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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 DUBLIN (3 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport by our Tour Manager/Guide where
we will board our own private coach and transfer to our hotel
in Dublin, Ireland’s magnificent capital city. Upon our
arrival, we will take an Introductory Walking Tour of
Southeast Dublin. We begin outside the Bank of Ireland,
one of Dublin’s most treasured landmarks, before strolling
along Grafton Street, the spine of Dublin’s most
popular and stylish shopping district. After viewing the
Molly Malone statue, we continue to St. Stephen’s
Green, a beautiful 22-acre park in the heart of Dublin
filled with beautifully landscaped flowerbeds, fountains, a
lake and memorials to important Dubliners. We continue around
Merrion Square, a marvel of Georgian
architecture known for its colorful doors and the famous
literary figures that once lived here, including Yeats
and Wilde.
DAY
3 DUBLIN
Today’s sightseeing in Dublin will include a visit to St.
Patrick’s Cathedral, the national cathedral of the Church
of Ireland. It is said that St. Patrick baptized converts on
this site, and consequently a church has stood here since A.D.
450, making it the oldest Christian site in Dublin. St.
Patrick's is closely associated with Jonathan Swift, who was
dean from 1713 to 1745 and whose tomb lies in the south
aisle. Our day continues with a visit to Trinity College, the
oldest university in Ireland, with cobbled squares, beautiful
gardens, a picturesque quadrangle, and buildings dating from
the 17th to the 20th centuries. The college is also home to
the Book of Kells, an 8th-century version of the
four Gospels with elaborate scripting and illumination.
· Your First Concert Performance will
be today
DAY
4 DUBLIN
This morning we visit the National Museum, established
in 1890; the museum is a reflection of Ireland's heritage from
2000 B.C. to the present. The museum houses many of the
country's greatest historical finds, including the
Treasury Exhibit, with the Ardagh Chalice, Tara
Brooch, Cross of Cong, and an extensive exhibition of Irish
Bronze Age gold ornaments. The remainder of the afternoon is
yours to explore at your leisure.
DAY
5 DUBLIN - GLENDALOUGH - CASHEL AREA
(1 NIGHT)
We leave Dublin this morning and travel south to
the magnificent monastic ruins at Glendalough in the
Wicklow Mountains. Founded by St. Kevin in the 5th century,
the site is made up of a cathedral, round towers, Celtic crosses
and chapels that cluster around two lovely lakes. We will
then drive through the heart of the "Emerald Isle" to visit
the spectacular Rock of Cashel, a monumental 12th century
cathedral complex dominating the surrounding landscape. The
Rock was the stronghold of the kings of Munster for seven
centuries, and it was here that St. Patrick converted them
and made the shamrock the emblem of Ireland the three parts
representing the Holy Trinity. We continue on to our hotel
for the night.
· Your Second Concert Performance
will be today
DAY
6 CASHEL AREA - CRAGGAUNOWEN - THOOR
BALLYLEE - GALWAY (3 NIGHTS)
We will make our way to Galway, and en route we will visit
the St. Brendan exhibit at Craggaunowen. It is widely
believed that St. Brendan, an Irish monk, reached America
in the 6th century from Ireland We will then make a
visit to Thoor Ballylee, a 16th century tower that
was once the home of Ireland’s most famous poets, William
Butler Yeats, and which became one of the recurrent symbols
in his poems. Upon arrival in Galway, your guide will be pleased
to take you on some introductory sightseeing.
DAY
7 CLIFFS OF MOHER & GALWAY
Our day begins with a stop at the Cliffs of Moher, a
dramatic sheer rock face, rising 700 feet from the Atlantic
Ocean and stretching for five miles. During our visit, we will
have the opportunity to climb O’Brien’s Tower, a
viewing point built for the benefit of Victorian tourists.
Later we continue on to Galway where
we will take a 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
· Your Third Concert Performance will
be today
DAY
8 DAY TRIP TO CONNEMARA
We will spend the day exploring the haunting beauty of
Connemara. There is a brooding sense of Ireland’s ancient
culture and traditions in this mystical area where Gaelic is
still the everyday language and ponies range freely on the
heartland. Highlights will include Lough Corrib and the holy
mountain of Croagh Patrick where St. Patrick fasted and prayed
for 40 days. The mountain is still a popular place of
pilgrimage today and, weather permitting, the adventurous will
have a chance to climb to the summit to enjoy the wonderful
views. We return to Galway for the night.
DAY
9 GALWAY - BUNRATTY - LIMERICK AREA (1 NIGHT)
En route from Galway, we will 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 We will then continue to Limerick,
Ireland’s fourth largest
city. On arrival we will take a Walking Tour of the
historic center, known as King’s Island for its fine medieval
architecture. We will see St. Mary’s Cathedral,
Limerick’s oldest surviving building, as well as King
John’s Castle, a fine example of Norman architecture.
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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