Irish
Interlude Tour 9 Day Itinerary
Day 1 - Sun:
Shannon Arrival & Ennis Walking
Tour
Land at
Shannon Airport and locate the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals
Hall for a group transfer to the charming marketing town of Ennis. Complimentary
transfers are available between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives
later than 12:00 noon, transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 2:00 pm
join a local guide for a walking tour around the main points of interest,
including Ennis Friary. Meet your fellow travellers and tour director over a
welcome drink, before enjoying dinner with some informal entertainment in your
hotel. (B, D)
Day 2 - Mon:
Cliffs of Moher & Galway
Travel to the
coast to view the Cliffs of Moher, a five-mile wall of limestone rising above
the foaming Atlantic breakers. See the rounded limestone hills of the Burren and
the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a huge stone monument marking a Neolithic burial place.
Stop in the attractive village of
Ballyvaughan for a stroll and continue
your journey to Moycullen, just north of Galway. Visit the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, which
specializes in intricate designs in coloured crystal, before heading to
Galway. Enjoy some time on your own before
dinner. (B, D)
Day 3 - Tue:
Connemara & Catamaran Cruise
Today explore
Connemara, a scenic region of misty hills and
shimmering lakes. At Leenane embark on a catamaran cruise through Killary Harbour, Ireland's only fjord. See steep hills
where reminders of the 1840's Famine, ridges of potato fields, are still
visible. Learn about mussel and salmon farming in the clear waters. Drive to
Cong, a charming village that was the location for the 1952 movie, "The Quiet
Man." A short walking tour will show you movie locations as well as Cong Abbey
and the Quiet Man Cottage. (B, D)
Day 4 - Wed:
Yeats' Grave & Belleek China
Outside
Castlebar tour the Museum of Country
Life to see collections of domestic goods, used when
most Irish people made a living by farming. Stop briefly at Knock Shrine to see
the church where locals saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1879. Cross into
County
Sligo and stop at the grave
of W. B. Yeats before continuing to the Belleek Pottery Factory. Watch skilled
craftspeople create intricate basket-weave designs in delicate china. Continue
your journey past the hazy Blue Stack
Mountains to Stranorlar.
(B, D)
Day 5 - Thu:
Glenveagh
Castle & Grand Atlantic Drive
Travel into
the heart of Donegal to Glenveagh National
Park. Captain Adair evicted 225 tenants in order to
build Glenveagh
Castle in 1870. Learn about
the history of the mansion, owners and guests as you tour the many rooms and
walk around the many different gardens filled with exotic plants. Then head
north to experience the glorious natural beauty of the Grand Atlantic
Drive, which winds through Downings and Rosapenna and
around the coastline. Pass Letterkenny on your return to Stranorlar in ample
time for dinner. (B, D)
Day 6 - Fri:
Giant's Causeway & 17th Century
Ballygally Castle Hotel
Travel
to Derry to join a local guide for a
walking tour to see medieval city walls, the Diamond and St. Columb's Cathedral.
Next, drive along the north coast, pausing
for photos at Dunluce Castle. Explore the Giant's Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns formed by
volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. Experience wonderful views of
mountains, valleys and bays along the "Nine Glens of Antrim" route. Check in to
Ballygally Castle, overlooking Ballygally Bay. It is Northern
Ireland's only 17th century building
still used as a residence - ask to see "The Ghost Room." (B,
D)
Day 7 - Sat:
Belfast & Dublin's Merry Ploughboy Pub
Tour
Belfast with a
local guide to see Victorian buildings, the Harland & Wolff shipyards where
the Titanic was built and the Falls Road and Shankill residential areas. Drive
south to visit the Battle of the Boyne
Centre. Learn about the 1690 conflict between King William III and his
father-in-law, King James II for dominance over the British throne and religious
power in Ireland. Travel into Dublin and check in to your city centre hotel.
In the evening head to the Merry
Ploughboy Pub for dinner, which is followed by a show of traditional music and
step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 8 - Sun:
Dublin Tour
& Book of Kells
This
morning tour Dublin city centre to see elegant Georgian squares with the famous
colourful doorways; pass the peaceful St. Stephen's Green and the bustling
shopping areas around Nassau Street; cross the River Liffey to O'Connell Street
and view the General Post Office where the 1916 Rebellion started. Visit Trinity College's Old Library to view the
8th century manuscript of the Book of Kells and learn about its
creation. The afternoon is free for independent activities and your open-top
bus tour
voucher will help you to get around and also visit either Guinness or Jameson.
(B)
Day 9 - Mon:
Return Home
Complimentary
group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or
12:00 noon. After check-in, you'll have time to shop at the duty-free stores
boarding your flight for the journey home. (B)
Breakfast(B)
Dinner (D)