Ireland Tour

Our tour of Ireland begins by departing Dublin and travelling out of the city towards the north. It won’t be too long before we cross over the border into Northern Ireland, and we’ll head straight for the capital city, Belfast. Upon arrival, we’ll take a panoramic drive, discovering the city’s industrial history and the stories of its difficult past. As we travel around Belfast we’ll pass some of the most iconic sights like Falls and Shankill Roads, where we’ll see the famous murals and Peace Wall, Queens University, City Hall, the Botanic Gardens and the Titanic quarter in Belfast harbour. This was where the world-famous Titanic, the then biggest cruise-liner in the world, was constructed from 1909. We’ll have several hours of free time to explore Belfast and have some lunch. By mid-afternoon we’ll head north away from Belfast towards the beautiful Antrim coast, and our next stop, the remarkable Giant’s Causeway, one of the most most iconic natural wonders in the UK. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1986, this coastal landmark is made up of forty thousand interlocking columns that formed after a volcanic eruption over 50 million years ago. Molten rocked was forced up through gaps in the earth, and as the lava cooled rapidly it formed into columns, many of which are hexagonal in shape. According to legend, the Causeway was built by the giant Finn MacCool as a crossway to confront a rival giant in Scotland. After time to absorb the Causeway we’ll make the journey towards our base for the next two nights, the city of Derry/Londonderry.

The second day of our All-Ireland tour begins by crossing the border into County Donegal. Known as the ‘forgotten county’ this is one of the least explored areas of Ireland. After a short drive from Derry we’ll arrive at our first stop, An Grianan of Aileach, an ancient hillfort that dates back to 1700bc. Next we’ll head for the coast and our next stop will be the breath-taking Slieve League where we’ll see some of the highest cliffs in Europe. A place of pilgrimage for one thousand years before Christianity came to Ireland, these cliffs stand nearly 600m at their highest. After that we’ll return north, following the coast as we travel towards the remote wilderness of Glenveagh National Park. As we travel through the beautiful scenery we’ll absorb views of the stunning Mount Errigal, the highest peak in the county. By mid-afternoon we’ll return to Derry where the afternoon is free to explore the city the only walled city in Ireland. Built between 1613-19 as a defence for English and Scottish settlers, the walls are one mile in circumference and make Derry one of the best examples of a walled city in Europe. Between the 1960-90’s, Derry was at the centre of the Northern Ireland conflict, a period also known as ‘The Troubles’. Regarded as having started here, this complex conflict was formally concluded in 1998 with the Good Friday Agreement. Take a walk along the city walls and over Peace Bridge, see the famous murals in the city’s ‘Bog Side’ and visit the Free Derry Museum. Tonight is our second and final night here.

Our adventure continues and we’ll begin by departing Derry and immediately crossing over the border into the Republic of Ireland. We’ll travel towards the west coast and we’ll pause in the town of Donegal. Meaning ‘Fort of the foreigners’, the first settlement here was founded by the Vikings in the 8^th century, with the town set at the mouth of the River Eske and in the backdrop of the Bluestack mountains. Here we’ll visit Donegal Abbey, which was constructed in the 15^th by the powerful O’Donnell clan. Next we continue to nearby Drumcliff, where we’ll stop for some lunch. Whilst here we’ll can see St Columba’s church, where the poet Irish poet William Butler Yeats was laid to rest. Widely considered as one of the greatest poets of the 20^th century, Yeats was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1923. This afternoon we’ll travel through the heart of Connacht, a region hit particularly hard during the Irish potato famine of the 1840’s. An infected potato crop saw over one million deaths in Ireland, with this area among the worst affected. We’ll travel to our next stop, the National Museum of Country Life, near Castlebar. This fantastic free-to-enter museum is the only National Museum in Ireland outside of Dublin, and exhibits rural Irish life between 1850-1950. Here we’ll have time to explore the displays and exhibitions. Then its time to travel to the characterful harbour city of Galway, where we’ll spend the night.

This morning we’ll leave Galway and travel into a region known as The Burren, a glaciated rocky landscape that is both unusual and fascinating in equal measure. We’ll pass through this lunar-like terrain as well head back towards the coast where we’ll visit one of the most iconic sites in Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher. These dramatic and stunning sea cliffs have faced out to the Atlantic Ocean for 350 million years, and span nearly 10 miles, rising over 200 metres at their highest. Home to varied wildlife and spectacular views, we’ll have ample time to explore and enjoy this breath-taking location. Then our journey south continues, and we’ll head towards the traditional village of Bunratty. Dominated by its Castle, this will be our lunch stop, and there are a few options for exploration, including the iconic Durty Nellies, one of the most famous pubs in Ireland. After lunch we’ll travel into County Limerick and make our way towards our next stop, the quaint and traditional settlement of Adare. Known as Ireland’s prettiest village, it has been designated as a heritage town due to its rich history and charm. With a picturesque riverside setting, we’ll have time to explore the village, including its Castle, Friary and Abbey. By late afternoon we’ll continue on to another charming town, Killarney, where we’ll spend the next two nights of our tour.

Today is all about the spectacular Ring of Kerry, a coastal route home to some of the most breath-taking scenery in Ireland. A combination of rugged coastline, imposing mountains and quaint seaside villages, we’ll spend a full day absorbing the highlights of this beautiful area which includes:

• The stunning and untouched landscape of Killarney National Park, where we’ll find the 110-metre Torc Waterfall, set in fairytale scenery
• Waterville, a charming beachfront village & favourite holiday destination of Charlie Chaplin, who visited with his family every year in the 1960’s
• Molls Gap, a panoramic pass compromising of winding roads that offer stunning views out over the MacGillycuddy Reeks, the highest mountains in Ireland
• Ladies View, one of the most photographed spots in Ireland, possessing breath-taking views over the lakes and mountains
• The charming towns of Cahersiveen and Portmagee

We’ll spend a full day exploring the highlights of the Ring of Kerry, taking plenty of photo stops along the way. By late afternoon we’ll return to Killarney for what is the final night of our tour.

The final day of our All-Ireland tour begins by departing Killarney and our first stop will be Blarney Castle, home to the famous Blarney Stone. The site of a fortification for over 800 years, the current medieval castle dates from 1446, built by the McCarthy’s of Muskerry. The castle has seen turbulent times, including its seizure by Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarians in the 17^th century, and it has changed ownership several times since. The most famous part of the castle is the Stone of Eloquence, more commonly known now as the Blarney Stone. Originally set into the castle battlements, legends says that kissing the stone will give you the ‘gift of the gab’ (great eloquence or skill at flattery). Whilst here there will be time to kiss the stone, explore the castle and have some lunch. This afternoon we continue east, and our next stop is at the Rock of Cashel, a fine collection of medieval buildings set atop a dramatic limestone outcrop. Legend suggests that this was where St Patrick convert the King of Munster to Christianity in the 5^th century, as this was the seat of Kings of Munster for hundreds of years. In 1101, the site was given to the church, which today compromises of a round tower, chapel, abbey and more, making it one of the best collections of medieval architecture in Europe. There will be plenty of time to explore during our visit. Then it will be time to return back to Dublin, where our adventure concludes.