There was another Cork Winner in Shandon Travel

08:08, 25 Apr 2026Updated 08:09, 25 Apr 2026

John Barrett of Magic Vacations in Kinsale(Image: TTG)

Three of Cork’s best-known travel agencies were amongst the very top on the biggest night of the year for the travel sector in Ireland and the UK.

Kinsale’s Magic Vacations, Shandon Travel and Barter’s Travelnet (both with offices on Patrick Street in the city) were amongst the finalists at the Travel Trade Gazette Top 50 Travel Awards in Manchester on Thursday night.

Magic Vacations, run by John and Maria Barrett, was awarded “Top Travel Agency in the Republic of Ireland” while Shandon Travel and Barter’s Travelnet were both in the final.

It’s a major accolade for Magic Vacations of Kinsale, who specialise in theme-park travel, many thousands of Cork and Irish families will have gone with them to parks including Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World Orlando, Universal Resort Orlando, PortAventura, EFTELING and Legoland Windsor Resort. They have been amongst the top travel agencies for some time in Ireland, winning the ITAA Top Irish Travel Agent title in 2024 /2025. It’s the second time they have won the TTG Best in Ireland award.

These prestigious awards recognise excellence across Ireland and the UK, judged on top-tier customer service, innovation, business performance, marketing, technology, and sustainability—supported by verified client testimonials and detailed benchmarking.

Speaking on the night, John Barrett told travel industry news specialists Travelbiz.ie that it was a fantastic recognition of the hard work and dedication of the team at Magic Vacations.

“Last night was a huge moment for Magic Vacations and for my travel career to date. I am proud of our company, our team and our partners, and during these challenging times, awards like this make us work even harder for our clients. A huge thank you to the TTG judges and to our fellow winners.”

Cork Airport posted congrats to the Cork finalists and the winner on their social media, saying: “Congratulations to John and Maria Barrett and all the team at Magic Vacations in Kinsale, which was awarded “Top Travel Agency in the Republic of Ireland” at Travel Trade Gazette Top 50 Travel Awards in Manchester last night

Well done also to the team at Marble City Travel in Carlow/Kilkenny which placed in the Top 3, and to our friends at Shandon Travel and Barter’s Travelnet, which were both named as finalists!”