Final Information Trufflepig - Cronin/ Platz- September

Day 1 - Wednesday 11^th September - Welcome to Dublin

Arriving in Ireland today, a private transfer will pick you up from the airport and whisk you into the city to your 5 star hotel in the city centre. Check-in will be available straight away allowing you to rest, refresh, grab a bite to eat and start exploring.

Today is yours to relax and rest or explore as you wish. Dublin is a compact city with a lot of the museums and sights within easy walking distance of your central hotel. Grab a take away coffee and go for a stroll in the nearby Merrion Park, check out the National Gallery of Ireland around the corner from your hotel, visit The EPIC Experience or The Little Museum of Dublin for an insight into Ireland’s history or check out the Guinness Storehouse, for that iconic Dublin Tour.

Dinner this evening in The Westbury Hotel – In progress

Overnight: Dublin | The Westbury Hotel
Room Type: 2 x Westbury King
Meals Included: None

Day 2 - Thursday 12^th September - Morning Walking Tour Dublin - Afternoon Powerscourt Gardens and Waterfall

Meet a local walking guide this morning to enjoy a walking tour through this vibrant capital city, with its mix of 1,000 years of architecture from the mediaeval to Georgian to modern. See the Georgian-style Merrion Square, lush St. Stephen’s Green and Fitzwilliam Square, as well as O’Connell Street, the site of the ‘1916 Uprising’ that led to Ireland’s independence in 1922. Your guide is also a historian who will bring the city to life with colourful tales of life in the city in times gone by.
Your private guide looks forward to meeting you at your hotel after your walking tour for an afternoon visit to Powerscourt House and Waterfall.
Enjoy lunch before touring the magnificent gardens, named the third best gardens in the world by National Geographic, before returning to the city this evening for a casual pub dinner.

Overnight: Dublin | The Westbury Hotel
Room Type: 2 x Westbury King
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3 - Friday 13^th September - Dublin to Belfast

This morning it’s time to hit the road and head north, to Belfast City. En route, your dive into Ireland’s history deepens as you stop at one of our most important megalithic sites, Brú na Boinne. The three main sites at Brú na Boinne, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth hold the largest concentration of prehistoric megalithic art to be found anywhere in Europe. today you will explore Knowth, a large passage tomb surrounded by 17 smaller tombs.

Back on the road, the total drive time from Dublin to Belfast is roughly 2 hours which means you will be getting into the city late afternoon with plenty of time to see some sights before checking in. Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898 and grew up in family homes on Dundela Avenue and Circular Road in the east of the city. Visit some of the important sites connected with C.S. and his childhood in Belfast including C.S. Lewis Square, containing Narnia-inspired sculptures before retiring to your hotel for your first evening in Belfast.

This evening we recommend checking out one of Belfast’s top restaurants.

Overnight: Belfast | The Merchant Hotel
Room Type: 2 x Victorian Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4 - Saturday 14^th September - Titanic and Troubles

Built in Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyards, the ill-fated Titanic and Belfast’s history are linked forever. This morning before it gets busy, Duncan will take you to visit Belfast’s Titanic Quarter to enjoy some time in at the self-guided interactive experience. The Titanic Experience walks you through 10 galleries taking you through the story of the ship from conception and building right through to her final hours. You also have the option to step onto the decks of the last remaining White Star Line vessel – SS Nomadic and view the two giant cranes used to build the ship, Samson and Goliath.

Following a local lunch, we join a local guide and explore Belfast from the comfort of a traditional black cab. Unpack the complicated history of The Troubles. See the city’s murals and peace walls, hear stories of life in Belfast at the height of the troubles, check out historical photographs and enjoy narration from your local guide many of whom played active parts during the Troubles.

We have some fantastic dinner options to recommend this evening for you as well a an iconic 1820’s Liquor Saloon.

Overnight: Belfast | The Merchant Hotel
Room Type: 1 x Victorian Suite & 1 x Deluxe Victorian
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5 - Sunday 15^th September - Emigrants Walk & Causeway Coast

Duncan will arrange with you the evening before as to your departure time this morning.

Leaving Belfast, our first stop this morning is with a local guide who will take you on a fascinating Emigrants Walk, following in the footsteps of Irish migrants as they escape the horrors of the Great Hunger and make their way to the new world. The walk is about 6km (3.7 miles) through the countryside which remains unchanged since famine times. We recommend you wear good waterproof footwear in case the ground is wet plus a waterproof jacket.
Following a wonderful local lunch, spend the afternoon exploring the Causeway coast including a visit to the famous Giants Causeway. Legend has it that an Irish giant named Finn McCool created a causeway to get across the Irish Sea to face his rival, the Scottish giant Benandonner. Following their fearsome meeting, Benandonner ripped up the causeway as he fled back to Scotland, leaving what you see here today.

For dinner this evening we recommend a cocktail in The Cellar bar at Lough Eske followed by in-house dining.

Overnight: Donegal | Lough Eske Castle
Room Type: 2 x Superior Deluxe
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6 - Monday 16^th September - Derry & Local Weaver

Duncan will arrange your meeting time this morning to make your way to Derry for your bespoke insider’s tour with a local expert. Derry City is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of Walled Cities in Europe. Built in the 17th century, the walls, approximately 1.5km in circumference, form a walkway around the inner city and provide a unique promenade with which to view the layout of the original town. Your private expert guide today will incorporate a t0ur of the walls with the tragic events of Jan 30th 1972 when a peaceful protest turned violent leading to the killing of 14 unarmed men and boys along with the injury of many others in an event known as Bloody Sunday into your guided experience.

After a delicious fish and chips lunch,  you will meet a local weaver who learned his craft at the age of 16 and whose traditional hand loom methods date back centuries.

Duncan will be happy to take you to dinner this evening or choose to eat on-site at Lough Eske.

Overnight: Donegal | Lough Eske Castle
Room Type: 2 x Superior Deluxe
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7 - Tuesday 17^th September - Foraging the Northwest Shores of Sligo

From Donegal, we head south into Sligo, last resting place of W.B Yeats. Sligo is blessed with some stunning coastline and this morning you will explore Streedagh, with it’s miles long sandy beaches on the north Sligo coast. At low tide it’s the perfect opportunity to explore the rock pools and coves that flank the beach and you will be joined by local foraging expert and author Prannie Rhatigan who knows these shores inside and out. Prannie is a world renowned expert on seaweed and her insight into the natural heritage of the Irish coast is unparalleled.  Keep an eye out from sand-feeding seabirds that flock along this stretch of coastline.

From Sligo we continue south into Galway and to the wild region of Connemara. Surrounded by the Twelve Bens Mountain range, miles of pristine coastline, Connemara is where time has stood still. With a long day and many miles to cover we recommend you enjoy dinner at the hotel’s fine-dining Owenmore restaurant, overlooking the salmon river.

Overnight: Connemara | Ballynahinch Castle Hotel
Room Type: x2 Luxury King
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 8 - Wednesday 18^th September - Connemara National Park

Duncan will confirm your meeting time this morning to visit one of Trufflepig’s favourite friends,  a working sheep farm where you will witness a live sheep dog demo. Experience these remarkable and intelligent collies who follow their owners commands using nothing but a whistle and hand signals, rounding the flock and transferring them from field to pen. An experience not to be missed.

With your driver-guide visit Kylemore Abbey, a Benedictine monastery and iconic visitor attraction set in 1,000 acres of mountainside with a beautiful walled garden.
Afterwards, explore charming villages like Clifden or Roundstone, where traditional pubs and artisan shops beckon with their authentic charm.

We suggest a local dinner in Clifden followed by some live local music as a great way to round off the day.

Overnight: Connemara | Ballynahinch Castle Hotel
Room Type: x2 Luxury King
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 9 - Thursday 19^th September - Ashford Castle

This morning with Duncan, we’ll head to the pretty little village of Cong to follow in the footsteps of John Wayne in the iconic “Quiet Man”.  After a great pub lunch, in the actual pub used in the film, you can head over to your nearby home for the next couple of nights – the 800-year-old Ashford Castle.
Duncan will say goodbye to you at the castle. Check-in is not till 3 pm however you are welcome to drop your bags, freshen up and get ready for your afternoon boat cruise ( included)

In the afternoon (weather permitting) head out for a boat cruise on the lovely Lough Corrib, perhaps with a tour of the St. Patrick’s 5th-century monastic site and the Church of The Saints, built by the Augustinian Monks of Cong.

Dinner this evening will be at Cullen’s at The Cottage for casual dining at Ashford.

Overnight: Cong | Ashford Castle
Room Type: 1 x Suite & 1 x Deluxe
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 10 - Friday 20^th September - Galway City

Ashford is timeless, with origins dating back to the 13th century, magnificent Ashford Castle has witnessed a rich and storied history, evolving from a medieval fortress to a grand retreat. Ashford is so beautiful you may never want to leave. Spend some time this morning enjoying the castle had amenities before heading into Galway.

Galway is a bohemian town, full of artisans, musicians, playwrights and poets. Meander the colourful cobbled streets, visit the Spanish Arch and Latin Quarter and browse the local shops for a fabulous Friday in Galway.

This evening, we recommend you dine in style in the George V dining room for your final celebration dinner in Ireland.

Overnight: Cong | Ashford Castle
Room Type: 2 x Suite
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 11 - Saturday 21^st September - Depart

Departing Ashford, a private transfer will take you to Shannon Airport for your departing flights home.

Meals Included: Breakfast