Day 1 | Dublin to Galway
- leaving Dublin we make our way west, traveling through the heart of Ireland, the biggest bog there is in Ireland, learning how it was once used to power Ireland’s whiskey distilleries.
- If you are up for whiskey in the morning let’s stop off at Locke’s distillery in Killbeggan, the oldest whiskey distillery in the republic and museum of the original of the year 1757,
- Next, we stop off in Athlone where we grab a bit of lunch and have a pint of the black stuff in seans bar, said to be the oldest bar in Ireland dating back to the year 900AD.
- on our next wee journey, it’s a more spiritual place from the 6th century, St Ciaran’s monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise and the best preserved celtic crosses of Ireland.
- we then make our way into Galway city and get checked in for our first night in Ireland’s trad (Irish music)capital city, if the weather is kind and it’s a nice evening we will have a gentle walking tour through the small little streets taking in the main sites to see
Day 2 | Daytrip to Connemara
- Kylemore Abbey
- Sheep dog demonstration.
- The field bar Leanne
- Doo Lough tragedy and the famine way or Cong village, Cong abbey, and the quiet man movie set.
- The spectacular scenery of Connemara.
- Ashleigh waterfalls
- Trad at the prom ( either this night or the next whichever is a Tuesday/Thursday or Sunday night )
Day 3 | Daytrip to the Arran Islands
- Inish Mor
- bike hire or Jaunting car ride
- Dun Aengus Ring Fort
- lunch in the pub
- View the cliffs of Moher from the ocean
- Irish speaking Gaeltacht
Day 4 | Galway to Dingle
- Your journey will take you down the Wild Atlantic Way on the west coast of Clare via the famous Galway Bay, Dunguaire Castle and the fishing village of Kinvarra. You will see The Burren, 250 square kilometers of limestone plateau, to us Irish known as An Boireann, which is Gaelic for rocky ground—an apt name for this vast limestone plateau. Cromwell’s surveyor, Officer Ludlow, back in the 1640’s, described it as “a savage land, yielding neither water enough to drown a man, nor tree to hang him, nor soil enough to bury”. But still a landscape of great beauty, and also the only place in Ireland that you will find a mediterranean flower growing called the Gentia.
- On the Wild Atlantic Way, you will travel to the Cliffs of Moher. Braced against the ocean, on the coast of County Clare. Here you will stand on the dramatic 702ft (214m) high and 9 miles (14km) long cliffs, a Wild Atlantic Way signature discovery point, to gaze out on the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. Further south in County Limerick, take time to stroll the main street of the beautiful thatched village of Adare before traveling on to dingle town via the absolutely magnificent Conor pass !
- Tonight you will stay overnight on the dingle peninsula.
Day 5 | Dingle to Killarney
- This morning after breakfast, you will depart for Killarney National Park. Your hotel is situated right at the door of Killarney National Park.
- First we head west and we drive on what is my favourite Irish drive, slea head drive on the dingle peninsula! Stunning ! We can stop to see the vehicle hits and even pet some Irish lambs,
- We visit the gallarus oratory a 6th century Irish church , and probably one of the first built in Ireland.
- There also a chance to go horse riding in ventry harbour !
- Before we return to dingle town for lunch some of the best fish and chips in the world !
- We the make our way to Killarney and were we can either have a jaunting car ride of the gap of dungloe or the Killarney national park and Donaghues Ross castle.
- Tonight we stay on the banks of the lakes of Killarney!
Day 6 | Ring of Kerry and the Wild Atlantic Way
- Today is the Ring of Kerry, one of the most famous coastal drives in the world with its spectacular natural beauty. We will travel through the town of Killorglin, made famous by the puck fair, Ireland’s unofficial High King. Crowned every year on the ninth, tenth, and eleventh of August, where they take a goat and stick a crown on it. We’ll get a quick photo of King Puck.
- We can do an optional stop at a working Irish farm, and watch a real Irish farmer work his collie sheepdogs as they gather his sheep on the mountainside.
- Then we travel to Coomakista view point, for panoramic views and photos of the wild west of Ireland. Stop off at Derrynane house, once home to the great Daniel O’Connel of 1829 Catholic emancipation Ireland. We visit his home, or if you would prefer, you can go for a stroll on a beautiful beach, and dip your toes if you want.
- After this we’ll travel to Sneem, where you can grab some lunch at the riverside cafe, and a pint of Guinness, and sing the song about the stone outside Dan Murphy’s door as you sit on the stone outside Dan Murphy’s door.
- So from here we travel over the mountains of Kerry, through the black valley of 1847 and to the ladies view, made famous when queen Victorias ladies in waiting came to view the lakes of Killarney..
- Then just before returning to Killarney we stop off to get some fantastic photos of the torc waterfall, one of the best in all Ireland !
- We spend our second night in Killarney town where you can enjoy a night of Irish dancing and music at the award-winning Irish show called Celtic steps, a journey of emigration told through the eyes of Irish culture!
Day 7 | Killarney to Clonakilty
- We make our way from Killarney to Clonakilty home of the famous Irish black pudding and also the Irish rebel leader Micheal Collins,
- our first stop today will be Gougane Barra, and a visit to the little lakeside church of St Finbarre, and the source of the river Lee that streams all the way to cork city. we have a nice morning walk and a refreshing cup of coffee and cake afterward. stunning landscape and photo opportunities.
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- we head for the town of Kenmare and onto the Healy pass on the Beara Pennnisalla, we can cross over the Caha pass through turners Rock Tunnel, driving through the Cork and Kerry mountains while we sing Whiskey in the Jar.
- we take in the delights of Glengarriff and journey on to Ireland’s most southern point and stop off in Bantry Bay to learn all about Ireland’s rebellion of 1798 and the united Irishmen.
- we make one final stop at the Drombeg stone circle where we can sacrifice a few Guinness to the southern Irish sunset.
- we then have a short drive through county cork and stay the night in west cork and Clonakilty
Day 8 | Clonakilty to Cork City
- This morning we make our way to the town of Kinsale, stopping off for some great photos of Timoleague Friary.
- We then have a tour of Charles Fort in the town of Kinsale stopping off for some lunch in what some would call the gourmet capital of Ireland,
- after this, we head for Blarney Castle and its amazing Gardens and grounds, and if you’re the courageous type, you might even summon up the courage to storm the castle and climb the spiraling staircase to the top to kiss the blarney stone, get the magical Irish gift of the Gab, there’s also shopping here for everything Irish you thought you never wanted.
- Then it’s off to cork city for the night.
Day 9 | Cork City to Dublin
- so today we head for whiskey and Dublin, with our first stop being Jameson whiskey distillery, where we can have a tour or a taste of the famous Irish whiskey.
- then it’s off to the rock of Cashel, once home to the high kings of Munster the great mc Carthys. we tour the rock and grab some lunch in the town of Cashel.
- then continuing our journey we can have a quick stop at an old charming Irish pub, Morrisseys in the town of Abbeyleix.
- with a final stop before Dublin at Kildare and the church of st bridget or the Rock of Dunamase, famous for Strongbow and the Celtic Irish princess Aoife Mc Murrough
Day 10 | Dublin Day Tour
- Today we tour Dublin taking in all the favorite sites.
St Patrick’s Cathedral.- Tour of Kilmainham gaol(jail) where the rebel leaders and the seven signatories of the proclamation of Ireland as a republic were executed.
- Trinity College/Book of Kells
- A small walk around the G.P.O and the history of the Easter rising! 1916.
- Lunch in the church.
- The Guinness storehouse for your evenings Guinness in the gravity bar at the top of the Guinness factory
- Second night in Dublin, maybe a quiet drink in the gravediggers, (famous for Daniel Day Lewis’s Oscar and my left foot ) not my left foot? The movie MY LEFT FOOT! 😁!
- or any of the great and many musical pubs of Dublin, maybe the cornerstone for a traditional Irish session
Day 11 | Airport Transfer
- Depending on the flight we can visit the Epic Center!
- A story of Ireland’s emigration and history or have a chilled morning in Dublin before your flight! Or get to Airport early and on time! All to be decided!
- or we can pay a visit to Glasnevin cemetery and where lots of the great leaders of Ireland’s revolutionary and political history are buried
- Depending on the flight we can visit the Epic Center!