Romantic Ireland Tour 8 day tour
Day 1 - Sun:
Dublin Arrival
& Book of Kells
Arrive at
Dublin
Airport and proceed through
immigration and pick up your baggage. Go to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals
Hall and personnel will arrange a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am
and 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you will need to transfer to the
hotel at your own expense. Your 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 - Mon:
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 - Tue:
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
stop for photos at the Kylemore Abbey Visitor Centre. Drive through lovely countryside where sheep graze freely 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 - Wed:
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 of its important
guests and owners. Then stroll through the mature gardens before returning to
Killarney. (B, D)
Day 5 - Thu:
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 - Fri:
Bantry
House & Blarney Castle
Today see
great views of a portion of the Ring of Kerry at Ladies' View and Moll's Gap.
Stop in the charming town of Kenmare for a look around before crossing
the Caha
Mountains to Glengarriff,
renowned for its mild climate with palm trees. Nearby, tour Bantry House, a
stately Georgian mansion containing a wealth of furnishings collected from all
around Europe. Then drive through pleasant
countryside to Blarney and climb to the ramparts of Blarney Castle to kiss the famous "Stone of
Eloquence." You may do some shopping at the Blarney Woollen Mills before heading
to your hotel in Cork. (B, D)
Day 7 - Sat:
Rock of Cashel & Abbey Tavern
Journey past
the gentle slopes of the Galtee
Mountains and through some of
Ireland's prime dairying country.
Visit the Rock of Cashel, a stately limestone outcrop topped with medieval
ruins. See the 12th century highly-decorated Cormac's Chapel, the
large cathedral and a round tower. 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 - Sun:
Depart for Home
For those
booked on our 8-day tour, complimentary group transfers are provided to
Dublin
Airport to arrive at 6:00
am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon
Breakfast (
B) Dinner (D)