Celtic Class

‘Riding The Rails’ In Ireland, Lisa Smyth Is Surprised To Find That There Is No Better Way To Discover Her Cherished Homeland – All In Five-star Luxury, Of Course.

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“The Irish are not good at formality,” laughs Michael McCarthy, Train Manager on board Belmond’s Grand Hibernian – Ireland’s first, and only, luxury train. We are chatting while seated in the wonderfully elegant Observation Car of the train Kildare, on our way to disembark in Dublin after a two-night Taste of Ireland tour.

“We provide five-star luxury, but with a relaxed approach and plenty of Irish charm. What is unique about Belmond is that each property is authentic to its location – and the Grand Hibernian is Irish in every way, including the fact that all the staff have the gift of the gab,” jokes McCarthy with smiling eyes.

Full disclosure: I am Irish. Born in Dublin, I moved to Australia when I was a child, but I consider both countries my home. So, it was with some trepidation that I boarded the shiny, midnight blue train three days earlier. I was worried the formality that can often come with high-end experiences might make our time uncomfortable, and I was keen for my partner to experience the warm and irreverent Ireland I love so much.

A Hibernian welcome

I need not have worried. Within five minutes of our arrival on the first day, Johnny, the delightfully jaunty, waistcoat-clad Food and Beverage Manager, had made two playful jokes at my partner’s expense while pouring us our second glass of

Champagne. Our first glass had been consumed on the platform where we were greeted by lively Irish music and trays of beverages carried by our sharply dressed attendants.

So, as we pulled out of Dublin’s Heuston station, I breathed a sigh of relief. I realised that Belmond, operators of the famous