Richmond Lions/Virginia Gentlemen RFC
tour to City of Derry RFC April 2006
I really had to do some negotiating this week with the travel agent, but the great news is that we can do everything for $1,500, but we have to move quickly.
Here's the deal:
We leave Richmond (yes, from Richmond) on Monday, April 24, at 2:25 PM.
We fly to NY (Kennedy) (arrive 3:45 PM) and then fly Aer Lingus to Dublin (leave 6:00 PM -- plenty of time for tension-relaxing libations for the long flight).
That puts us into Dublin on Tuesday morning (5:30 AM, just in time for a bloody Irish Mary).
We have a motorcoach to take us to the Temple Bar hotel.
We have two nights there (we have one match on Wednesday night, against the Wanderers)
We have a motorcoach to take us to the Tower Hotel in Derry on Thursday, April 27.
We have four nights in Derry.
We have a motorcoach to take us back to the Temple Bar Hotel in Dublin on Monday, May 1.
We have a motorcoach to take us to the airport on Tuesday, May 2.
We fly back through (10:30 - 1:00 AM) New York and arrive in Richmond (leave 5:15, arrive at 6:40 PM)
I had to negotiate the cost on all this, but right now, it's coming out to be almost exactly $1,500. Right now, it's actually a few dollars less, but it depends on the exchange rate and some last minute negotiations between the travel agent and the airlines, motorcoach people, and the hotels.
The $1,500 will include the airfare, the hotels, and all ground transfers.
It may or not include breakfast at the hotels. It probably won't -- I think I had to give that up to get it down to $1,500 -- and it does not include any dinners.
I like several things about this deal very much:
1. It's exactly the cost we talked about.
2. We can leave from Richmond, not DC.
3. We're flying Aer Lingus, the national airline of Ireland.
4. We are staying at good hotels.
5. Covington Travel is arranging all this. They are local and highly responsible, so if there are any problems, we've got some back up.
The only problem with all this is that we have to move fast. These prices are dependent on us getting them a $250 per person deposit by a WEEK FROM TOMORROW, which would make it THURSDAY, JANUARY 19TH.
Right now, I have despots of only $200 from most people, so I need $50 more FAST. EQUALLY IMPORTANT: People have to realize that deposits have been refundable up to this point. If anyone wants to decide now that they can't make it, that's okay, but they have to let me know by Thursday. Once I give the money to the travel agency, it's no longer refundable.
So, I need help in spreading the word. Charlie, our minister of propaganda, please get the word out. Cary, if you can please get all this on the web site. But also, I need everyone's help in spreading the word person-to-person, at the social on Friday and by calling people. Probably at the meeting on Monday, I'll need to ask us to divide up the list and call people who have not responded by Monday.
Thanks for all your help.
Take care,
Reyn
Reyn Kinzey
Secretary, Richmond Lions RFC
1610 Pope Avenue
Richmond, VA 23227
home: 804 264 8602
work: 804 378 2060
cell: 804 339 2748
email: Reynkinzey@aol.com
  Blarney Castle 
Giants Causeway
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We realize that an epic tour of this magnitude requires your attention to family,job,and money matters in order to make a firm committment. Start making the plans that will allow you to travel. You can expect the tour to cost about $1500 per traveler plus or minus a couple of C notes. This target price will include your airfare,hotel accomadation,breafast,transfers,and a one day bus tour of N.Ireland to Bushmills Distillery,Giant's Causeway and other sites of interest. You will need another 3 to 5 C notes for dinner and Guiness and other discretionary expenses.
How do you pay your deposit? Send instand credit card tender via paypal.com to cary@richmondrugby.net or send your check to Reyn Kinzey,1610 Pope Ave,Richmond,Virginia 23227 and make payable to "Dublin to Derry Tour." There is no substitude for fine rugby times on tour! Passport application requires a minimum of 6 weeks to process add another 2 weeks for Murphy's Law--see your local Circuit Court for application. You will require a passport photo that any local copy business can produce while waiting, about $70, and a notorized birth certificate. You cannot go to Ireland without a passport!!! Pleae visit your tour website often for latest details and progress. See emails pertinent to our tour.
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Contact the Committee. Click here.
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Roster of the "interested." Do you wish to be included on the roster of interested? Please contact Cary Kennedy at cary@richmondrugby.net. Deposits on hand as of Dec 15th: Reyn Kinzey Bob Sottile Stephen Pierson-Massey Chris Bowman Doug Clark John Via Chris Fidler Brett Burdick Brian Walker Charlie Grant Robert King Billy Tilson Chinda Ou Brian Burnett Michael Ellingsworth Angela Ellingsworth Jim Clary Collin Crawford Connie Crawford Sarah Baldwin Frank Punch David Chapman Tyler Bartlet Shannon Bustillos Scott Coffield Eric Greise Jon Hill and guests Stuart Corker Darryl Lowery John O’Toole and son Totals: 31 total 13 current 11 old boys 7 significant others and guests Others expected: Phil Strunk Tyler Schmaal (meeting us there) Mirza (meeting us there) Neil Gilette (Shaggy) |
Guiness facts for the beginner
Guinness and Dublin |
DUBLIN TO DERRY ITINERARY
December 23, 2005
Folks, this may change some, and we’re still not sure about the actual flight times (that might depend on what’s cheapest), but the tour will go like this:
Monday, April 24: Leave Richmond, fly to Dublin.
Tuesday, April 25: Arrive Dublin. Stay at the Temple Bar Hotel, in the city center of Dublin.
Tuesday night: Arrival dinner/drink up.
Wednesday, April 26: day for site-seeing.
Wednesday night: Match against Wanderers Rugby Club.
Thursday, April 27: morning coach to Derry. Tour of City Walls, welcome reception arranged by City of Derry RFC.
Friday, April 28: tour Bushmills distillery and Giants Causeway.
Saturday, April 29: first match and party.
Sunday, April 30: second match and farewell dinner sponsored by City of Derry RFC.
Monday, May 1: return coach to Dublin.
Tuesday, May 2: return to Richmond.
The hotels we’ll be staying in are part of the Tower Hotel Group, which is one of City of Derry RFC’s biggest sponsors. We probably couldn’t afford to stay there except that City of Derry RFC is getting us a good deal by negotiating directly with them. They are nice hotels and in great locations. Pictures and more information can be found at www.towerhotelgroup.com.
The guys from City of Derry RFC are putting in a lot of work to organize things for us once we get over there, and I’m sure they will make sure that we are treated well.
We hope to have firm flight times and cost by the first week of January. At that time, we’ll need to ask for another deposit.
From: Malcolm Burns
Sent: 30 September 2005 21:39
To: Reynkinzey@aol.com,cary@richmondrugby.net
Cc: Moss.Dineen@NWI.AC.UK
Subject: Progression on the tour plans.
Hello all,
Just a note to let you know that things are moving this side of the pond. Moss has been in contact with a club in Dublin, Railway Union, as yet we have not heard any firm reply. I have also been in touch with another club in Dublin, Monkstown RFC to enquire if they could host a game against yourselves on the Thursday, I am awaiting a reply from them also.
With regard to the tournament I have got a firm commitment from the team in Germany, St. Pauli RFC, where we toured earlier this year, they are coming as well!! There are possibly three teams coming from Southern Ireland and one from Coventry, England as well. I am looking at a six or eight team format with two league pools played on the Saturday and the “Finals” played on the Sunday. On the Saturday our First XV play their last AIL league game at home to Wanderer’s from Dublin, this should be a good game to watch, we can arrange the tourney that the overseas teams can have a break during this game so they can spectate.
The Sat. night we will have a buffet style meal in the clubhouse followed by some live music and dancing.
On Sunday we will play off the finals of the tournament in the afternoon and then the rest of the day will be spent knitting or crocheting or possibly taking on board some Guinness.
With regard to your accommodation in Dublin the Tower Hotel has a sister hotel right in the heart of the city and have offered a very competitive rate, if you want to take up this offer let me know and we can get things in order this end.
PROPOSED ITINERARY:
Friday:
Leave Dublin by train and arrive Derry early afternoon.
( I have copied the timetable for the train as of now, times may change slightly!)
Departure 9:23 Arrival 14:58
After arriving in Derry you will be met by the official CDRFC Welcoming Committee from where you will be taken to your hotel to check in, possibly not in a direct route!!
If the weather is suitable and we have time we will then take a tour of the City’s famous Walls.
Later Friday evening after suitable time for refreshment the CDRFC Welcoming Committee will join the members of the Lion’s RFC for dinner and an official welcome to our City in the Tower Hotel.
Saturday:
We hope to have a civic reception in the City’s Guildhall in the morning (this may take place on Fri evening).
Leave the hotel about noon to go to the club for the tournament, as mentioned earlier in the e-mail.
Sunday:
In the morning you will have some free time to explore the City or nurse the sore bones and heads!
In the afternoon the finals of the tournament will be played off and we will have presentation of the Inaugural Golden Oldies Cup!
After the rugby is out of the way we then resort to the real business of the tour PARTY!!!!!!
Monday:
We leave the hotel in the morning by coach and travel east towards the North Antrim coast and the tiny village of Bushmills to sample some of it’s unique delights!
From there we travel on to the world famous Giants Causeway where we can take in the view.
The journey then will take us back through the seaside resort of Portrush and on along the North Coast. If time and weather permit we will take the short 15min ferry crossing to the Republic of Ireland and travel home via a few local entertainment establishments.
In the evening then we will have a farewell dinner at a venue yet to be decided and a few more drinks in to the wee small hours.
Tuesday:
Depart Derry with heavy hearts and heavier heads (you hope) to return to Dublin for the journey back to beautiful Virginia.
This is by no means a hard and fast itinerary, it can be changed as condition’s permit. This is a first draft just to whet the appetite of the tourist’s already signed up and maybe help to persuade anyone who is thinking why go to Ireland to play rugby and have fun.
If anyone has any strong views either way on any items I have put in or perhaps omitted please let me know so I can amend.
Please note that all transportation required whilst in Derry will be provided by ourselves as host club.
Hope you find this all in order and hope to hear from you soon.
Malcolm CDRFC
Son, in this world there are scrums. And in those scrums you need forwards. As a forward I have more responsibilty than you can ever fathom. You use words like "drunk" and "out of shape"; those words are the very backbone of a life I spent drinking and partying, and you use them as a punchline.
You weep for your wings and centers, and curse the forward. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of knowing that the front row, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, wins these games we play. Truth? You can't handle the truth! Because deep down in places you don't talk about, in your selection meetings, you want me in that scrum; you need me in that scrum.
I have neither the time nor inclination to explain myself to a back who scores on the very blanket of ball retention that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you bought me a beer and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you crawl into that scrum and get dirty.
