Unforgettable Ireland

Failte go hEireann, and following arrival at Dublin Airport, transfer to your Dublin hotel under own arrangements. You are free to explore the city at your leisure this afternoon, and your hotel will be within walking distance of the city center. If you are interested in arranging an arrival transfer or activities for the afternoon, please speak with your Destination Specialist.

After breakfast, meet with your English-speaking guide and driver and depart Ireland's capital, traveling to County Kerry. En route, stop in the town of Blarney to visit Blarney Castle. Here you will find the legendary Stone of Eloquence. Kiss it and you’ll never again be lost for words. Enjoy some time for shopping at Blarney Woollen Mills. The presence of the Woollen Mills during the famine shielded Blarney from the worst effects of the famine, due to its employment of local workers. In 1976 Chris Kelleher, himself a mill worker, bought the old mill property. Within a short period of time Chris and his family transformed the mill into what is perhaps the largest quality craft shop in Ireland.

Today you can enjoy a superb tour of the Iveragh Peninsula, which will give you the opportunity to discover the Ring of Kerry. Taking in spectacular scenery such as mountains, peat, bogs, lakes and magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean. Leaving Killarney pass through Killorglin, famous for its Puck Fair, then to Glenbeigh where the cliff road affords panoramic views of the Dingle Peninsula & Dingle Bay. Passing through the peat bogs one arrives at the sea town of Waterville. Continue to Sneem Village, famous for its brightly coloured houses, before arriving back in Killarney.
Along the Ring of Kerry stop at a local farm for a sheepdog demonstration. Your visit starts with an overview of the different breeds of sheep, followed by an introduction to the farmer’s most important helper, his border collies. Next you will see a superb demonstration of sheep herding as the farmer with his dogs demonstrate how, by working together, he can take a flock of sheep from the mountain top to the sheep pen close to the farmyard. In the evening, enjoy dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants or pubs in Killarney town.

Travel northwards to Tarbert and take a short boat ride across the mouth of the River Shannon to land on Clare's shore at Killimer. Travel along the coast to the Cliffs of Moher, the most majestic cliffs in Ireland which rise from the Atlantic Ocean and extend for over 7 km (4 miles). On a clear day, you can admire the Aran Islands and Connemara Mountains. Enjoy a tour of the Burren Region. The Burren is a strange and unique region in Europe; it is a high plateau of porous limestone situated in Northern Clare.

This morning travel to Galway City and get oriented with this beautiful place which has attracted many musicians and artists. Visit Galway Cathedral, one of the largest and most impressive buildings in Galway built between 1958 and 1965. Next, enjoy a cruise along Lough Corrib including scones and an Irish coffee. This journey on the Corrib Princess takes passengers along the majestic Lough Corrib and onto the lake. Visitors will see unsurpassed views of the historic monuments and natural amenities that make this one of the most spectacular waterways in Ireland.

Today travel through the beautiful Connemara Region filled with lakes, rivers, bogs and mountains. Visit Kylemore Abbey, built in 1868 by Mitchell Henry, and see its most famous feature the miniature Cathedral. It has been home to the Irish order of Benedictine nuns since 1920. Next you will visit a bodhran maker (traditional Irish drum). Roundstone Music and Crafts is located in a former Franciscan monastery in Roundstone, in the heart of Connemara. It is here that you will find the workshop of Malachy Kearns, better known as Malachy Bodhran, who is famous for the manufacture of bodhrans, the oldest instruments that accompany traditional Irish music. Malachy makes bodhrans for the world famous Riverdance troupe and he is currently the only full-time bodhran maker in Ireland.

Depart Galway for Dublin today. On arrival, you will first explore the north side of the city which offers striking monuments such as the GPO (General Post Office) on O'Connell Street and Phoenix Park, the largest public park in Europe. The city’s south side appears more sophisticated with its vast Georgian squares and is home to Trinity College, Dublin Castle and two Anglican Cathedrals. Visit EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. This is a state-of-the-art interactive experience located in the beautiful vaults of the 1820 Custom House Quarter building in Dublin's Docklands, the original departure point for so many of Ireland's emigrants.

After a final Irish breakfast, transfer to Dublin Airport for your departure flight home under own arrangements. If you are interested in arranging a departure transfer or to extend your trip, please speak with your Destination Specialist.