ireland Family Vacation. In this podcast, you will find out what vacation coaching is as Jody coaches Deb Thompson on her own upcoming trip to Ireland. Jody will also share some great travel tips; plus learn best practices when using the IFV site.

This article is based on a podcast episode featuring Deb Thompson, a client of Jodys. If you prefer to listen to the podcast, you can find the player at the bottom of the page.

Jody and Deb are here to show people what to expect when using Jody's Vacation Coaching service.

Vacation coaching begins with an understanding of the overall goals for the trip. From there Jody works with the travelers to design a trip based on their own interests, wants & Ireland dreams.

Deb goes over with Jody how long she will be in Ireland and what her preferences are for areas and activities (rural, urban, history, culture, etc) Depending on what your preferences are, Jody suggests possible places to visit and even suggests best practices for setting your itinerary based on available transportation and how busy or heavy with tourists attractions are. Jody also reviews lodging based on Deb's preferences.

Travelwifi.ie: Personal wifi to keep you connected without breaking your budget. These are great for navigation.

Based on the information she gathers, Jody will create a loose itinerary. These usually include, transportation information, recommendations of places to go, places to eat and activites that will interest you. She asks that you go through the itinerary, add your personal thoughts, and send them back to her. Jody will work with you until the itinerary is perfect based on your preferences. Once the itinerary is perfect, Jody adds in detailed information such as maps, links, alternative activities if the weather is bad. etc.

Each county will give you recommendations on lodging, activities, food, etc.

Traveling in Ireland Podcast

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Recorded: Monday, March 14, 2016

Jody Halsted is a guest on Irish Fireside with Corey Taratuta. She answers Max’s question about choosing the best castles for kids in Ireland.

 If you prefer to listen to the podcast, you can find the player at the bottom of the page.

The information included in this podcast was correct at the time of recording. The corresponding article has been updated.

Jody Halsted of Ireland Family Vacations joins Corey Taratuta of Irish Fireside on his podcast. Jody has traveled through Ireland with her family annually for many years and is known for her extensive knowledge of traveling through Ireland with families. She and Corey discuss some of the best castles to visit with families.

Jody Halsted from www.IrelandFamilyVacations.com

The history and the fantasy.

Disney builds the anticipation of seeing a real castle.

Bunratty Castle.

OPW/Office of Public Works/Heritage Ireland – http://www.heritageireland.ie/

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/south-east/cahircastle/

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/south-east/rockofcashel/

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/south-west/rosscastle/

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/info/heritagecards/#d.en.974

https://shannonheritage.com

Close to Shannon Airport, Lough Gur, and Bunratty – https://www.shannonheritage.com/KingJohnsCastle/

Near Lough Erne – military history with a History Detective pamphlet for youth – http://www.enniskillencastle.co.uk/

Close to Belfast – https://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Carrickfergus-Castle-Carrickfergus-P2814

pathways, gardens, and lookouts – rent an electric bicycle – http://www.glenveaghnationalpark.ie/

Jody Halsted: www.IrelandFamilyVacations.com — Start Your Journey Here

Mary Mulvihill – www.ingeniousireland.com

#148 – Irish Fireside Podcast

Stream our podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher, Libsyn and Google Play Music.

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Jody is joined by Connemara Maths Academy (CMA) Founder & Director Aengus O’Connor B.Sc., D.L.S., M.Phil., P.D.E. They are discussing the wonderful Summer Camp in Ireland offered by the CMA. These fun camps are for all kids, ages 10 and up, regardless of their education level; and are designed to enhance their understanding in math.

Read more: Connemara Maths Academy

This article is based on a podcast episode featuring Aengus O'Conner, the founder and director of Connemara Maths Academy. If you prefer to listen to the podcast, you can find the player at the bottom of the page.

Aengus O'Conner noticed that kids were having the same issues in maths in classrooms all over the world. He found that using hands-on approaches and creative technology (drones and gopro cameras) to teach math helped kids understand the concepts better. The CMA was created to fulfill this need. CMA values it's small student to instructor ratio, with a maximum of 10-15 students per class. Any level of math is welcome to come. It is about enhancing their understanding and learning. The CMA tries to cater to each kid's problem areas in math.

The camps are fun and offer activities in coding, logic, robotics and more.

There are 3 beautiful locations in Ireland that CMA uses for there camps. Here are a few links to learn more about the summer camps.

It is very safe at the CMA. They have first aid, fully qualified and trained. Mobile phones are allowed so parents can contact their kids. There is 24/7-hour supervision.

Breakfast: 8-8:45
Workshops start 9:15 or 9:30. Workshops are generally 15 minute chunks.
Lunch
Activities are in the afternoon for 1.5-5-2 hours
Evening workshop after dinner 45 min
Dinner: 9-9:30
Retire: 10:30
Lights out: 11There is a concert at the end of every camp. It lasts about 40 minutes/ It is for the parents and shows  what the students have learned and done.

Read More: Clifden, the Capital of Connemara

CMA's Website: https://www.connemaramathsacademy.com/

CMA's contact information: https://www.connemaramathsacademy.com/contact/

Their phone number is 095 31925

CMA gets back to people immediately, so if you send an email we will get back with you quickly. They are also very active on social media: Twitter; Facebook; Google+; LinkedIn; Pinterest.

Traveling in Ireland Podcast | Episode 3

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Recorded: Tuesday, January 19, 2016 7 pm CST

In this episode, Jody introduces herself and gives the listeners a brief overview of the history, purpose and the many useful features available on the Ireland Family Vacations website.

CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON below to listen.

Stream our podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher, Libsyn and Google Play Music.

Jody greets listeners and explains her format for doing the podcasts. Jody prefers to have chats and live interaction with not only her guest speakers, but her listeners as well. That is why her podcasts are recorded LIVE on Blab.

How IFV website began:

What to expect in my podcasts:

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