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Aloha Ian & Kevin,
I just wanted to write and thank you
so much for everything, particularly selecting John as our bus
driver.
All of my pre-planning could never have come close to providing such
a great trip had it not been for John.
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John with Ellen & Co. |
Everyday of our trip, he was one step
ahead in the planning and in helping me select sights to see along the
way, many of which I would never have known about had it not been for
John.
Add in all of his knowledge about the places and their history, and his
wonderful sense of humor and great singing voice, and it made a
wonderful trip to remember for all of us.
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So the long and the short of it was,
we had a great time, a great bus, and a fabulous bus driver!!! We
can't thank you enough! I've enclosed a couple of pictures of our
group with John.
Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much!)
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Aloha, Ellen Caringer, Taka Harada &
the gang!
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Hi Ian,
Our family trip to Ireland was a great success. In large part due to
your coach and driver Liam. It was so nice not to have to worry about
driving and keeping the large group together. Liam was great, he had
wonderful suggestions on points of interest and background on the areas
we were travelling through. |
The Stanton Group with Liam |
He was a trouper when it came to our loud
and noisy group (13 adults & 10 kids - ages 2 -16).
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It was so easy to book everything via the
Internet. You were always very prompt in answering any questions I had.
Overall a wonderful experience. Next time we come back we will
definitely use your coaches.
Sincerely,
The Stanton Group
New Smyrna Beach, FL
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Ian (and Kevin and Mike):
“Thank you” doesn’t seem enough to say for the absolutely perfect time
we experienced in Ireland, along with Michael O’ Mahony, our Driver
Extraordinaire!
From the time we first contacted Butler seven months ago, through
planning our itinerary with your excellent suggestions, and up until our
group of 17 said farewell at Shannon Airport last week, every detail of
our travel was attended to in fine fashion. |
Mike & Garold |
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Michael shared with us Ireland’s history, sites, sports, politics, and
economics as we made our merry way from Dublin to Doolin to Killarney
and answered every question with sincerity or his sharp wit ("Woody, you
weren't on my tour!"). Mike taught us "no panic" and to “settle our
nerves” when several ladies were separated from our group in
Belfast. He was extremely flexible with our group of golfers and
non-golfers alike and made suggestions for great restaurants and
beautiful scenic stops. I’d like to think we left Mike with some
lasting memories and comic relief, as well as several “custom” trash
bins for the bus! After all, we were the group that was “approaching
the summit” of his craziest ever group of travellers! He even settled a
friendly dispute among our retired U.S. Navy sailors regarding the
International Phonetic Alphabet (“Y” being for “Yankee”—Thanks, Mike).
Thank you, Ian, and Mike, for memories that will last a lifetime. I’m
attaching photos of our “toast” to Butlers (at the Paradise Found beach
bar--Irelands' only--Ring of Kerry)
I will be sure that all my friends here in Chicago that are travelling
to Ireland call on Butlers for a first-class trip! (How does "Take the
High Road-Call Butlers" sound???) Please feel free to use my comments
and photos on your website, as we're completely satisfied customers who
hope to return some day!
Garold Allen
Homer Glen, IL,
U.S.A. |
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Ian, A Chara,
The services were beyond great.
Based on our experience, we will gladly serve as a reference for Butlers
Buses.
Our driver, Jim, was "thar cionn" - excellent, knowledgeable and
great with the group. |
Jim our Driver & D. Rutledge |
We hope to repeat our tour in 1 to 2 years and we will be using your
services again. Go raibh maith agaibh - excellent experience.
D Rutledge, Tartan Senior High School - Minnesota
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Just completed a Golf Tour with seven other guys. Our driver was John
Donovan.
We had a great time and John really made it that much better.
He easily figured early on that we were there mainly for the golf and
while suggesting some sightseeing he let us make all the decisions on
where we went. |
A.J. & Co - Old Head Golf Links |
John has a really neat ability to read people quickly and get along with
all in the group. I kind of headed our group and John and I struck a
good chord from the very beginning.
If all your drivers are like John your company should get very few
complaints from your customers. I met a really good man and made a nice
friend and his name is John Donovan.
Good Luck Big Man.
A.J. James -
USA |
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Good morning (evening) Ian. I wanted to tell you how genuinely pleased
we were with your choice of Rob as our driver and guide through out
Ireland last week.
Not only did Rob provide a source of information and entertainment (he
has this habit of breaking into an Irish folk song at the most
surprising times) he took us places that we would have never experienced
on our own.
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The Rizzieri Family -
Dallas, Texas, USA |
When he dropped us each evening we
suddenly felt at a loss since he took such good care of us during the
long days that he spent with us.
We learned about the Country and the culture and he even taught us about
Irish sports and music, complete with real life visual aids and a chance
to participate.
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Rob Giving Hurling Lessons
Near Blarney Castle |
What a well rounded person you have on
staff. We hated to leave him behind actually. I hope you will pass on to
him how much we appreciated the time and care he took with each of us.
Thank you very very much.
The Rizzieri Family - Dallas, Texas, USA
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Ian, Just a word of gratitude to say thanks for your help on our
tour.As you say in Ireland the Coach was "spot on".
It worked very well for us and provided comfort with no problems or
delays.
A special word about our Driver and 23rd tour member , Michael
O'Mahony.
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Tony Ryan Group |
What a real Irish gentleman. We could not have been happier to have him.
This is my 5th time arranging tours for friends utilizing a coach with
driver and Michael out shined all the rest.
We had folks on the coach aged from 42 to 84, male and female and all of
them sang the praises all the way home of "Michael". Butler Buses is
represented very well by him. Hopefully I can plan another Irish
adventure next year and I hope you will give us Michael to lead the way.
Tony Ryan -
Georgia |
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Kevin,
Thank you for the wonderful day tour that you provided my family and me
during our recent visit to Cork.
All of the sites, the comfort of the bus, and the personalized attention
made it a most pleasant day. By the way, your familiarity of Cork's
history is truly impressive.
My family continues to rave about the tour and marks it as highlight of
our vacation.
I look forward to passing your company's information to my friends. |
Robert Saunders & Family |
Cheers,
Robert Saunders, Denver,
Colorado (USA) |
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Hi Ian,
We have just returned to Canada from the most fantastic trip to
Ireland that we’ve ever had. This one was filled with a lifetime
of memories for all of us. Twenty two of us came from Canada and
met another 14 from Ireland for an O’Sullivan family reunion.
Many had not been back in Ireland for 50 years.
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The
O' Sullivan Clan |
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The best thing we could have possibly done was to rent a bus from
Butlers buses to help move us around. We visited the old haunts
around Cork where we lived, where we grew up and where we went to
school. We visited the seaside resorts where we used to go for a
spin and spend many lazy Sunday afternoons. And we visited the
O’Sullivan castle ruin in Castletownbere and saw the Ring of Beara,
the land of our forefathers. We also visited a portion of the Ring
of Kerry and Killarney.
We had a truly outstanding driver by the name of John O’ Donovan.
He was punctual, polite, extremely knowledgeable about Ireland,
passionate about Ireland and its’ beauty. On top of all of that he
entertained us with his singing; suggested routes where we could see
extras and was the best bus driver that any of us had ever seen. I
would go so far as to say that he took that bus to beautiful places
that buses had never been before and may never go again! Thank you
John.
Taking the bus allowed us to travel in great comfort; visit with
friends and relations that we had not seen for many years; easily
coordinate all of the travel arrangements instead of having to worry
about 7 or 8 cars; not worry about drinking and driving; share
stories and songs using the intercom system; and observe the beauty
of the Irish countryside. And we were able to do all of this at a
very reasonable cost. It truly was the best decision that we could
have possibly made. And oh yes, did I say thank you to John
O’Donovan? Thanks again John.
Dr. Ashley O’Sullivan,
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
Canada
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Hi Ian,
I want to thank you for giving us Stephen Murphy on our recent tour of
Ireland.
He was a wonderful driver and guide and went over and above what was
expected to show us a good time and share his knowledge of all the
sights we saw while there.
I have told my boss, Anthony at PROXIMO travel what a great time we had
and all thanks go to Stephen. He was very impressed as was I at the
quality of treatment that we had.
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Patti Tocci & Co. Proximo Travel |
We return next spring and summer to Ireland and adding Scotland as well
for a second week. I am sure you will be first on our list to
assist us is Ireland with Butler Buses as our transportation while
there. I will be requesting Stephen Murphy for sure!!
Thanks again for providing a great trip and giving us Stephen for the
week. Much appreciated!!
Patti Tocci - Proximo
Travel |
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Hi Ian,
Just a few lines to let you know what a great time we had in
Ireland.
Thanks for all your help in putting our tour together and most
importantly for arranging our driver John Donovan.
He was outstanding!
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John
Donovan with some of the group
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John Hanik & Co.
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I wanted to write and say thank you to you and Liam for helping to
accommodate our every need while on our trip with our mother to Ireland.
I felt comfortable with you right away with your speedy responses about
the buses and programs, your assurances that our schedule needs would be
accommodated and that the buses were clean and comfortable. |
The Paradise Girls |
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I’ve driven a rental car in Ireland before
and after paying for the broken mirror (you guys drive on the wrong side
of the car and road) and missing half of the trip because I had to do
all the driving, touring with Butlers is the only way to go. I got to
enjoy the countryside along with my travel mates and we never got lost!! |
To our driver Liam, who we now consider Uncle Liam, we thank you for
helping make this trip a success. We were all a little nervous about
spending the week with a someone we didn’t know and I have to say we met
as strangers and parted as great friends. We travelled with my mother
who has been wanting to travel to Ireland with her daughters for years. |
Chilling out on the move |
Liam helped us find the house where one of
my mother’s grandfathers grew up. We were in front of the house the
tenant came out of the house and when we told her why we were
practically on her doorstep she let us come in the house, very special.
My mom’s grandmother grew up in Roscommon and when we pulled into the
town (can’t remember the name as I type this) Liam actually went off
secretly to a pub to ask the locals if they knew the family name of
Nester, then proceeded to bring us to a house in town where we attempted
to find some distant relatives.
We all appreciated his wiliness to help us make the most of our trip.
Liam was the perfect gentleman, helped us load and unload all our
luggage, showed us places that we would have never seen on our own, knew
when to be a part of the conversation and when to let us be silly women
and made us feel safe all the way. We all got choked up when saying
goodbye for we just spent the week with one of God’s finest and had a
great time.
We learned so much about Ireland and truly appreciated Liam’s
commentary, history lessons and of course his sense of humour. I know
that I speak for our travelling crew when I say that we’d highly
recommend Butlers to anyone and we’d travel with you guys again.
Take care and call us if you’re ever in Chicago.
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Rene' Paradise & Co. - Chicago
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Dear Ian,
I wanted to write to thank you for the trip of a lifetime. From our
first email contact 18mths before our arrival you helped organize and
guide us through a wonderful 18 day trip around Ireland. Our group of 18
had ‘the best’ time. We even learnt about ‘buckets of time’ ‘a couple of
hours’ ‘not to worry’. Ireland is really a beautiful country and we were
shown the best of it by your wonderful guidance. The green is hard to
describe.
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The Elly Tours Group |
We had Michael as our guide / driver / friend and I think he got a feel
for us Aussie’s as we did for the Irish. The Guinness we shared with you
in Cork, the trip around the Ring of Kerry , the Hurling match Michael
found for us the Gaelic footy match the Giant’s Causeway, St Patrick’s
grave, all fabulous memories. Nothing was ever a trouble to you. I have
no hesitation in recommending Butlers Busses to anyone thinking of
touring Ireland.
John Ellis – ‘Elly Tours’ -
Australia |
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Hi Ian,
Just wanted to let you know what a smart move we made by hiring
Butlers Buses.
Although we drove our own bus in Scotland in 2005, driving in
Ireland is much different and would have been a nightmare for
us. Our driver John Pierce was a true professional- always
pleasant, completely accommodating and a safe driver.
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Paul
Lopata & Co. With John P
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John was prompt, knew his way around, and always said "yes".
We also appreciated your help and suggestions on the phone as well
as the info on your site. Oh, by the way, the bus was terrific.
Thanks again Ian.
Paul Lopata and the guys from Chicago
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Hi Ian,
We
had a wonderful time in Ireland again, staying in Dublin and in Ballybay,
which we are twinned to. John Donovan drove us very carefully.
We remember his information about the country and his wonderful Irish
songs, which are sounding sometimes melancholy and giving you always an
idea of the great love to Ireland that Irish people carry deep down in
their heart. |
Dr. G Müller & Co. |
My group coming from Osterhofen, Germany, was enthusiastic with the
perfect Butler´s Bus service all the days.
For me it was the second time to go by Butler's and I promise, that I
will use Butler's fine fleet again, whenever I come back to Ireland with
another group.
Regards
Günter Müller
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Germany |
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The Hicks, Fisher, O’Brien, and Schuette families would like to thank
Butler Buses, Ian and Michael for making our reunion tour of Ireland a
resounding success.
Mike Payne, our driver and guide, met our every need. He was at the airport
to meet our plane from the U.S. with a very |
The Hicks, Fisher, O’Brien & Schuettes |
comfortable bus that had plenty of room.
He was at the airport to meet our plane from the U.S. with a very
comfortable bus that had plenty of room. He transported us to the west
of Ireland with an unending knowledge of Ireland’s history, and catered
to the crazy schedule of our eighteen family members from 2 to 75 years
old with patience and humour.
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He then returned us to Dublin where we
toured independently for the last couple of days of our trip. We spent
five glorious days visiting Galway, Clare, and Kerry and enjoying
beautiful scenery, castles, cliffs and, of course, pubs. One day was
spent on the amazing Aran Isles. We were able to plan our own trip
itinerary with Michael’s suggestions to make the days run smoothly. Many
stops for photo ops and pub stops were graciously accommodated and we
always made it to our hotels in time for dinner. Thanks again to Ian and
Michael. We'll be back again someday to see more of Ireland.
The Hicks, Fisher, O’Brien & Schuette families - USA
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Ian - a quick note to thank you for your help with our driving trip in
Ireland March 15 to March 20.
Our driver, Michael O Mahony was perfect! He was so knowledgeable,
flexible, fun, and really made our trip so enjoyable.
He was happy to take us where we wanted to go, but was there to offer
suggestions of places we may not want to miss as well. |
S. Hickey & Co. -
California |
We left Ireland having seen so much!
Please pass our thanks on to Michael.
S. Hickey & Co. -
California |
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Dear Ian,
Andrew and I would like to sincerely thank-you for all of your help
during our wedding celebrations in May.
With 80 guests coming from the U.S to our wedding in Cork, it was very
important that our transport requirements ran smoothly. We can say
wholeheartedly that everything went off without a glitch and Butlers
played an integral part in the success of our wedding week.
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The Frank Wedding Party |
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Your variety of buses allowed us to your same professional company for
all of our needs; at first small airport runs and then larger buses for
bringing guests to our rehearsal dinner in Kinsale and again on the day
of the wedding when we required transportation for our guests to the
Honan Chapel and to the Rochestown Park Hotel |
Andrew & Hazel |
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It was a pleasure to work with Butlers Coaches, the drivers were lovely
to travel with and great fun. There were no delays and with all that,
your prices were competitive.
We would certainly recommend Butlers to anyone requiring a reputable
transport company. Can we thank-you once again for your assistance and
wish you continued success in your business endeavours.
Best wishes
Hazel & Andrew Frank - New York
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Hello Ian,
Our tour was very successful, due in large part to Michael. He is certainly
passionate about Irish history and knowledgeable about the different
areas of the country. His suggestions throughout the tour made our trip
even more enjoyable. |
The Sullivan Family -
Minneapolis |
I think what I appreciated most was his kindness towards my parents. It
was a long and tiring trip for both of them and Michael did whatever
possible to make the daily experience better for both of them.
I'd recommend Butler's Buses to anyone travelling to Ireland. I can't
imagine trying to accomplish all we did by ourselves. We attend a couple
of Irish festivals throughout the year. I will definitely be speaking
about our great experience with Butlers to anyone interested at those
events.
Thanks Ian!
The Sullivan Family - Minneapolis
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Hello there,
Just arrived back from our tour. A massive thank you from us all for
your choice of driver. Rob was fantastic. A true gentleman with a big
heart. He is a credit to your company. KEEP HOLD OF HIM!!!!
The ladies loved his charm and sense of humour. He made this visit
easier for me as well. Please make sure you pass our compliments on to
ROB. You have a gem there.
I also am happy with the way in which we are able to conduct our
business. It means so much to me to know I can trust in you.
Once again a big thank you. We are looking forward to next year already.
Regards
M Sanderson - UK
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Dear Ian,
Thank you so very much for the wonderful trip around Ireland with Kevin.
He was without a doubt the reason we enjoyed our trip to the utmost. He
was at every moment prompt, patient, amusing, and knowledgeable, and
exhibited impeccable driving skills. The ladies on the trip liked him so
much, that we tried to bring him home with us!
S Watkins South Carolina
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Dear Ian,
Having just spent a long weekend in and around Killarney, and using
Butlers for the first time, I felt it very appropriate to drop you a
line.
I and my 23 friends would like to express our sincere thanks to Barry
for allowing us to have a hassle free, friendly, welcoming and pleasant
trip to Ireland.
Always on time, extremely friendly, helpful and very professional Barry
really enhanced our travel requirements and we feel is a great credit to
Butlers!
We very much look forward to our return to Ireland and shall definitely
be using you again.
G Richards,
Gumpy Golf Society – Bristol
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Ian,
We have recently returned from our golf trip to Cork.
I wanted to write to thank you for the excellent service you provided
throughout the trip.
The buses were always of excellent standard, more than adequate for our
needs and always waiting for us at the exact time we agreed. Kevin was
efficient, professional and most importantly fun to be with. He pointed
out some useful places for us to visit in the evenings, some of which we
frequented more than others!!
In the past we have hired cars but your service
allowed us to completely relax from any driving or parking concerns and
was a major factor in our enjoyment of the holiday.
We will certainly use your company again when we return to Cork in the
future.
Peter Gallagher - Merseyside England
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Hi Ian,
We made it back home late last night after a wonderful holiday and a
fantastic wedding for my daughter.
I wanted to thank you for sending us Liam, he was the hit of the
vacation. From the first day to the last he was outstanding, always on
time with a big smile ready to go. He made the whole experience
wonderful especially for our friends and family that have not been to
Ireland before this trip.
I will highly recommend your service to all our friends and I know we
will be booking with you in the future.
From all the Stapleton Family a Big Thank You to Butlers Buses and To
Liam who we now feel is part of our family.
Terri Stapleton - Los Angeles
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Hello Ian,
I wanted to convey my thanks for a flawless service last week.
Kevin and Barry were both helpful and extremely punctual.
My group of friends are notoriously
difficult to satisfy and even they were complimentary!
By the way the online interface really helps customer service too -
(I've never seen it
before)
It's well designed and nicely functional.
Thanks again Ian, we will never again hire
cars...
RegardsTony Bean, London |
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Ian,
We finally got back to Alaska from the Ireland trip. Many thanks
for the great service and to your outstanding driver, Jimmy Barrett.
Jimmy made the whole vacation worthwhile and he is, by far, the best
driver/tour guide I have ever encountered. He is a great representative
of your company.
Again, thanks for everything.
L Peterson, Alaska |
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Hi Ian,
We are home safe and
sound. I wanted to let you know that all agreed our golf tour was a
major success. I am working out my next trip in my head already.
Thank you for all your help. I did not think we could do so much on our
budget.
We have already sent an email to Kevin "Our Star Driver". Make sure we
have him again for our next trip!!!
Nick - Manchester, UK |
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Dear
Ian
Our Ireland holiday was
perfect. Thank you for all you did to make our trip such a pleasurable
experience.
We absolutely adored our driver, Jim. He did everything to make our
stay a pleasure and on numerous occasions went out of his way to
accommodate.
It was very sad and difficult to leave Ireland. I hope to return one
day.
Thank you again for everything and for the perfect driver.
Phyllis Richmond, VA
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Ian,
All of us want to express to you our complete satisfaction with
Jim Barrett during our visit to Ireland. He was a joy to be around ! He
was always prompt, informative, entertaining, helpful etc etc. beyond
the call of duty.
After a while, we all felt he was part of our group and included him in
our lunches and even some photos.
It goes without saying that we will highly recommend Butler's Busses to
anyone that we can. You have a truly professional organization through
and through and you and Jim made our scary visit to another country much
more enjoyable than we had anticipated.
We have Jim's e-mail and home address and intend on corresponding from
time to time. The wedding was perfect and we have enough pictures to
recreate the whole event for a lifetime. Thanks again Ian, we cannot say
enough about the pleasure of our experience with Butler's Buses !
Jim and Sandy Fox - Chicago |
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Ian
Many thanks for making our trip so enjoyable and taking a lot of worry
of my mind.
I would have no hesitation in recommending you should anyone I know be
after a coach service - including ourselves
when we get back to
Ireland.
Thanks again and if you are in the Bristol area, please call.
John - Bristol, UK |
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