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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 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. Our
walking tour concludes with a walk 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 visits
to Dublin Castle where a fortress has stood since the
time of the Celts. The castle was once the center of English
rule in Ireland and had as notorious a reputation as the Tower
of London. We will also 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.
· 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. 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.
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 visit to 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 heathland.
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 (1 NIGHT)
En route from Galway, we will visit 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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