72 hours in Shannon and beyond
County Clare is the Ireland you've pictured in your imagination — a land of rolling countryside, craggy coastlines and towns and villages full of history. Once you arrive in Shannon, a large stretch of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way is ready to be explored from there. To help you see and experience as much as possible in 72 hours, here are the essentials to exploring Shannon and beyond.
Where to stay
If you fly into Shannon Airport, the town of Shannon can become your gateway to the region. The Clare capital is Ennis, a city centrally placed where you'll find lodging options for all budgets. However, we suggest you head to Ballyvaughan, an hour's drive north, and check in at Gregans Castle Hotel, an 18th century manor house with contemporary rooms. It sits in the heart of the beautiful Burren, boasts award-winning food and is well positioned for exploring the region.
What to see
If you only witness one of County Clare's many natural wonders, make it the Cliffs of Moher. The county's most visited tourist destination, the cliffs rise as high as 700 feet in places. Climb a little higher by visiting O'Brien's Tower and you're guaranteed sweeping views of the Atlantic. If you're feeling energetic, the coastal walk spans just over 11 miles from Liscannor to Doolin and will reward you with more breathtaking views along the way, but if you choose to drive instead, the views are still impressive.
In Doolin, you can take a Doolin Ferry to the Aran Islands, home to many historic sites, including the prehistoric fort of Dún Aonghasa and the medieval ruins of the Seven Churches. If you explore Doolin itself, you're close to the 16th Century Doonagore Castle and Doolin Cave — the latter being home to the Great Stalactite, which is as large and impressive as its name suggests.
County Clare's second most visited attraction is the ancient monument Poulnabrone Dolmen, the oldest dated megalithic monument in Ireland. For the uninitiated, expect a large tabular capstone perched atop stone uprights — and have your camera at the ready.
From there, a short drive south brings you to the breathtaking, limestone covered Burren National Park. With more than 3,700 acres of walking, cycling and driving routes, this park can fill hours, an entire day or as long as you choose to set aside.
At some point during your stay, head south for Loop Head Peninsula, the slender finger of land that points out into the Atlantic, and County Clare's most westerly point. The drive itself is part of the attraction; a picturesque journey that can take you via Doonbeg and the seaside resort of Kilkee.
When you reach Loop Head, you'll learn why it was voted the best place to holiday in Ireland. Walking, cycling and pony trekking trails, snorkeling, windsurfing and seaweed baths merely scratch the surface of the attractions available, not to mention dolphin and whale watching. Indeed, there's so much to experience that you wouldn't regret spending one of your nights at Loop Head.
Where to eat
In a county perched on the Wild Atlantic Coast, it's hard not to find exceptional seafood with stunning views. Some of the best examples can be found at The Old Bake House Restaurant in Milltown Malbay, Barrtrá Seafood Restaurant overlooking Liscannor Bay, The Long Dock in Carrigaholt, Vasco at Fanore, and Lisdoonvarna's Wild Honey Inn. Whichever you choose, order the oysters which are exceptionally fresh.
But if seafood isn't to your taste, L'Arco in Ballyvaughan frequently wins awards for its Italian food, and the Burren Food Trail offers many great options, too. Held each Monday and ever changing, the trail celebrates the best local food experiences, taking you from smokehouses to cheese farms to cookery classes in local farm kitchens.
Where to drink
There are hundreds of bars to choose from, but the most distinctive are those that add to the county's reputation as the home of Irish music. Combine a pint with a band of fiddlers, flutists, banjos and bodhrans and you'll have found the Ireland you were looking for. Some of the best examples include Joseph McHugh's Pub in the harbor village of Liscannor and Durty Nelly's in Bunratty, where the thirsts of weary travelers have been quenched since the 1700s. Keating's Bar is supposedly the closest bar in Ireland to New York City – courtesy of its position way out west on the Loop Head Peninsula.
But if you only seek out one pub during your visit, make it Gus O'Connor's Pub in Doolin, the epicenter of traditional Irish music. It opened its doors in 1832 and the music has barely stopped since. Alternatively, Doolin Music House offers a more intimate setting, where its owner Christy Barry invites you into his home to play local Irish music and tell tales around the fire.
When to visit
Ireland's weather is known to change often, particularly on the windswept west coast, but it's not an island of extremes and rarely gets too hot or cold. July and August are the height of summer, with the longest daylight hours and, theoretically, the best weather. They also bring the biggest crowds and higher hotel rates, but to pack as much in as possible, that's a price worth paying. Whatever month you visit, make sure to pack for rain.
Getting there
United Airlines flies seasonal, nonstop flights between Newark and Shannon, Ireland until October 30. For more information and to book your next adventure to Shannon and the cities beyond, visit united.com or download the United app and share your story using #UnitedJourney.
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We use the special reach and resources of our global operations to partner with outstanding organizations. This is our way of stepping up and going the extra mile for all those who've stepped forward to answer our nation's call.
We do this year-round, and the month of November is no exception; however, it is exceptional, especially as we mark Veterans Day.
As we pay tribute to all Americans who have served in uniform and carried our flag into battle throughout our history, let's also keep our thoughts with the women and men who are serving around the world, now. They belong to a generation of post-9/11 veterans who've taken part in the longest sustained period of conflict in our history.
Never has so much been asked by so many of so few.... for so long. These heroes represent every color and creed. They are drawn from across the country and many immigrated to our shores.
They then freely choose to serve in the most distant and dangerous regions of the world, to protect democracy in its moments of maximum danger.
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Every time they do so, they provide a stunning rebuke to the kinds of voices around the world who doubt freedom and democracy's ability to defend itself.
Unfortunately, we know there are those who seem to not understand – or say they do not - what it is that inspires a free people to step forward, willing to lay down their lives so that their country and fellow citizens might live.
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It is this quality of devotion that we most honor in our veterans - those who have served, do serve and will serve.
On behalf of a grateful family of 96,000, thank you for your service.
Humbly,
Oscar
Each year around Veterans Day, Indeed, one of the world's largest job search engines, rates companies based on actual employee reviews to identify which ones offer the best opportunities and benefits for current and former U.S. military members. Our dramatic improvement in the rankings this year reflects a stronger commitment than ever before to actively recruiting, developing and nurturing veteran talent.
"We've spent a lot of time over the past 12 months looking for ways to better connect with our employees who served and attract new employees from the military ranks," said Global Catering Operations and Logistics Managing Director Ryan Melby, a U.S. Army veteran and the president of our United for Veterans business resource group.
"Our group is launching a mentorship program, for instance, where we'll assign existing employee-veterans to work with new hires who come to us from the armed forces. Having a friend and an ally like that, someone who can help you translate the skills you picked up in the military to what we do as a civilian company, is invaluable. That initiative is still in its infancy, but I'm really optimistic about what it can do for United and for our veteran population here."
Impressively, we were the only one of our industry peers to move up on the list, further evidence that we're on a good track as a company.
The question of where David Ferrari was had haunted retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major Vincent Salceto for the better part of 66 years.
Rarely did a week go by that Salceto didn't think about his old friend. Often, he relived their last moments together in a recurring nightmare. In it, it's once again 1953 and Salceto and Ferrari are patrolling a valley in what is now North Korea. Suddenly, explosions shatter the silence and flares light up the night sky.
Crouching under a barrage of bullets, Salceto, the squad's leader, drags two of his men to safety, then he sees Ferrari lying face down on the ground. He runs out to help him, but he's too late. And that's when he always wakes up.
Italian Americans from opposite coasts – Salceto from Philadelphia, Ferrari from San Francisco – the two became close, almost like brothers, after being assigned to the same unit during the Korean War. When Ferrari died, it hit Salceto hard.
"After that, I never let anyone get close to me like I did with Dave," he says. "I couldn't; I didn't want to go through that again."
When the war ended, Salceto wanted to tell Ferrari's family how brave their son and brother had been in battle. Most of all, he wanted to salute his friend at his gravesite and give him a proper farewell.
For decades, though, Salceto had no luck finding his final resting place or locating any of his relatives. Then, in June of this year, he uncovered a clue that led him to the Italian Cemetary in Colma, California, where Ferrari is buried.
Within days, Salceto, who lives in Franklinville, New Jersey, was packed and sitting aboard United Flight 731 from Philadelphia to San Francisco with his wife, Amy, and daughter, Donna Decker, on his way to Colma. For such a meaningful trip, he even wore his Army dress uniform.
That's how San Francisco-based flight attendant Noreen Baldwin spotted him as he walked down the jet bridge to get on the plane.
"I saw him and said to the other crew members, 'Oh my goodness, look at this guy,'" she says. "I knew there had to be a story."
The two struck up a conversation and Salceto told Baldwin why he was traveling. She got emotional listening to him talk and made a point of fussing over him, making sure he and his family had everything they needed.
About halfway through the flight, Baldwin had an idea. She and her fellow crew members would write messages of encouragement to Salceto and invite his fellow passengers to do the same.
"We did it discreetly," says Baldwin. "I asked the customers if they saw the man in uniform, which most had, and asked them if they wanted to write a few words for him on a cocktail napkin. A lot of people did; families did it together, parents got their kids to write something. After the first few rows, I was so choked up that I could barely talk."
When Baldwin surprised Salceto with dozens of hand-written notes, he, too, was speechless. He laid the stack on his lap and read each one. At the same time, the pilots made an announcement about the veteran over the loud speaker, after which the customers on board burst into applause.
"It seems contrived, and I hate using the word organic, but that's what it was; it just happened," Baldwin says. "Mr. Salceto was so loveable and humble, and what he was doing was so incredible, it felt like the right thing to do. And you could tell he was touched."
On June 27, Salceto finally stood before Ferrari's grave and said that long-awaited goodbye. As a trumpeter played "Taps," he unpinned a medal from his jacket and laid it reverently on the headstone.
"I had gotten a Bronze Star for my actions [the night Ferrari died] with a 'V' for valor, and that was the medal I put on Dave's grave," says Salceto, pausing to fight back tears. "I thought he was more deserving of it than I was."
For the first time in years, Salceto felt at peace. His mission was accomplished.
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