Outline Itinerary for Vigil OOOW Church Group of 15. A Private Ireland Tour - August 13-29 Detailed 35 page itinerary will be included with the final documents. SPECIAL NOTE: The sites that are mentioned in the daily touring outline are those that would be a logical stop during the touring day. At Conn s Ireland we never say NO to a tour member. You can discuss with the driver-guide ANYTHING you are interested in and he will let you know if that is possible, given the European Union Commercial Driver Safety Rules which regulate the amount of time a driver can drive during the day. August 13 Tuesday DEPART FOR IRELAND You will make your own air arrangements to Ireland. Overnight flight. The following airlines fly directly into Ireland from the USA: Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines. They each have a website where you can make your reservation and purchase your ticket. August 14 Wednesday DUBLIN S FAIR CITY Arrival at Dublin Airport. Welcome to Dublin, Ireland's Capital. Philip Smith your experienced Driver-Guide will meet you as you exit Irish Customs and escort you to the waiting luxury Mercedes motorcoach. As your hotel rooms will not be available until early afternoon you will sightsee Dublin City. See the historic buildings, Georgian Squares and landmarks of Dublin on your city tour. See the historic buildings, Georgian Squares and landmarks of Dublin on your city tour. This evening enjoy a Welcome Dinner. Overnight at the Mont Clare Hotel. August 15 Thursday DUBLIN S FAIR CITY Irish breakfast this morning. Continue sightseeing Dublin City today Do some shopping on fashionable Grafton Street. You have the entire day to explore this 1000 year old city. You may wish to visit Trinity College and view the Book of Kells, St. Patrick s Cathedral., Christchurch Cathedral You may wish to visit Dublin Castle, seat of British rule for 800 years, and tour the State Apartments. You may wish to visit the National Gallery, the National Museum or any of the many museums of Dublin. You may wish to enjoy the nightlife of Dublin and find some Irish music at one of the nearby pubs. Overnight at the Mont Clare Hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus. August 16 Friday COUNTY WICKLOW & GLENDALOUGH Irish breakfast this morning. Tour into County Wicklow known as the Garden of Ireland. If you are interested in formal gardens, you may wish to stop at Powerscourt Gardens and stroll through one of the most beautiful formal gardens in Ireland. Continue south to Laragh and a visit to the 6th century monastic settlement of Glendalough which was founded by St. Kevin. View the nearby Glenmacnas Waterfall. Cross the Wicklow Mountains via the spectacular Wicklow Gap and continue to the medieval town of Kilkenny. You ll stay this evening at the Pembroke Hotel in the heart of town overlooking 12th century Kilkenny Castle. You may wish to tour the State Apartments of Kilkenny Castle. Stay at the Pembroke Hotel, Kilkenny. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus.
August 17 Saturday CASHEL, & BLARNEY Irish breakfast this morning. Visit 12th century Kilkenny Castle this morning. and tour the restored State Apartments. Tour from Kilkenny to Cashel in County Tipperary. You may wish to visit the Rock of Cashel, a cathedral fortress that dates to the time of St. Patrick. It was here that he first used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity when he converted the King of Munster to Christianity. On to Blarney and visit Blarney Castle and Gardens. You can climb the steps to the top and kiss the Blarney Stone and gain the gift of eloquent speech! Continue to Cork City, Ireland s second largest city, situated on the River Lee. It is lively and prosperous with a keen sense of its own cultural identity. You stay in Cork City this evening at Clayton Hotel on the banks of the River Lee. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus. August 18 Sunday BANTRY & KENMARE Irish breakfast this morning. Tour to the town of Bantry on beautiful Bantry Bay. Continue to Glengariff. Cross the exhilarating Caha Pass into the town of Kenmare a picturesque town on the Kenmare River. Nearby you ll find Drombeg Stone Circle, one of the largest stone circles in Ireland. Tour north through Moll s Gap and what is called the 'Short Ring of Kerry.' Stop at Ladies View for a panoramic view over the Lakes of Killarney and Killarney town. Continue into Killarney Town situated on the shores of the Lakes of Killarney and at the foot of the mountains; 'Heaven's Reflex' it is called for its natural beauty. Stay at the Earls Court Guesthouse in the heart of town. This evening enjoy a traditional Irish night of music and dance along with a 4 course dinner at Kate Kearney s Cottage at the Gap of Dunloe. August 19 Monday SLEA HEAD DRIVE & DINGLE TOWN Irish breakfast this morning. Tour the spectacular Dingle Peninsula, one of Ireland s most picturesque spots. Drive around Slea Head and admire its rugged beauty. Visit the Blasket Island Center, Mulcahy s Pottery and a lunch stop in Ballyferriter. Stop and visit the Gallorus Oratory, a 7th century stone chapel used by pilgrims going to Mount Brandon. View the Bee Hive stone huts that were used by pilgrims centuries ago on their way to Mount Brandon and to Skellig Michael. Continue to Annascaul, the home town of Tom Crean, an Antarctic explorer. View the South Pole Inn. Tour via Tralee and hear the sad, romantic story of the Rose of Tralee. Return to Killarney. Stay at the Earls Court Guesthouse in the heart of town. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus. August 20 Tuesday ADARE & BUNRATTY Irish breakfast this morning. Enjoy a jaunting cart ride through the 20, 000 acre Killarney National Park and visit Muckross House, a 19th century mansion that depicts Killarney life. Tour north through Abbeyfeale and the picturesque village of Adare with its thatch-roof cottages lining the main street. On to Bunratty where you visit the Bunratty Folk Park - a recreated 19th century Irish village complete with a 15th century Bunratty Castle! You can visit the 15th century Bunratty Castle and also stop in at Durty Nelly s Pub, one of the oldest pubs in Ireland dating to 1620. Stay at the Bunratty Castle Hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus.
August 21 Wednesday CLIFFS OF MOHER & BURREN Irish breakfast this morning. Tour the coast of County Clare through the town of Lahinch. The famous Lahinch Golf Club is here. Continue along the Clare Coast to visit the Cliffs of Moher which rise 700 feet above the sea and extend five miles along the coast. Continue touring through Lisdoonvarna to Ballyvaughan stopping at Poulnabroune dolmen, a passage grave dating back 2500 years. Stop in the village of Doolin at Gus O Connor s Pub where you may wish to enjoy a pub lunch. On through the Burren country - an area of limestone hills which supports a wide range of flora. Tour around Black Head for spectacular views of Galway Bay. View Black Head lighthouse. Return to Bunratty. Stay at the Bunratty Castle Hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus. August 22 Thursday COOLE PARK & THOOR BALLYLEE Irish breakfast this morning. Tour north to the town of Gort where nearby are two historic sites that may be visited - Thoor Ballylee which was the summer home of William Butler Yeats, one of Ireland s greatest poets and playwrights. The other is Coole Park, the former estate of Lady Augusta Gregory, who as a patron of the arts had regular visits to her estate by Synge, Shaw and Yeats. In the walled garden is the Autograph Tree which has the carved initials of those distinguished visitors to Coole. She co-founded the Abbey Theatre in Dublin with Yeats. Tour along Galway Bay and on to Galway City. Stay in Galway at the Victoria Hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus. August 23 Friday GALWAY CITY Irish breakfast this morning. Day free to explore Galway City. Christopher Columbus stopped here on his way to the New World. See the Spanish Arch and visit the Claddagh District. Galway Cathedral is well worth a visit as it on an island in the Corrib River and the site of an old prison. The main doors of the Cathedral are the doors of the old prision. The floors of the cathedral are of Connemara Marble. You ll have time here to explore the pedestrianized streets of Galway City. Stay in Galway at the Victoria Hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus. August 24 Saturday ARAN ISLAND EXCURSION Irish breakfast this morning. Tour to Rossaveal this morning and board the Aran Island Ferry to Inishmor, the largest of the Aran Islands. You ll meet your island guide from Hernons Island Tours and enjoy a two hour sightseeing tour of the island. You ll visit Dun Aengus, a 2500 year old stone fort that sits on the cliff edge overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and visit Temple Ciaran You can explore the town of Kilronan before returning back to Rossaveal in the afternoon. Continue through the village of Roundstone and Ballyconeeley to Cliden, the capital of Connemara. You stay here at the Clifden Station Hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus.
August 25 Sunday CONNEMARA & WESTPORT Irish breakfast this morning. You enter the area known as Connemara. It is an area of lakes and streams and purple mountains and dotted with white-washed thatched-roofed cottages. Enjoy the views from the Sky Road and on to Kylemore Abbey, once a private school for girls, on the shores of Kylemore Lake. Continue along the shores of Killary Harbor, Ireland s only Fjord. Enjoy the scenic drive to the town of Westport, situated on Clew Bay. Westport has associations with Grace O Malley the Pirate Queen who told Queen Elizabeth that She may be Queen of England but I am Queen of Connemara! You will stay at the Clew Bay Hotel in the heart of town. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus. August 26 Monday TEACH NA MIASA & FAMINE WALK Irish breakfast this morning. Tour to Louisburg and to the Croagh Patrick Center. Welcome to Teach na Miasa. Welcome to a place of ancient history, Patrick's sacred mountain, and a rich vein of archaeological heritage. Follow the steps of Patrick. Teach na Miasa, The Croagh Patrick Visitor Centre, is on the Pilgrim's path at the base of Croagh Patrick mountain. During the Famine in Ireland more than 2.5 million people died of hunger and many more emigrated to America to escape starvation. Like the rest of Mayo, the Famine had a devastating effect on the Louisburgh area. Still etched in the landscape to the present day are the ridges and hollows of the potato beds and the ruins of many tiny stone dwellings which failed to house such impossibly large families at that time. In 1841 the Choctaw Indians in Mississippi were forced from their homelands to journey many hundred miles cross country to Oklahoma. Many of them perished on what became known as the 'Trail of Tears'. A report in 'The Arkansas Intelligencer' of April 3rd 1847 stated that the Choctaw Indians, on learning of the Irish Famine, sent money to a famine relief fund in Ireland. Every year a famine walk takes place, during the month of May, from Doolough to Louisburgh recalling the Irish Famine. This walk is often joined by one of the Indians from the Choctaw Nation. Return to Westport in the late afternoon. You will stay at the Clew Bay Hotel in the heart of town. Dinner is on your own this evening. There are many pubs and restaurants nearby to give you a choice of menus. August 27 Tuesday CLONMACNOISE & TARA Irish breakfast this morning. Tour across the midlands to Athlone and visit Clonmacnoise, a 6th century monastic settlement serenely situated on the Shannon River. You will marvel at the 18 foot tall High Crosses with carved panels depicting stories from the Bible. Continue to the Hill of Tara, the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland. Continue to nearby Kells, where the famous Book of Kells was discovered and stay at the Headfort Arms Hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening. The hotel has a wonderful restaurant and a bar with pub food menu.
August 28 Wednesday MONASTERBOICE & BOYNE VALLEY CENTER Irish breakfast this morning. visit the Bru na Boinne - Boyne Valley Visitor Center. Learn about the 5,000 years old neolithic passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. Tour to the city of Dundalk. Dundalk dates back to the neolithic period, 3500 BC. It was settled in the 12th century by the conquering Normans. Continue to nearby Monasterboice, a secluded place with the remains of a monastic settlement founded by St. Buite in the 5th century. It consists of a graveyard, two churches, a round tower and three sculptured crosses. One of the crosses, Muireadach s Cross, is an outstanding example of the high crosses of the early Christian period. It is over 17 feet high with almost every inch ornamented with sculptured panels. Return to Kells. Stay at the Headfort Arms Hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening. The hotel has a wonderful restaurant and a bar with pub food menu. August 29 Thursday DEPART FOR HOME Irish breakfast this morning. Transfer to Dublin Airport and to the Departures Terminal - 2 minutes. Check-in for your flight. You will clear US Customs, Immigration and TSA here in Shannon before you board your plane. Depart for Home. Slan Leat! Intellectual Property: This proposal and its contents are the product of my 48 years experience of Ireland itinerary planning for tens of thousands of clients. As such it is the property of Conn O Scannlain CTC. It is not to be shared with anyone other than with Hermann Vigil and the OOOW tour members without the permission of Conn O Scannlain CTC unless there is a fee of $500 paid. We may not be the least expensive...but we are the BEST! We Take The Anxiety Out Of Touring Ireland
COMPREHENSIVE TOUR PRICE INCLUDES: Accommodation in rooms with private bathroom/shower for 15 nights Dublin - Mont Clare Hotel - 2 nights Kilkenny - Pembroke Hotel - 1 night Cork - Clayton Hotel - 1 night Killarney - Earls Court Guesthouse - 2 nights Bunratty - Bunratty Castle Hotel - 2 nights Galway - Victoria Hotel - 2 nights Clifden - Station Hotel - 1 night Westport - Clew Bay Hotel - 2 nights Kells - Headfort Arms Hotel - 2 nights Luxury Motorcoach from August 14-29 Experienced Driver-Guide from August 14-29 Driver s Accommodation and Meals Comprehensive sightseeing Irish breakfast each morning Welcome Dinner Traditional Irish Night with dinner at Kate Kearney's Cottage Irish Jaunting Cart Ride in Killarney Aran Island Ferry Excursion and Island Tour of Inis Mor Admissions: Book of Kells, St Parick s Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin Castle, Glendalough, Kilkenny Castle, Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, Drombeg Stone Circle, Muckross House, Blasket Island Center, Gallorus Oratory, Bunratty Folk Park, Cliffs of Moher, Poulenabroune Dolmen, Dun Aengus, Temple Ciaran, Kylemore Abbey, Teach na Miasa, Clonmacnoise, Hill of Tara, Boyne Valley Center, Monasterboice Porterage of up to two suitcases per person at hotels and airports Driver-Guide Gratuity Included Detailed day-by-day touring itinerary Electronic Tour Documents Government taxes @ 13.5%