Courtesy Oils the Wheels of Pleasure
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FDR those whose mothers came from Ireland there Was always joy in returning thither, even before the present era, when the British are impelled to holiday abroad by prospects of steaks and civility. Mr. and Mrs. Everyman, however. had to await the coming of the motor coach before they could enjoy the beauties of all parts of the Emerald Isle, and enjoy them they did, as past records will show. Denial of such services during the war served only to emphasize the pleasure that they gave and made their return doubly welcome, not only to Britain but also to those American tourists whose enthusiasm for little old England has, according to a travel agent's spokesman, lately shown a regrettable tendency to wane. Just as coach tours are an important medium of public relations for Ireland so are most Irish folk an advertisement for Irish travel.
As at least one coach-touring correspondent has been so impressed by the courtesy of the Irish people that she wishes she had had more opportunity to meet them, we Cannot avoid the reflection that it would indeed be ironical if the very excellence of the organized holiday drove the visitor to free-lance travel in an endeavour to procure yet more of a good thing.
In Ireland buses and coaches are as „ justly popular as they are elsewhere, but the railways are equally in eclipse. Although Irish railways vie with Wigan and mothers-in-law as the butt of funny stories, they still have some devotees. And, we venture to think, even had they no honour in their own country they would continue to be worth preserving, if it could be arranged, as a courtesy college for those employees of British Railways—and certain other organizations—to whom politeness seems to be such a frightfully old-fashioned word.