Secrets of Ireland

1. ARRIVE DUBLIN – AFTERNOON SIGHTSEEING Welcome to Dublin the lively Irish capital. This afternoon meet your Local Specialist for a guided tour. View St. Patrick's Cathedral, colourful Georgian Squares and the vibrant, modern city. Then raise a glass of the “black stuff” and drink in sweeping Dublin views at the Gravity Bar, atop the Guinness Storehouse as you gain a Cultural Insight into this famous Irish product. Later savour free time and a Welcome Reception with Irish beer or wine. Meal(s) Welcome Reception Hotel Brooks 2. DUBLIN – KILDARE – CASHEL – KILLARNEY (2 NIGHTS) Head across the rolling countryside to Kildare. Stop for a visit to the Irish National Stud for a Cultural Insight into the fascinating world of Ireland's thoroughbred industry. See the foaling unit, museum and of course the powerful and regal stallions. On to visit the spectacular Rock of Cashel with a Local Specialist, where you view its majestic ecclesiastical ruins. Continue to Killarney, the town on the lakes where your evening is free. Meal(s) Full Breakfast Hotel The Malton Authentic Accommodation 3. RING OF KERRY EXCURSION Enjoy a relaxing morning in Killarney or you might wish to join a Local Specialist for a leisurely guided walk at Torc Waterfall. Later enjoy spectacular scenery, driving around the Ring of Kerry. Take in views of coast and sea, hills and green fields as you travel through this unspoiled land that has inspired artists and poets for centuries. Please Note: The walk travels over wooded paths. While there are no mountains to climb, walkers need to be reasonably fit and have good walking shoes or boots, sunscreen and raingear. Approx. 3 miles/2 hours. Meal(s) Full Breakfast 4. KILLARNEY – CLIFFS OF MOHER – GALWAY – CONNEMARA (2 NIGHTS) Heading north stop to see the stunning Cliffs of Moher, rising up to 700 feet above the Atlantic. Continue to Galway, and visit the Cathedral. At 50-years-old, it is one of the youngest of Europe's stone cathedrals. Travel on through Connemara to the extraordinary Ballynahinch Castle Hotel. Meal(s) Full Breakfast Dinner Hotel Ballynahinch Castle Authentic Accommodation 5. CONNEMARA EXCURSION Drive through the scenic landscapes of Connemara, taking in views of rugged mountains, shimmering lakes and endless shades of green. Make a stop in the picturesque town of Clifden, set between the Twelve Bens Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Then on to visit Kylemore Abbey, a magnificent castellated structure built as a family home and now inhabited by a group of Benedictine nuns. The extensive walled Victorian garden is a delight to the senses. Later return to your castle hotel for dinner. Meal(s) Full Breakfast Dinner 6. CONNEMARA – SLIGO – ROSCOMMON Venture north to Sligo. Here, amid the hills and loughs that inspired the lyrical lines penned by the poet William Butler Yeats, you will be welcomed to a private home for a bit of food, fun, and poetry. Damien and Paula Brennan live in, a modern abode with rustic touches overlooking beautiful Lough Gill. Inside, you will find walls adorned with contemporary Irish paintings and a table set for a Be My Guest feast prepared by Paula, a noted chef. Damien is a Local Specialist on W.B. Yeats. Delicious food, fine company, and the poetry of Yeats come together for a heart-warming meal. Then travel to Roscommon and Kilronan Castle Hotel the ancestral home of the Tenison family and the legendary Colonel King Tenison. It is one of a few Irish castle estates that can trace its history back to royal families. Meal(s) Full Breakfast Be My Guest Dining Hotel Kilronan Castle Authentic Accommodation 7. ROSCOMMON – STROKESTOWN – DUBLIN This morning consider taking a luxurious relaxing cruise on the River Shannon. Stop for a visit to magnificent Strokestown Park House, an 18th century mansion with original furnishings. In the old stables is the Irish Famine Museum, one of the world's best private archives dedicated to the potato famine of the 1840s where you gain a Cultural Insight into the plight of the Irish people. Return to Dublin and visit Trinity College to see its remarkable treasure, the elaborate Book of Kells. Relish a Farewell Dinner with new-found friends. Meal(s) Full Breakfast Farewell Dinner Hotel Fitzpatrick Castle Authentic Accommodation 8. DEPART DUBLIN You will be transferred to the airport, where your Emerald Isle adventure concludes. Transfers are available. Conditions apply. Meal(s) Full Breakfast