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Day 1: Dublin Arrival & Book of Kells
Arrive at Dublin Airport and proceed to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall for a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you will need to make your own way to the hotel, an elegant mansion built in 1750, is set in delightful formal gardens. At 2:00 pm your tour director will introduce you to Dublin’s River Liffey, the wide O’Connell Street, tranquil St. Stephen’s Green, the seat of government at Leinster House and other public buildings. See some of Dublin’s famous Georgian houses and pause at the Famine Memorial, a reminder of the mid-19th century disaster. Visit Trinity College’s campus and the Old Library to view the priceless Book of Kells. Join your fellow travellers for a welcome drink and your tour director will advise where to dine independently.
Day 2: Strokestown Park House & Galway
Leave Dublin and journey across the rolling pastures of Ireland’s heartland to visit Strokestown Park House in County Roscommon. There are three parts to see – the 18th century mansion with its original furnishings; the four-acre walled garden, restored to look as it would have during the heyday of the estate; and the Famine Museum, which uses a combination of original documents and images to explain the circumstances of the 1840’s Great Irish Famine. Drive to Galway and view the main sights of the city before checking into your deluxe, Victorian-era hotel, located in the city centre. Enjoy some free time to browse around on your own before dining in your hotel. Galway has many pedestrianised streets and lots of fun specialty stores and pubs. (B,D)
Day 3: Connemara & Catamaran Cruise
Drive through the heart of Connemara, past granite hills and sparkling lakes on the way to Leenane to embark on a short cruise of Killary Harbour, a 9-mile fjord (Apr 4 – Oct 24 departures). 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 see lovely countryside where sheep graze freely over open land and people cut peat, which is used for home heating. Travel to Clifden, the principal town of the region, and stop to take a walk around. Continue to Moycullen to visit the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, which specializes in intricate designs in collared crystal, before returning to Galway. (B,D)
Day 4: Cliffs of Moher & Killarney’s Jaunting Car
Travel south around Galway Bay to see the Cliffs of Moher, which rise almost 700 feet above the pounding Atlantic surf. Then cross the wide River Shannon Estuary on a short ferry ride to Tarbert and travel through Listowel and Castleisland to Killarney. This little town is world-famous due to its exquisite location beside lakes and mountains. Check in to your deluxe hotel, in a peaceful setting just outside the town. Head out to view some of the scenery by taking a horse-drawn jaunting car ride through the grounds of the Killarney National Park to Muckross House. Tour this mansion to see period furnishings and learn its important guests and owners. Then stroll through the mature gardens before returning to Killarney. (B,D)
Day 5: Dingle Peninsula & Killeen House Restaurant
Today discover the glorious Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies that showcased the scenery – “Ryan’s Daughter” and “Far & Away.” Drive along the south shore to admire views of heathery mountains, sandy stretches of beach and rocky headlands. Stop for a while in Dingle before continuing to the Blasket Centre in Dunquin to learn about the offshore Blasket Islands, inhabited until 1953 by hardy families who eked out a living by farming and fishing. Return to your hotel and enjoy free time to use the hotel’s leisure facilities or relax. This evening head to the award-winning Killeen House Restaurant for a warm welcome and a superb dinner. (B,D)
Day 6: Kenmare & Bantry House
Today see the highlights of the Ring of Kerry drive as you head to Ladies’ View and Moll’s Gap for great views over Killarney and its three lakes. Stop in the charming town of Kenmare for a look around at the colourful houses and perhaps do some shopping before crossing the Caha Mountains to Glengarriff, renowned for its mild climate with palm trees. Nearby visit Bantry House, a stately Georgian mansion built in 1740 for the Earls of Bantry. Tour the house to see the wealth of furnishings collected from all around Europe and take a walk through the delightful gardens before continuing to your hotel. (B,D)
Day 7: Blarney Castle & Abbey Tavern
This morning drive through the pleasant countryside of County Cork to Blarney. Climb to the ramparts of Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Journey past the gentle slopes of the Galtee Mountains and through some of Ireland’s prime dairying country. Stop in Cashel for something to eat, take a look around the town, or photograph the Rock of Cashel, a huge limestone outcrop with many ecclesiastical ruins Travel to Dublin and to your hotel in the elegant village of Malahide, on the coast just north of the city. In the evening drive to the Abbey Tavern for dinner and a lively show with traditional Irish music, story-telling and step-dancing. (B,D)
Day 8: Dublin at leisure
After breakfast you make take a complimentary group transfer provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. (B)
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