8 Day 2011 The Original Irish Pub & Folk Tour

Tour Highlights

• 12th Century Brazen Head Pub Dinner
• Old Jameson Distillery
• Kiss the Blarney Stone
• Sheepdog Trials on Ring of Kerry
• Irish Coffee in Foynes
• Guinness Brewery

Your Hotels

Stay at the following (or similar):

• Ashling Hotel, Dublin (1 night)
• Ormonde Hotel, Kilkenny (1 night)
• International Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
• Harbour Hotel, Galway (2 nights)
• Ashling Hotel, Dublin (1 night)

Tour Includes

• Group transfers on arrival and departure
• Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout
• Services of a professional Irish tour director
• First class hotels with private bath/shower for 7 nights
• 7 full Irish breakfasts (B)
• 6 dinners (D) including
• Food, Folk and Fairies dinner and storytelling at the Brazen Head Pub
• 5 table d’hote dinners
• Welcome get-together drink
• Tour of Dublin with a local guide
• Tours and tastings at the Old Jameson Distillery and Guinness Storehouse
• Sheepdog trials on Ring of Kerry
• Foynes Flying Boat Museum and an Irish coffee
• Catamaran cruise of Killary Fjord (Mar 18 – Oct 21 departures)
• Visits and admissions to Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, Skellig Experience and Cliffs of Moher
• Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person

Itinerary

Day 1: Dublin Tour & Old Jameson Distillery

Land at Dublin Airport early this morning. After customs formalities and luggage reclamation, 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 transfer to the hotel at their own expense. In the afternoon get together with a local 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 Uprising started and pause to view the sombre figures of the Famine Memorial. Visit the Old Jameson Distillery to learn how smooth whiskey is created and enjoy a sample. Back at your hotel discuss your itinerary over a welcome drink with your tour group and guide and you are free for dinner. Ryan’s of Parkgate Street, a traditional Victorian pub, is beside your hotel and the lively Temple Bar area is within easy reach.

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. 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 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. Stop at Kells to meet a local farmer, Brendan Ferris, for a taste of farm life as he demonstrates how dogs herd flocks of sheep 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 to Foynes to visit the Flying Boat Museum, which recalls the early days of air travel when Pan Am Clippers from the United States and Europe landed during the 1930′s and early 1940′s. Irish coffee was first created here to warm frozen 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, perhaps checking out Durty Nelly’s Pub. View the Cliffs of Moher that rise to heights of almost 700 feet above churning Atlantic swells. Continue through the Burren and around the shores of Galway Bay. Check in to your Galway 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 Pins and sparkling lakes on the way to Leenane. Embark on a short cruise of Killary Harbour, a 9-mile fjord (Mar 19 – Oct 22 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 visit the Guinness Storehouse to explore the many levels of exhibitions, ending in the rooftop bar for a view over the city while you sip a creamy pint of stout. Check in to the same city-centre hotel and enjoy free time for independent sightseeing before heading out for a great evening to end your Irish vacation. The Brazen Head Pub is Dublin’s oldest, dating back to 1198. Enjoy an evening of “Food, Folk and Fairies” where story-telling will reveal Ireland’s myths and beliefs in times past. (B, D)

Day 8: Tour Ends at Dublin Airport

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 before boarding your flight for the journey home. (B)

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner

Dates and Prices for 2011

Dates and Prices for 2012

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Accommodation rating Represents the standard of hotel used most frequently throughout this tour

Extras Represents the individual operators suggested budget to pay for additional activities on tour (dinners,entertainment,excursions etc) NOT included in base tour price

Hotel legend:
D deluxe | SF superior first | F first | MF moderate first | ST superior tourist | T Tourist