12 Day Irish Odyssey

Authentic Local Experiences:

Explore the picturesque little church at Ballintubber Abbey; located on an old pilgrim road, it’s been in continuous use for 800 years!
Visit a pub once owned by Páidí Ó Sé, an Irish sporting great, and the family pub of the late John B. Keane, one of Ireland’s finest playwrights.
Relax as you take in a special step-dancing display at the Cabra Castle Hotel.

Dining Experiences:

11 hot breakfasts (B), 1 lunch (L) and 9 dinners (D) including Taylors Three Rock Pub with a live show, Páidí Ó Sé’s Pub in Ventry with a talk on Gaelic sports, and the Walled City Brewery Restaurant in Derry.

2020 Irish Odyssey 12 Days / 11 Nights / 21 Meals

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

Day 1: Dublin Tour & Kilmainham Gaol

• Meet your tour guide at 2pm at your hotel in Dublin.
• Take a tour of Dublin’s most famous attractions such as Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the General Post Office.
• Afterwards, visit Kilmainham Gaol, where Irish rebellion leaders, such as Robert Emmett, Eamon De Valera, and Padraig Pearse, were imprisoned in the 19^th and 20^th
• Meet your tour guide for a welcome drink in the evening

Day 2: EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum & Taylors Three Rock Pub

• Visit EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum, the world’s only fully digital museum, and discover the story of the 10 million people who have left Ireland over the last 1,500 years –and their impact on the world. Your afternoon is free to explore Dublin. Later, enjoy dinner and entertainment at Taylors Three Rock Pub.

(B, D)

Day 3: Farmhouse Visit & House of Waterford Crystal

• Drive through Kildare and visiting a traditional farmhouse and meet the owners. Learn about life in the Irish countryside and enjoy tea and freshly-bakes scones.
• Head south to Waterford to take a tour of the House of Waterford Crystal. Learn about traditional glass blowing, cutting and polishing techniques from experienced craftspeople.
• Visit the Medieval Museum nearby, which has a 13th-century Choristers’ Hall and 15^th century Mayor’s Wine Vault.
• Next, we will may our way to Cork where we will spend the night.

(B, D)

Day 4: Blarney Castle & Killarney

• Take a brief walking tour of Cork city and the English market with a local guide.
• Visit Blarney Castle, just outside the city and get the chance to kiss the famous Blarney Stone
• Visit Blarney Woollen Mills for beautiful Irish-made goods and gifts of all types.
• Journey through Cork and Kerry to the town of Kenmare.
• Have your camera ready to capture some great views at Moll’s Gap on the Ring of Kerry and see how train dogs herd sheep.
• Check into your hotel and enjoy some free time before dinner.

(B, D)

Day 5 Jaunting Car Ride | Dingle Peninsula | Sheepdog Demonstration

Take a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle and Kenmare Estate and see Lough Leane, the largest of Killarney’s lakes. Visit Moriarty’s in the Gap of Dunloe. Travel to the scenic Dingle Peninsula for views of heathery mountains, sandy stretches of beach, and rocky headlands. Enjoy a demonstration of highly-skilled sheepdogs herding sheep at a local farm. Enjoy dinner at Páidí Ó Sé’s pub in Ventry while you hear a fun talk on Gaelic sports.

(B, D)

Day 6: Cliffs of Moher & Galway

• Visit Listowel and J.B Keane’s family pub for scones and tea.
• Drive north and cross the River Shannon Estuary by ferry to travel along the coast of County Clare.
• See the amazing Cliffs of Moher, a majestic wall of solid rock that rises 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean walk to O’Brien’s Tower to get views of Connemara as well as the Aran Islands.
• Head to Galway for a walking tour before your check-in your hotel, overlooking Galway Bay.

(B, D)

Day 7 Lough Corrib Cruise (Seasonal) | Kylemore Abbey | Galway

Travel through Connemara for sweeping views of misty mountains and shimmering lakes. Take a scenic cruise on Lough Corrib and sip some creamy Irish coffee (seasonal). Stop at Kylemore Abbey for a walk through this elegant mansion, set beside a tranquil lake. Return to Galway, where the rest of your day is free for independent sightseeing and dining.
(B)

Day 8: Ballintubber Abbey & Belleek Pottery

• Travel north to Claremorris to visit Ballintubber Abbey, known as “the Abbey that refused to die,” Ireland’s only royal Abbey, which has been in continuous use for more than 780 years. Visit Belleek Pottery, then follow the Atlantic shoreline of Donegal Bay to the town of Donegal for some free time. Continue your drive through the majestic Barnesmore Gap to Derry.
  (B, D)

Day 9: Derry Walk & Giant’s Causeway

• Begin your day with a local walking guided tour around the ancient city of Derry.
• See St. Columb’s Cathedral, the Guildhall, the Diamond and the 16^th century walls.
• Take photos of the medieval ruins of Dunluce Castle.
• Walk on the Giant’s Causeway’s giant hexagonal basalt columns which formed over 60 million years ago.
• Visit Shean’s Heritage Farm to see turf cutting, before heading back to Derry to enjoy the rest of the day.

(B, D)

Day 10 Belfast Tour | Titanic Belfast

Visit the historic city of Belfast, taking a panoramic tour to see grand government buildings, the peace wall, and the docks where the RMS Titanic was built in 1912. Visit the magnificent Titanic Belfast, a high-tech attraction that will immerse you in the story of the doomed liner. The rest of the day is free to explore as you wish

(B)

Day 11: Megalithic Tombs & Historic Drogheda Walk

• Explore the Boyne Valley Visitor Centre and learn about the 5,000-year old burial tombs, of Newgrange and Knowth.
• You can then visit one of them and see how primitive people aligned huge boulders with accuracy.
• Visit the town of Drogheda; join a local guide for a walking tour to see the head of St. Oliver Plunkett, who was the first Irishman was to be canonized in 700 years and St Laurence’s Gate, built in the 13^th
• Enjoy a farewell dinner in the evening, with live music, at Wm Cairnes Gastropub which was previously a brewery.

(B, D)

Day 12 Tour Ends in Kingscourt

Your tour ends after breakfast. Drogheda is 30 miles north of Dublin Airport so ensure you have appropriate transfer arrangements made.
(B)

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner