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Day 1: Dublin Tour & Old Jameson Distillery
After arrival at Dublin Airport, head to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall to arrange a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. Passengers arriving later will have to make their own way to the hotel. In the afternoon get together with a Dublin guide to tour Dublin city centre to see elegant Georgian squares with the famous colourful doorways and the peaceful St. Stephen’s Green. Cross the River Liffey to O’Connell Street and view the General Post Office where the 1916 Rebellion started and pause to view the somber figures of the Famine Memorial. Visit the Old Jameson Distillery to learn about the many stages involved to create a smooth whiskey and, at the end of your tour, try one for yourself. Back at your hotel enjoy a welcome drink and discuss your itinerary with your tour group and guide. As dinner is at leisure, you might like to try Ryan’s of Parkgate Street, a traditional Victorian pub close to your hotel with a full restaurant and informal pub grub.
Day 2: National Stud & Medieval Kilkenny
Depart Dublin and stop in Kildare to visit the Irish National Stud. Horseracing is a passion for the Irish and you will see some of the finest stallions and learn about breeding. Walk through the charming Japanese Gardens, created to symbolize life from birth to death. Arrive in Kilkenny and check in to your centrally-located hotel. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure – Kilkenny is a fun place to explore on your own. You may like to tour Kilkenny Castle, first built in 1192 and constantly added to and changed until the 19th century. You may visit the Kilkenny Design Workshop near the castle or Kyteler’s Inn, a tavern established in 1324 and reputedly owned by a witch. (B,D)
Day 3: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Stop for photos at the Rock of Cashel, a magnificent limestone outcrop high above the surrounding countryside before continuing south to Blarney, just outside Cork. Visit Blarney Castle and climb to the ramparts to kiss the well-known “Stone of Eloquence.” Enjoy some time for shopping at the Blarney Woollen Mills or take a break in the pub hidden between the shops! Travel through County Cork to Macroom and stop for a brief look at the imposing castle, which was the boyhood home of William Penn. Continue your drive to Killarney and check in to your hotel in the centre of the town. In the evening you may like to explore some of the cosy pubs where traditional Irish music is played. (B,D)
Day 4: Ring of Kerry Tour
Explore County Kerry’s popular scenic region with Ireland’s highest mountains on one side and a varied Atlantic coastline on the other. As you drive, every turn will reveal new vistas of mountains, cliffs and beaches and there will be plenty of photo stops. Stop at Kells to meet a local farmer, Brendan Ferris, for a taste of farm life with a sheepdog demonstration of herding flocks and see different breeds of sheep. Cross to Valencia Island by bridge to visit the Skellig Experience. Learn about early Christian monks who braved a harsh existence on the rocky offshore islands. Continue your trip through the remote villages of Cahirciveen and Waterville at the western end of the peninsula. Stop in the colourful village of Sneem and pause at Moll’s Gap for a look at the Lakes of Killarney. (B,D)
Day 5: Irish Coffee & Cliffs of Moher
Drive north through Listowel and along by the River Shannon to Foynes to visit the Flying Boat Museum, which recalls the early days of air travel, during the 1930’s and early 1940’s, when Pan Am Clippers from the United States and Europe landed here. Irish coffee was first created here to warm frozen, weary travellers and you will learn how to make a perfect one and then savour it. Travel through the outskirts of Limerick and have a look around Bunratty Village before viewing the Cliffs of Moher that rise to heights of almost 700 feet above the churning Atlantic swells. Continue through the Burren and around the shores of Galway Bay to Galway. Check in to your hotel, which is near all the shops, cafés and pubs in Shop and Quay Streets. (B,D)
Day 6: Clifden & Killary Fjord Cruise
Today’s route takes you through the heart of Connemara and along the Inagh Valley to see the granite hills of the Twelve Bens and sparkling lakes on the way to Leenane. Embark on a short cruise of Killary Harbour, a 9-mile fjord (Mar 27 – Oct 23 departures) to enjoy views of hills where traces of pre-Famine “lazy beds” of potato ridges can still be seen. Keep an eye out for seabirds as you pass mussel and salmon farms. Rejoin your coach and drive south to the town of Clifden, known as the “Capital of the West.” Stop for a look around the shops and pubs before heading back to Galway for dinner and a second overnight stay. (B,D)
Day 7: Guinness & 12th Century Brazen Head Pub
This morning travel from the west coast back to Dublin on the east coast and check in to a different city-centre hotel, close to the lively Temple Bar area. The afternoon is free for you to use your open-top bus voucher to take you all around the city centre. Use your voucher to go to the Guinness Storehouse and explore the many levels, ending in the rooftop bar for a view over the city while you sip a creamy pint of stout. Head out for a great evening to end your Irish vacation. The Brazen Head Pub is Dublin’s oldest, dating back to 1198 and is one of Dublin’s best live music venues. Enjoy an evening of “Food, Folk and Fairies” where you’ll learn about life in Ireland in times past through a varied program of song and stories. (B,D)
Day 8: Depart Dublin
Complimentary group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. (B)
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