Snowdrop Festival: Altamont Gardens in full bloom

Destinations to watch

Online travel agent Click&Go has released its first Travel Barometer results, an analysis of travel trends in 2018. Destinations which saw the biggest jump in bookings included Disneyland Paris, Krakow, Berlin and London, while bookings to sun destinations Malta and Tenerife were up 20 per cent on 2017. clickandgo.com.

In bloom

The 1,100-acre Kilbride Estate in Tullow, Co Carlow, welcomes the return of their Snowdrop Festival this month. Visitors are invited to view the unique collection of more than 100 named varieties of snowdrops, started by the late Corona North, to celebrate the arrival of spring. The Altamont Gardens have been cultivated since the 1750s and are now under the watchful eye of head gardener, Paul Culter, who will be giving tours at 2pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the duration of the festival. heritageireland.ie

Spring fling

Treat yourself to a stay at Carton House this month with their Joys Of Spring package. Enjoy one night's accommodation at the 1,100-acre estate in Maynooth Co Kildare including breakfast, dinner in the Linden Tree restaurant and a €20 spa or golf credit from just €105 per person sharing. See cartonhouse.com, call 01-5052000 or email reservations@cartonhouse.com.

Home-grown honours

The five-star Dromoland Castle won the Gold Award of Excellence for Best Five-Star Hotel 2018 at the CIE Tours International Annual Awards of Excellence. Ranked and chosen according to customer feedback from over 32,000 surveys, the awards recognised 77 of the country's best hotels and attractions including Glenveagh National Park for National Heritage Award, Galway City Tour for Best Walking Tour and Culloden Estate and Spa for Best Hotel Service and Hospitality.