2027 Spring Tour Schedule:
Wednesday, May 12: Meet up in Dublin. Free day with loads of options. (See Dublin handout.) Check in to Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin’s historic gem and one of the sites where the 1916 rebels met to plan the 1916 Easter Rising against British rule: https://www.wynnshotel.ie/
Thursday, May 13: Board our luxury coach for a day trip north into County Meath, "Ireland's Ancient East". Enjoy a guided tour of the 11th century Trim Castle, where “Braveheart” was filmed. Lunch in Navan. Tour Brú na Bóinne and Newgrange, the Stone Age passage tomb in the Boyne River Valley that predates the pyramids of Egypt. Swing by the Hill of Tara, the inaugural site and seat of the High Kings of Ireland. On a clear day (fingers crossed) you'll be able to see 16 of Ireland's 32 counties! Sleep in Dublin. Wynn’s Hotel.
Friday, May 14: Check out of Wynn’s Hotel and leave Dublin to drive southwest into County Kildare to tour the Irish National Stud Farm & Gardens. Continue west across the country to County Galway via Clonmacnoise in County Offaly, the 6th c monastic site on the River Shannon and perhaps the oldest bar in the world, Sean’s Bar (dating to 900 AD) in Athlone in County Roscommon. Lunch in Athlone. Check in to Salthill Hotel and watch the sun go down on Galway Bay. Enjoy our first group dinner at the hotel restaurant. Enjoy Galway City, known as the arts capital of Ireland (and the European Capital of Culture for 2020, unfortunate timing!)) with music galore in the streets and in the pubs. https://www.salthillhotel.com/
Saturday, May 15: Board Aran Islands Ferries for a day trip to Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands and a guided tour of the island culminating in a hike to the spectacular prehistoric cliff fort Dun Aengus, over 3,000 years old. (DON’T SIT ON THE CLIFF EDGE! EROSION! WIND GUSTS!) Lunch on Inis Mor. Return to Galway City for more music. Trad music sessions in Tig Coili and/or Taaffe’s and/or The Quays. (They are pronounced “Chee Koley” and “Taff’s and “The Keys” respectively.) Sleep at Salthill Hotel.
Sunday, May 16: Leisurely morning to sleep in, swim, or attend Mass at Galway Cathedral or another religious service in the city. Board our coach for a day in Connemara, Galway's most western and rural region. Spend the afternoon breathing in the beauty at Kylemore Abbey and Gardens, one of Ireland's most photographed sites, Killary Fjord, Ireland's only fjord, and the mountains and valleys of Connemara. Lunch at Kylemore. Enjoy an evening of traditional Irish music and dance at “Trad on the Prom”, Ireland’s #1 song and dance extravaganza. Sleep at Salthill Hotel.
Monday, May 17: Check out of Salthill Hotel and leave Galway for County Clare via the charming fishing village of Kinvara and 16th century Dunguaire Castle on the banks of Galway Bay. Wind through the Burren, County Clare’s rocky and beautifully stark lunar landscape, enjoy a sheepdog demonstration and lunch at Caherconnell, visit the Neolithic Poulnabrone Dolmen (a portal tomb dating to 3,800 BCE), and end the afternoon at the iconic Cliffs of Moher. Check in to The Old Ground Hotel in Ennis and relax after a busy day with a delicious and extensive medieval banquet with traditional Irish music and song at Bunratty Castle. https://www.oldgroundhotelennis.com/
Tuesday, May 18: Check out of The Old Ground and leave County Clare, driving though County Limerick to the Kingdom of Kerry. Stop for lunch in Adare, County Limerick, one of Ireland's most photographed villages, and the site of the Ryder Cup in September. Enjoy a pint or a "cuppa", or whatever you choose at John B Keane's Pub in Listowel where we will be welcomed by local trad musicians and John B Keane's son, Billy, a talented storyteller and a true raconteur. (John B Keane was one of Ireland's most beloved and celebrated playwrights.) Check in to Ballygarry Estate Hotel in Tralee. Enjoy our second group dinner. https://www.ballygarry.com/
Wednesday, May 19: Day trip to Dingle Peninsula & Slea Head Drive, along the Wild Atlantic Way. Hold a baby lamb! Explore the many beehive huts, the one room stone homes of early medieval monks seeking isolation and solitude. Swim at Inch Beach? Shop and have lunch in the famous fishing village of Dingle. Sleep at Ballygarry Estate Hotel.
Thursday, May 20: Check out of Ballygarry and spend the afternoon in Kerry. View the Lakes of Killarney from Aghadoe Heights. Lunch in Killarney with optional jaunting car (horse drawn carriage) ride through Killarney National Park. Leave Kerry for Tipperary and the Rock of Cashel, the ancient seat of Munster's High Kings and medieval ecclesiastical site. Swing by Cahir Castle, the 13th c. stronghold of the Butler family, on the River Suir. Sleep at Pembroke Hotel in Kilkenny, home of the Kilkenny Design Workshops and Kilkenny Castle. https://www.pembrokekilkenny.com/hotel
Friday, May 21: Kilkenny Day! Putter around the city. Learn all about hurling, Ireland's most ancient and beloved sport, at Malzard's Pub. https://www.malzards.ie/ Sleep at Pembroke Hotel.
Saturday, May 22: Check out of Pembroke Hotel and head east into County Wicklow, "The Garden of Ireland". Tour Glendalough, an early medieval monastic site founded by St Kevin in the 6th century, nestled in the Wicklow Mountains, beside two lakes. From there, continue north east to Powerscourt for unch in their cafe and, if you wish, a stroll through their extensive award-winning gardens. End our time together at The Clayton Hotel at Dublin Airport with a group farewell dinner. https://www.claytonhotels.com/dublin-airport
Sunday, May 23: Fly Home or onto your next adventure. Make your plans for your next visit, as Ireland ALWAYS Beckons.
**Tours are subject to modification due to unforeseen circumstances, weather conditions and/or your interests!**
Tour Includes...
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A 24/7 tour guide to address your every concern and heart’s desire, and to facilitate contacts with local musicians, dancers, historians, artists, and craftspeople
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Luxurious motor coach transportation for 10 days (Donoghues of Galway -https://www.donoghuesofgalway.com)
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Hotel accommodations for 11 nights in double rooms with private baths. Single supplement available. (Many of the hotels have exercise rooms, spas, and pools.)
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Full Irish breakfasts
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A medieval castle multi-course banquet at Bunratty Castle, County Clare
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Admissions to all regularly scheduled sites. See below.
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A sheep dog exhibition in County Clare
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"Trad on the Prom," a traditional Irish music and dance show on Galway Bay - Galway's #1 attraction
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A hurling expo, music, and lunch at Malzard's Pub
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A history of Ireland and of each county/city we visit, with suggestions for optional excursions
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A glossary of terms (Irish English/American English)
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A suggested book list for your reading pleasure and information on famous Irish writers
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A discography of Irish music/bands and a short history of Irish music and dance
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A road map of Ireland to track our progress
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An Eire-Go Tours t-shirt.
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AND FREE TIME to putter at your own pace at each stop, on your own and in small groups, as you wish!
Round-trip airfare and optional sites/tours are not included.
Lunches/most dinners are not included, so you may eat as much as you wish, what you wish, where you wish, with whomever you wish. Breakfasts are included and extensive, so take advantage of this!
Travel insurance is not included, but is highly recommended.
Schedule is subject to modification based on weather conditions and/or unforeseen circumstances and/or YOUR interests!
Cost: $3,600 per person (sharing). An additional $1,100 for single supplement IF AVAILABLE! Price includes all ground transportation on luxury coaches (Donoghues of Galway), all 3-4 star hotels with full breakfasts, entrance fees to all sites (see itineraries), the Bunratty Castle Banquet, a sheep dog demonstration, hurling expo and lunch at Malzard's Pub, handouts on Irish history, culture, music, dance, language, and every area we visit, maps, a tour tee, and me, as your guide, support system, and problem solver 24/7.
The tour includes the ferry to Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands, as well as a bus tour of the island, and an evening of traditional Irish music and dance at Trad on the Prom in Galway's Salthill on Galway Bay. To secure your spot, please REGISTER HERE or visit the contact page.
