Ireland Invites Podcasters to Cover the Island

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Contest to choose three to become Tourism Ireland Podcasters

New York, July 19, 2006 -- Tourism Ireland announced today a contest to provide three Americans the opportunity to achieve great international (or, at least, local) fame as “podcasters” for Tourism Ireland.

Winners of Tourism Ireland’s “Your Very Own Ireland” contest will be provided a one-week trip to Ireland for two – including round-trip airfare on Aer Lingus, accommodations, ground transportation, an MP3 player, and logistical support in Ireland. The podcast will be available for downloading from Tourism Ireland’s web site http://www.discoverireland.com. Podcasts – audio broadcasts downloadable from computers to portable MP3 players – have broken new ground in popular reportage throughout the world, allowing individuals to reach millions of people worldwide with their own broadcasts.

Throughout their trips contest winners will have the opportunity to record their impressions, conversations with people they meet along the way, the sounds that may surround them, or anything else they would like to include in their productions. And the “raw material” for these very personal productions are wide ranging – dining in fabulous restaurants and delving into exhibits at fabulous museums…ambling through antique shops in the back streets of Ireland’s cities and wandering along the fairways of the island’s legendary golf courses…spending a thrilling day at the races and an inspiring weekend at one of Ireland’s lively and wonderful food, art and music festivals.

Ah, yes…obviously, the problem is not going to be what to say to fill one’s podcast, but how to stop talking so much about all of the wonderful experiences enjoyed along the way! And Tourism Ireland is even going to make that easy for the lucky winners upon their return – by assisting them in converting their recordings into final podcast versions for posting on Tourism Ireland’s website http://www.discoverireland.com.

The podcast promotion, “Your Very Own Ireland”, is cosponsored by Aer Lingus. It is an extension of the Island of Ireland’s current “Discover your very own Ireland” advertising campaign. The advertising campaign invites travelers to experience the unique attractions of the Island of Ireland, many of which are still to be discovered by American travelers, even those who have traveled to Ireland in the past.

“You often hear travelers commenting on the unique personal experience that travel through Ireland provides,” said Joe Byrne, Executive Vice President United States & Canada for Tourism Ireland. “In today’s technological environment, we see podcasts as a great opportunity to better explain the unique experiences that await travelers to Ireland -- and there is no one better to explain this to other travelers than their own friends and neighbors. We are delighted to offer Americans the opportunity to actually bring to life our campaign slogan.”

“Aer Lingus is excited to be a part of this special venture,” said Helen Maguire, Director Consumer Sales for Aer Lingus. “There is no better way to get a true feeling of how wonderful Ireland is than from hearing it from those who have experienced it themselves. We are honored to provide travelers with their first taste of true Irish hospitality when they board our planes.”

U.S. travelers can enter the “Your Very Own Ireland” contest by filling out the entry form on Tourism Ireland’s website, http://www.discoverireland.com, briefly describing why they would like to visit the Island of Ireland and learn to become good podcaster for Ireland. The completed entry form should be submitted electronically no later than 7:00 PM EDT, August 31, 2006.

“My Very Own Ireland” contest winners will be announced on September 12, 2006. A list of winners will be posted on http://www.discoverireland.com. All travel must take place between September 25 and December 15, 2006.

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