Throughout 2015 the Catholic Church around the world is celebrating the 500th anniversary of the birth in Avila, Spain, on 28th March 1515, of St Teresa of Jesus, also known as St Teresa of Avila, one of the great Doctors of the Church. In Ireland and Britain the Centenary Year opened with celebrations in October 2014 and will close with a Mass in the two nations on 15th October 2015, St Teresa’s feast day.
“Spain will be showcasing St Teresa’s 500th anniversary in 2015, along with the many tourist opportunities that are provided by the increased air capacity from Ireland to Spain this year and the fast, easy onward connections to cities throughout Spain by AVE high-speed trains,” Gonzalo Ceballos, Director, Spanish Tourism Office, told a media briefing lunch in Zaragoza, Dublin.
“In addition, there is a 20% shopping discount for tourists, as well as Spain’s wide variety of visitor attractions, including golf, watersports, wine and food tours, nature, culture and learning, the ‘real Spain’, and sustainable development.
“There will also again be an extended season from April to October for Santiago’s El Camino – to which, other than Spain, Ireland sends the second highest number of people in relation to population after Portugal.”
