Columnist Joe Delaney: Recapping a long, working European vacation

Joe Delaney

Thursday, June 17, 1999 | 9:38 a.m.

It is good to be back, especially after five weeks away. ... It took approximately 30 hours from waking up in Las Vegas on May 6 until we finally went to bed in Switzerland's Hotel Miramonte, home of the International Academy of Broadcasting, where we teach a three-week course each year. ... Our route there took us from Las Vegas to St. Louis, New York City, Dublin, Ireland and Geneva, thence by rail to Montreux.

After three years teaching in Montreux in January, spring and the flowers that abound everywhere -- especially on the walk around Lac Leman -- should have been a big improvement, weatherwise, had it not rained almost every day.

Working with students from all over the world is a great challenge. ... Our project this time was a magazine program where each student has a chance to be a producer, director, writer and performer on camera, as well as a floor director, cameraman and audio technician on various segments.

Thence to Ireland

Our circuitous route enabled us to stop off in Ireland from May 30 to June 10 before returning home. ... In Erin, the sun shone every day with occasional short, soft showers. ... When we first visited Ireland in 1957, the average age nationally was in the mid-40s. ... Today, the average age is 26. ... Employment in the 26 free counties is high.

In all of Ireland, including the Northern Ireland counties, there are 32,500 hotel rooms, 9,200 in Dublin with a population of approximately 1 million, 20 percent of the island's total.

Room rates in most Dublin hotels have gone sky high. ... The Conrad, part of the Hilton Hotel family, was offering a three-day midweek special for the equivalent of $250 per night. ... Room rates that would usually include a full Irish breakfast are being discontinued. ... Despite the prices, Dublin was booked out the week I was there.

A few comparisons

Las Vegas has approximately 113,000 hotel/motel rooms with an average annual 89.2 percent occupancy rate. ... Dublin's annual room occupancy rate is 72.2 percent. ... In Northern Ireland, it's 56.7 percent. ... Were it not for help from the Irish Tourist Board in finding a room, we would have had to stay with friends. ... We stayed at the Mount Herbert Hotel, quite nice, not too far from city center, close to the excellent DART train system.

Theater has always thrived in Ireland. ... That first week in June was devoted to the works of Brian Friel, honoring his 70th birthday. ... On Monday we saw "The Aristocrats" at the Venerable Gate Theatre, and Thursday it was "Dancing at Lughnasa" at the Abbey Theatre.

We saw "Lughnasa" first with the late hotelier Eoin Dillon in London. ... The star, Rosemary Linehan, won a Tony for her performance later on Broadway. ... We also saw a fine effort in UNLV's Black Box Theatre last year. ... We'll pick up at this point in Friday's column.

Star policy rundown

It's Tony Bennett through Sunday (Caesars Palace); Hall & Oates, Friday through Sunday (Desert Inn); Patsy Cline Tribute (Gold Coast); Clint Holmes (Golden Nugget); Bill Acosta (Luxor); Tom Jones (MGM Grand); Paul Anka, this weekend and next (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Righteous Brothers (Orleans); and Danny Gans (Rio).

More stars: Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen, Stephanie Pope and Marcia Lewis star in "Chicago" (Mandalay Bay), and Tommy Tune does likewise in "EFX" (MGM Grand). ... Look for both these shows to continue into the next millennium, deservedly so.

One-night stands: Fatboy Slim, Thursday; Poison and Ratt, Saturday (Hard Rock); Johnny Lang, Thursday; James Brown, Friday; and Mickey Hart, Saturday (House of Blues). ... Bill Acosta's "Lasting Impressions" has been expanded, upgraded and extended into the next millennium as well.

Special event

Golden Rainbow's annual extravaganza, featuring cast members from just about all of the production shows, will be performed at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Luxor Theater. ... Fill every seat, please, and if you can't attend, send a tax-deductible check to Golden Rainbow at 1111 Desert Lane, LV, NV 89106 so it can continue its outstanding work with locals who are HIV positive or suffering with AIDS.

There is only one Las Vegas. ... We're grateful to be part of it. ... See you Friday.