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DAY
1 DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight
to Ireland.
DAY
2 ARRIVE SHANNON - KILLARNEY AREA (2
NIGHTS)
You will be met at the airport by your tour manager/guide
where we will board your own private coach and get an immediate
introduction to the splendors of Ireland when we visit Bunratty
Castle, a formidable castle built in the 15th
century, which has been preserved just as it would have looked
in the 1500s. We will take a tour through the castle,
including the Great Hall, the Main Guard
and the South Solar, before visiting the adjoining
Folk Park, which is an authentic re-creation
of life in Ireland at the turn of the 20th century.
In the evening we will have a Local Folk Evening for
traditional Irish ballads, dance and folk music.
DAY
3 THE RING OF KERRY
Today we will enjoy a leisurely tour around the famed Ring
of Kerry, a beautiful drive around the Iveragh Peninsula.
We will enjoy a splendid variety of outstanding coastal panoramas
and magnificent mountain views. During the course of
our tour, we will have the opportunity to stop and explore
many small towns and villages on the peninsula, including
Killorglin, Glenbeigh and Caherciveen
· Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
4 KILLARNEY - GAP OF DUNLOE - CORK AREA
(1 NIGHT)
En route to the Cork area, we will stop to view the Gap of
Dunloe, a narrow gorge created by glaciers. The Gap
of Dunloe leads to Black Lake, Cushvally Lake and Auger Lake,
offering many scenic vistas. We will continue on to
the Cork area. This afternoon we will explore the city
of Cork, beginning with a visit to Cork’s most famous attraction,
St. Anne’s Anglican Church. In addition to a
tour of the church, we will have the opportunity to ascend
the tower to see the famous Shandon Bells, hung
in 1752. We will hear them play Cork’s own anthem, On the
Banks of My Own Lovely Lee. The remainder of the
day is yours to explore this ancient city.
DAY
5 CORK AREA - BLARNEY - CASHEL - DUBLIN
(2 NIGHTS)
This morning we will visit Blarney Castle, one of the
most haunting and striking castles in Ireland. The remains
of this impressive castle include a massive square tower,
with a parapet rising 83 feet, and the infamous Blarney
Stone, wedged underneath the battlements; it is traditional
to kiss the stone to ensure the gift of eloquence. We
will also stroll through the gardens and a nearby dell beside
Blarney Lake, before having the opportunity to visit Badger
Cave and adjacent dungeons, penetrating the rock at
the base of the castle. As we continue our drive through
the heart of the ‘Emerald Isle’ we will stop to visit the
spectacular Rock of Cashel, a monumental 12th century
cathedral complex dominating the surrounding landscape.
We will continue our journey to Dublin, a city of splendid
history with wide Georgian streets and elegant squares, which
was once home to such famous Irish writers as Shaw, Joyce
and Yeats.
DAY
6 DUBLIN
Today’s sightseeing in Dublin will include a visit to St.
Patrick’s Cathedral. The longest church in Ireland and
one of its most beautiful, it is forever associated with Jonathan
Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels and dean of the cathedral
for over thirty years. We continue to Trinity College,
whose Old Library is home to Ireland’s largest collection
of books and manuscripts of which the most famous is the 8th
century Book of Kells, often described as “the most
beautiful book in the world.”
· Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY
7 DUBLIN - CLONMACNOIS - GALWAY AREA
(2 NIGHTS)
We travel west today into the heart of Ireland. We will
make a stop at Clonmacnois, one of Ireland’s most important
early monastic settlements.
Founded by St. Ciaran in 548, the surviving structures date
from the 9th century and include a cathedral, round tower
and several tiny chapels. The monastery became the nucleus
of a medieval university and a burial place for saints and
kings. Clonmacnois was raided many times in history for its
artistic and material wealth. Excellent restoration
work has preserved the monastery’s past.
We shall then travel to Galway, the largest city in this part
of Ireland. For centuries it traded with Spain, and traces
of Iberian influence can still be seen in the architecture
of the city. On our Walking Tour
of the city center, where we will view many of Galway’s most
important areas and landmarks, including Eyre Square, Shop
Street, the Latin Quarter, Lynch’s Castle, the Collegiate
Church of St. Nicholas, The Quays, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas,
and the Spanish Arch.
DAY
8 GALWAY
Today we will visit Church of St. Nicholas where tradition
holds that Columbus prayed before sailing to the New World.This
medieval structure is dedicated to St. Nicholas of Myra, the
patron saint of sailors. The church holds the Lynch Memorial
which commemorates the legend of Judge James Lynch, who in
the 15th century sentenced his son Walter to death and also
served as the hangman when no one else would carry out the
sentence. In the afternoon we will tour Lynch's Castle.
During the Middle Ages, Galway was ruled by fourteen powerful
families, or tribes as they were called. Lynch's castle was
owned by the most powerful of these tribes. The stone façade
boasts beautiful carvings.
· Your Third Concert Performance will be today
DAY
9 GALWAY - CLIFFS OF MOHER - CO. CLARE
(1 NIGHT)
Today we will drive through a vast limestone plateau called
The Burren, which means "rocky land" in Gaelic. We
will view the limestone terraces on our route between Ennistimon
and Ballyvaughan, stopping to view the Kilfenora Crosses,
dating from the 6th century, and found in the heart of The
Burren. the most dramatic scenery that Ireland has to offer.
Our scenic drive continues as our next stop will be The
Cliffs of Moher which are a dramatic sheer rock face rising
700 feet from the Atlantic Ocean and stretching for five miles.
We will climb to O'Brien's Tower, perched at the very
top of these, the highest cliffs in Europe. Later we continue
on to our hotel in the area.
DAY
10 DEPARTURE FROM SHANNON
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to
an end as your tour manager/guide accompanies you to the
airport for the return flight home.
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