Ireland Group Tours - Traveling Around Ireland with Patricia Tunison Preston

Summer in Ireland Tour

July 21 - 30, 2011

With

Msgr. Charlie Coen and Pat Preston

Featuring East & West Coasts & Northern Ireland

10 Days – 8 Nights – 15 Meals

2 Nights in Dublin, 2 Nights in Belfast, 2 Nights in Co. Donegal 1 Night in a CASTLE and Finale Night in Bunratty

Dublin * Boyne Valley * Armagh * Belfast * Glens of Antrim * Giant’s Causeway * Derry * Inishowen Peninsula * Malin Head * Letterkenny * Glenveagh National Park * Donegal * Belleek * Lough Gill * Sligo * Ballyfarnon Clonmacnoise * Limerick * Bunratty * Shannon Airport

Our Itinerary

Thursday, July 21 – Depart JFK-New York and fly to Shannon, Ireland, via Delta Airlines flight #122 at 9:30 p.m.

Friday, July 22 – Arrive Shannon Airport at 9:15 a.m., to be greeted by our CIE Tours driver/guide who will take us for a traditional “Irish Welcome” breakfast at the Limerick Radisson Blu Hotel, situated on its own park-like grounds between the airport and Limerick City. After breakfast, we’ll board our luxury motorcoach and start our tour, heading first into Limerick City to see the landmark sites beside the Shannon River from the comfort of our bus. Our final destination of the day is Dublin, but since hotel rooms are not ready for check-in until early afternoon in Europe, we will use our morning time wisely with a drive across Ireland’s farming countryside, for our first vistas of the Emerald Isle – Counties Tipperary, Offaly, Laois, and Kildare. We’ll reach Dublin’s Fair City in early afternoon and check into our hotel, situated in the heart of the city next to the fashionable Merrion Square. The remainder of the day is free to explore nearby sites or to rest. In the evening, we’ll be hosted to a “Welcome Drink” by CIE Tours International, followed by dinner at our hotel.

Dinner & Overnight: Davenport Hotel, Dublin City

Saturday, July 23 – Breakfast is at our hotel, and then we'll embark on a morning orientation tour of Dublin with a local guide including the Old City, Georgian squares, Temple Bar, Phoenix Park and newly developed Docklands, ending at Trinity College with admission to The Book of Kells. The afternoon is free for personal sightseeing/shopping. You might want to visit the Guinness Storehouse or the Old Jameson Distillery or perhaps the National Gallery or one of the city’s great museums such as the Dublin Writers Museum or the James Joyce Museum. Saturday is also “market day” in Dublin and all of the markets are in full swing including the Temple Bar Food and Book Markets, the Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane, The Loft Market at Powerscourt Townhouse, the Point Village Market, Dublin Food Coop Farmers Market, Moore Street Market, and others – and all well worth a visit. Ride the local transport with the Dubliners including the DART and the Luas; take a hop-on/hop-off bus ride or an eco-cab ride; do some shopping along Grafton, Dawson or Nassau Streets; or listen to the street buskers in Temple Bar. Saturday is a great day to be in Dublin! Pat will supply you with a guide to all the choices. The evening is also free to dine at a restaurant, café or pub of your choice.

Overnight: Davenport Hotel, Dublin City

Sunday, July 24 – Breakfast is at our hotel, and arrangements will be made for Mass with Msgr. Coen at our hotel or a local church for those who wish to attend. We’ll check out of the Davenport and bid farewell to Dublin, driving north of the city into County Meath, the “Royal County,” known for its rich farmland. We’ll travel beside the scenic Boyne River Valley, home of the prehistoric mound at Newgrange, the Hill of Tara, and other historic sites. Here we’ll make a stop at Newgrange Farm and meet Farmer Willie Redhouse who, with his family, farms over 330 acres. It’s a delightful and informative way to spend a Sunday morning including a tractor-pulled carriage ride around the farm. After Co. Meath, we’ll move on toward Newry, Co. Down, and into Northern Ireland. Then we’ll follow the road to Armagh City in Co. Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland and original foundation of St. Patrick. This city is the setting for two St. Patrick’s Cathedrals (one Church of Ireland and one Catholic) and a Georgian Mall district. We’ll visit St. Patrick’s Trian to learn more about Armagh and why St. Patrick chose it as the site for his principal church, and we’ll make a stop at the cathedral high on the hill overlooking the city. The last leg of our journey today will bring us to Belfast, Co. Antrim, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. After checking into our hotel, you might enjoy crossing the street for a visit to the Crown Liquor Saloon, a classic Victorian pub. Dinner follows at our hotel.

Dinner and overnight: Europa Hotel, Belfast

Monday, July 25 – After breakfast, we’ll take a tour of Belfast City with a local guide. We’ll see all the landmarks including the Titanic Quarter where The Titanic ship was built 100 years ago, the Albert Clock, City Hall, the famous Falls and Shankill Roads, and the River Lagan. Next we’ll head north of Belfast for the Antrim Coast Drive, otherwise known as The Glens of Antrim, nine verdant valleys formed 20,000 years ago by retreating glaciers and now the North’s most scenic drive. The route follows the coast to the seaside town of Ballycastle and then to the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland’s #1 attraction. Extending for almost three miles along the coast, this unique natural rock formation is often called the 8^th Wonder of the World and is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. After a visit here, we’ll return to Belfast via an inland route around Ballymoney and Ballymena. The rest of afternoon and evening free with time to walk around Belfast; and then dinner awaits at our hotel.

Dinner & Overnight: Europa Hotel, Belfast

Tuesday, July 26 – Breakfast is at our hotel, followed by departure from Belfast and a drive across Northern Ireland from County Antrim through the Sperrin Mountains of County Tyrone into County Londonderry. The Sperrins are the largest and least explored mountain range in Northern Ireland with dramatic landscapes of rivers and lakes, valleys, and forests. By mid-morning we’ll be on the western side of Northern Ireland in Derry City where we will be met by a local guide for a for driving/walking tour of city walls. There will be some free time after the tour for individual sightseeing/lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll drive along the east shore of Lough Foyle to McGilligan and take the Lough Foyle Ferry over to Greencastle on the Inishowen Peninsula, Co. Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Once on the Inishowen, we’ll drive to Malin Head (the most northerly point in all of Ireland) for the coastal views, and then continue southward along the peninsula to Letterkenny, the largest town of County Donegal (twinned with Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania), a busy marketing town with a long main street. We’ll check into Gallagher’s Hotel which is in the center of town. After settling in, we’ll have dinner at our hotel.

Dinner and Overnight: Gallagher’s Hotel, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

Wednesday, July 27 - After breakfast at our hotel, the simple charms and stunning countryside of County Donegal await us as we drive into the Derryveagh Mountains and the far-flung highlands. Less than 10% of American tourists ever get to this remote part of Ireland. A highlight will be a stop at Glenveagh National Park, one of Ireland's finest national parks, encompassing 24,000 acres of gardens, moorlands, lakes, woods, and mountains including the two highest mountains in Donegal — Errigal and Slieve Snacht. The grounds also include a castle, once owned by Henry McIlhenny of the Tabasco sauce family, where we will be given a guided tour. There will be time to explore the gardens to savor the rich variety of exotic and rare plants from as far away as Tasmania, Madeira, and Chile. In addition, there are themed sections such as a Rose Garden, View Garden, and Vegetable Garden with edible and ornamental vegetables. The grounds provide a variety of nature trails and a lush habitat for wildlife including the largest red deer herd in Ireland and rare Golden Eagles who were re-introduced to the parklands in 2001. We’ll depart the park in mid-afternoon and return to Letterkenny, with the rest of afternoon free. Some local sites to see are the Cathedral of St. Eunan & St. Columba, the tallest building in town, built in 1901; the Donegal County Museum, housed in an 1843 neo-Tudor-style building; and the contemporary-style An Grianán Theatre and Arts Centre.

Dinner and Overnight: Gallagher’s Hotel, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

Thursday, July 28 – We’ll bid farewell to Letterkenny after breakfast at our hotel, driving southward via the twin towns of Stranorlar and Ballybofey and through the scenic Barnesmore Gap to Donegal Town. Continuing southward via Ballyshannon, then we turn east for one last look at Northern Ireland with a visit to the Belleek Pottery Factory at Belleek, Co. Fermanagh. Then we return into the Republic of Ireland and continue south into County Sligo, immortalized as “the land of heart’s desire” by the Nobel Prize-winning poet, William Butler Yeats. We’ll pass Yeats’ Grave at Drumcliffe in the shadow of the imposing mountain known as Ben Bulben. Next is Lough Gill, also made famous by Yeats, where we visit Parke’s Castle, a fine example of a 17^th century manor house, and then board the Rose of Innisfree boat for a cruise around Lough Gill including views of another of Yeats’ fancies, the Lake Isle of Innisfree. After our idyllic afternoon, we’ll leave County Sligo and move on to County Roscommon and the off-the-beaten-path village of Ballyfarnon where we will finish our touring day in grand style as we check into Kilronan Castle. Dating back to the early 1800’s, this multi-turreted Gothic revival castle sits amid 49 acres of gardens and pastures beside Lough Meelagh – land that was once part of St. Ronan’s 6^th century abbey. Relax, roam the grounds, and savor this luxurious setting. This evening, we’ll dine like royalty in the castle restaurant!

Dinner and overnight: Kilronan Castle, Ballyfarnon, Co. Roscommon

Friday, July 29 – Breakfast is at the castle, followed by a drive along the County Leitrim Lakes and Roscommon Town; and then beside Lough Ree to Athlone and on to Clonmacnoise, Co Offaly, one of Ireland’s great centers of learning founded by St. Ciaran in the 6^th century. Sitting beside a bend of the Shannon River, it contains more than 200 points of interest including 10^th century high crosses and a 62-ft round tower. We’ll take a guided tour of the high points. Our route takes us next to County Galway where we’ll stop for a break at Coole Park, once the home of Lady Augusta Gregory, co-founder of the Abbey Theatre, to look around the gardens, nature reserve, and famous “autograph tree,” signed by Ireland’s leading writers. Now it’s just a short drive to our hotel in Bunratty, situated across the street from the famous Bunratty Castle. In the evening, we’ll feast like lords and ladies at a medieval banquet at a 15^th century castle. A festive finale to our tour!

Overnight: Bunratty Castle Hotel, Bunratty, Co. Care

Saturday, July 30 – An early start and a quick breakfast at our hotel, and then we’ll head to Shannon Airport for the flight home to New York. We’ll arrive at the airport in plenty of time for check-in for our Delta flight, reclaiming VAT refunds and duty-free shopping, plus clearing customs and immigration at Shannon – a unique convenience that speeds up your arrival home. Our group flight is Delta #123 at 10:55 a.m., arriving at 1:10 p.m. New York local time.

Slan agus beannacht! (Good-bye and God bless you!)

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$2,713 per person for Complete Land Tour & Airfare*

or $1,982 for land tour only

* plus $245 airline departure taxes/surcharges (subject to change)

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