Explore Ireland Tour – 12 day

Highlights:

• Kiss the Blarney Stone
• Tour the Ring of Kerry
• Visit Muckross House
• See the famous Cliffs of Moher
• Medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle
• A Cruise on Lough Corrib
• Connemara Tour with visit to Kylemore Abbey
• Tour through County Sligo
• Tour of undiscovered Donegal
• Antrim Coast with visit to the UNESCO site Giant’s Causeway
• Belfast City Tour
• Dublin City Tour with visit to the Book of Kells

Itinerary:

Arrive at Dublin Airport and transfer to your hotel. Transfers to hotel will be arranged at 08.00 am and 11.00 am. Arrivals after this time are under own arrangements.

You are free to explore the city at your leisure this afternoon. Your hotel will be within walking distance of the city centre.
Overnight Dublin hotel. (D)

Today depart Ireland’s Capital and travel to County Kerry.

En route stop in the town of Blarney for a visit to Blarney Castle. Dating from1446, the castle is a tower house built on solid limestone in wonderful grounds. At the top of the Tower you will find the legendary Stone of Eloquence. Kiss it and you’ll never again be lost for words. But don’t take our word for it – everyone from Sir Walter Scott to a host of American presidents, world leaders, and international entertainers has been eager to take advantage.

Enjoy some time for shopping at Blarney Woollen Mills
The presence of the Woollen Mills during the famine shielded Blarney from the worst effects of the famine, due to its employment of local workers. The success story at the mills continued until a disastrous fire in 1869. By August 1871, the mill was once again operational with a labour force of 222. In 1976 Chris Kelleher, himself a mill worker, bought the old mill property. Within a short period of time Chris and his family transformed the mill into what is perhaps the largest quality craft shop in Ireland.

Continue to your Kerry hotel

Overnight Kerry hotel. (B,D)

Today you can enjoy a superb tour of the Iveragh Peninsula, which will give you the opportunity to discover the Ring of Kerry. Taking in spectacular scenery - mountains, peat bogs, lakes and magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean. Leaving Killarney one passes through Killorglin, famous for its Puck Fair, then to Glenbeigh where the cliff road affords panoramic views of the Dingle Peninsula and Dingle Bay. Passing through the peat bogs one arrives at the sea town of Waterville. Continue to Sneem Village, famous because of its brightly coloured houses. The road continues through the mountains to Molls Gap and Ladies View with superb views of the famous Lakes of Killarney.

Visit Muckross House, which was built in 1843 by the Herbert Family, in Elizabethan style. This house is one of the most sumptuous residences of Ireland. Muckross, surrounded by beautiful gardens, is in the heart of the Killarney National Park, the first to be opened in Ireland.
Overnight Kerry hotel. (B,D)

Travel northwards to Tarbert and take a short boat ride across the mouth of the river Shannon to land on Clare’s shore at Killimer

Travel along the coast to the Cliffs of Moher
The most majestic cliffs in Ireland rise from the Atlantic Ocean at 215 metres and extend for over seven kilometres long.  On a clean day, you can admire the Aran Islands, the Connemara Mountains and the many sea birds that colonise this place to nest in spring.

Enjoy a tour of the Burren Region
The Burren is a strange and unique region in Europe. “Burren” means “large stones”: in fact its name describes this impressive scenery perfectly well.  Often described as lunar, the Burren is a high plateau of porous limestone situated in Northern Clare between Ballyvaughan and Kilfenora.  No trees are growing here, no land is covering the stone, and the limestone is bare.  But the Burren is not as deserted as we believe: the cracks allow different types of flowers to grow all year round, though spring would be the best season for the botanists to explore. The rocks hide many caves like Ailwee, as well as “Turloughs”, an interesting phenomenon which transforms lakes into fields during the summer.  You will also discover the testimonies of its rich history thanks to countless castles and monastic ruins.

Continue to Limerick

Evening: Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle

Bunratty Castle was built in the 15th century by the Earl of Thomond and stands on the banks of the Raite River in County Clare.  From here The Earl ruled over his Chiefdom and was know for his generosity and his lavish entertainment and banquets. For over 40 years the ladies of Bunratty castle, aided and abetted by the Earl's Butler, have welcomed guests from the four corners of the globe to join them at The Earl's Banquet. The entertainment today is provided by the superb Bunratty Singers and is a fitting compliment to the lively mead reception, a four-course meal and of course good wine. Guests are invited to enjoy an unforgettable evening in the splendour of this magnificent castle.
Overnight Limerick hotel. (B, D)

This morning travel to Galway

On arrival enjoy an orientation tour of the city
Galway City is a delight with its narrow streets, old stone and wooden shop fronts, good restaurants and busy pubs. The city has attracted many musicians and artists, which add so much to the character of the city.  A visit can start at Galway’s modern Cathedral, which was built in 1965.

Visit Galway Cathedral
The Cathedral is one of the largest and most impressive buildings in Galway City. Built between 1958 and 1965, it stands on the site of the old city jail. The architecture of the Cathedral draws on many influences. The dome and pillars reflect a Renaissance style. Other features, including the rose windows and mosaics, echo the broad tradition of Christian art. The Cathedral dome, at a height of 145 ft, is a prominent landmark on the city skyline. Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston dedicated the cathedral in 1965. The exterior design may not be to everybody’s taste, while the interior, with its high curved arches and central dome, has a simple but solid elegance.

Enjoy a cruise on Lough Corrib
This journey on the Corrib Princess takes passengers along the Majestic River Corrib and onto the lake, providing visitors with wonderful views of the historic monuments and scenery, which make this one of the most spectacular waterways in Ireland. The visitors will see unsurpassed views of the historic monuments and natural amenities that make this one of the most spectacular waterway in Ireland.  The cruise lasts 90 minutes and sails from Woodquay in the heart of Galway City.

Enjoy the rest of your afternoon at leisure
Overnight Galway hotel. (B,D)

 

Today travel through the beautiful Connemara Region
Connemara is a land of lakes and rivers, bogs and mountains. A land of small villages where Gaelic is still the spoken language and where little has changed little since the beginning of time. It is without a doubt the wildest and the most romantic part of Ireland. Connemara is a vast peninsula bordered by the arid and rocky coastline of Galway Bay in the south ~ a land characteristic for its stone walls and thatched cottages.  On its northern shore the land is harsher and more secret, with spectacular views of the Ocean, the fjord of Killary Harbour, as well as the steep mountains overlooking numerous lakes and large bog areas. Connemara is a real paradise for Nature lovers and those in search of strong emotions.

Visit Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey is located in the Kylemore Pass in Connemara. A Mitchell Henry built the House in 1868, after having spent his honeymoon in the area.  The architecture is best described as neo-gothic and the house still displays all the characteristics of that period. One of Kylemore Abbey's most famous features is its miniature cathedral, built in 1870 and known locally as the Gothic church. Today, the Abbey is home to the Irish order of Benedictine nuns. They bought the house in 1920, having fled their convent in war-torn Belgium in 1914.
Overnight Galway hotel. (B,D)

Today travel to Derry via County Sligo
County Sligo's beautiful scenery was an inspiration for Yeats, who is buried at Drumcliffe Churchyard, under loaf-shaped Benbulben Mountain. The lakes of Sligo, with their still waters and wooded islands are truly spectacular and form a striking contrast to the county's rugged uplands. The imposing Neolithic cairn on the summit of Knocknarea, known locally as Queen Maeve's grave, is a striking landmark. At Carrowmore, you'll find the largest megalithic cemetery in Ireland. Sligo’s scenic coast has some excellent surfing beaches, including Strandhill, Rosses Point and Enniscrone, also popular for their golf courses.
Visit Carrowmore Cemetery
Carrowmore Cemetery has over 60 stone circle and passage tombs making it one of the largest Stone Age cemeteries in Europe. It is the oldest Megalithic cemetery in Ireland as is said to have had over 100 tombs of which 60 still exist today. Each tomb is numbered to facilitate the visitor and the central tomb has been restored and enables visitors to visit the interior of a court tomb and see how it was when it was built over 5000 years ago. The local guides are excellent and give a very interesting and detailed tour of this very ancient and interesting site.  A must for visitors interested in Archaeology.
Continue via Belleek PotteryBelleek Pottery has been producing high quality Parian China at their factory in Belleek since its establishment in 1857.  Visitors are invited to visit the factory and to see first hand, how this world-renowned pottery is created.  The visit commences with a short audio-visual followed by a 20-minute tour of the factory during which the visitor will see the pottery being removed from its moulds, being fired and decorated by the Belleek artists. There is an excellent retail shop and café / restaurant which serves its wares on Belleek china.

Overnight Derry or Letterkenny hotel. (B,D)

Today enjoy a tour of County Donegal
Its location in the North West of Ireland has kept Donegal secret and wild. The Irish consider it to be the most beautiful county in Ireland because of the great diversity of scenery. Donegal is formed by coastal scenery, mountains, lakes and bogs covered in heather ~ all of which combine to give it a unique charm. Its roads are narrow and will lead you to tranquil and deep bays, long deserted beaches inhabited only by the sea birds and high cliffs and a coastline dotted with small islands. The narrow winding roads force you to take your time and allow you to enjoy the wild and unspoiled nature.

Visit Glenveagh National Park
Situated in northwest Donegal, the core area of Glenveagh National Park was formerly an enormous private estate of over 9,500 hectares in extent. The present day National Park now includes elements of another large estate and has a total area of over 16,500 hectares, making it Ireland's largest. It boasts, like Killarney, beautiful lakes set in impressive mountain scenery (the Park includes the two highest peaks in Donegal - Errigal and Slieve Snacht). The underlying granite gives to the landscape a quite different character to the sandstone and limestone strata of Killarney however. At the south-west end of the Park are the ice-carved cliffs of the Poisoned Glen and Bingorm, while the north-east end has a gentler array of hills, deep peat bogs and the swampy valley of the Owencarrow River.
Overnight Derry or Letterkenny hotel. (B,D)

Depart Derry and travel along the Antrim coast to Belfast

Visit the Giant’s Causeway
The Causeway was formed more than 60 million years ago when red-hot lava erupted onto the surface of the earth. It was quickly cooled by the sea, which crystallised it and formed it into the 40,000 basalt polygonal columns, which today form the Giants Causeway. Legend tells a different story as to how this unique place was built by the giant, Finn MacCumhaill. Finn built this causeway over the sea to Scotland, in order to fight against his arch enemy, Fingal, who had started his own path from his side of the sea. The two had never met before and when Finn heard the heavy footsteps of Fingal, he turned back. Helped by his wife, Finn dressed up as a baby! When Fingal arrived and saw Finn, the baby giant, Fingal assumed the baby’s father would be much, much bigger and he became scared and went running home, destroying the causeway behind him

Visit the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Carrick-a-Rede, on the Antrim Coast, is a spectacular rope bridge, which spans a chasm some eighty feet deep. Primarily a seasonal working bridge for fishermen, it connects a small island to the mainland.  Its construction once consisted of a single rope handrail and widely spaced slats, which the fishermen would cross to bring ashore salmon caught off the island.

Continue to Belfast
Overnight Belfast hotel. (B,D)

This morning enjoy a guided tour of Belfast City
The tour will take in the leaning Albert Memorial Clock tower (Irelands answer to the Tower of Pisa) and the Opera House, which is one of Belfast’s great landmarks. Your tour will pass by the City Hall, the Opera house, The Crown Bar (dates from 1885), Queens University and the Botanic Gardens.  Some tours will take in a visit to the Harland and Wolfe Shipyard, where the Titanic was built and launched in 1912.  A visit to the Shankill and Falls road will be of interest as it will give the visitor an indication of how life was in Belfast during the troubles.
Visit the Botanic Gardens
Once privately owned the Botanic gardens date from 1827. Their centrepiece is the fine cast-iron and curvilinear glass Palm House that houses palms and other hothouse flora.  Also to be seen is the Tropical Ravine which was designed by Charles McKimm and which features a jungle of tropical plants growing in a sunken glen.

In the afternoon travel south of Belfast and visit the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.
Located on the beautiful parkland estate of Cultra Manor, near Queens University, the museum tells the story of how a village, with isolated farmhouses and rural industries, slowly develops into a small Ulster Town.  The modern folk gallery has a large photographic archive including 5000 photographs of life in Ulster between 1901 and the late 1920s. The transport section of the museum includes the Irish Railway Collection as well as boat and plane displays.
Overnight Belfast hotel. (B,D)

This morning enjoy some time at leisure in Belfast

Depart for Dublin

On arrival enjoy an orientation tour of the city. The north side of the River Liffey offers great striking monuments such as the GPO (General Post Office) on the city main thoroughfare, O'Connell Street, or the Custom House along the quays, as well as the Phoenix Park, the largest public park in Europe.

The south side appears more sophisticated with its vast Georgian squares, such as Merrion Square, where Oscar Wilde’s House can still be found (today owned by an American College), its colourful doors, along with Grafton Street and its quality shops. Not so far from St. Stephen’s Green, in Kildare St., you will see the house of Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula. This part of the city is also dominated by the students of Trinity College, where the famous book of Kells is permanently exhibited in its library. The university is facing the medieval district where Dublin Castle and the two Anglican Cathedrals can be found.

Visit Trinity College, the oldest University in Ireland, which was founded in 1592 by Elizabeth 1st. Within its walls, you will be able to admire Parliament Square and its 18th Century edifices. The visit of the ancient library, containing over twenty thousand manuscripts, is often surprising by its splendour. The ninth Century Book of Kells, famous for its precious illuminations, is exhibited in these premises.

In the evening transfer to the Merry Ploughboy Pub for an Irish night
This is a state-of-the-art music venue open seven nights a week, all year round. Their lively show features contemporary Irish dancing and well-known guest artists.  Fine food is a very important element.  At Merry Ploughboy’s Pub, youthful vibrancy has successfully combined with traditional craftsmanship to provide an excellent evening entertainment.
Overnight Dublin hotel. (B, D)

After a final Irish breakfast transfer to Dublin Airport for your departure flight home
(B)

Tour Includes:

• 11 nights en suite accommodation at 3 star superior hotels
• Full Irish breakfast at hotel each morning
• 10 hotel dinners
• Medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle
• Dinner and Irish night at Merry Ploughboy’s Pub
• VISITS

Blarney Castle             Muckross House                     Cliffs of Moher (parking fees)
Galway Cathedral       Kylemore Abbey                     Carrowmore Cemetery
Belleek Pottery            Glenveagh National Park       Giant’s Causeway      
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge                                      Botanic Gardens Belfast        
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum                            Trinity College

• Ferry ride across the river Shannon
• Cruise on Lough Corrib on day 5
• Modern motor-coach with driver/guide included as per itinerary
• English speaking guide for Belfast and Dublin City Tour
• Service charges and taxes at existing rates

Dates:

Rates: CAD$ per person, twin share
March 2010                                        $2449.00
April & October 2010                        $2519.00
May – September      2010                $2729.00

Single room supplement      CAD$650.00