Wendy Perrin- Linda Manning & Family Irish Adventure

Day 1 - Friday 24^th January - Welcome to Dublin

Fáilte go hÉireann – Welcome to Ireland

Arriving in Dublin, your private airport transfer will be waiting to whisk you into the city and your base for the next few days.

Today is a free day to relax, rest, and explore as you wish. Dublin is easily explored on foot and we have some great suggestions of places to see near your hotel including Merrion Square, The National Gallery of Ireland, Temple Bar and a personal favourite of ours, The Little Museum of Dublin.

Overnight: Dublin 2 | Leinster Hotel
Room Type: Classic Double/ Twin
Meals Included: None

Day 2 - Saturday 25^th January - Historical Walking Tour & Trinity & Book of Kells

Head out this morning to enjoy a walking tour with a local private guide through this vibrant capital city, with its mix of 1,000 years of architecture from the medieval 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.
This afternoon, immerse yourself in a captivating journey through Ireland’s rich history at Trinity College Dublin. Set on 46 acres of leafy squares, cobblestone walkways, and historic buildings. Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s Oldest University and home to The Book of Kells. You’ll join a group walking tour of the campus before viewing the Book of Kells and Old Library *(self-guided).

*Please note the Book of Kells is a self-guided audio tour as it is housed in a working library.  

Overnight: Dublin 2 | Leinster Hotel
Room Type: Classic Double/ Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3 - Sunday 26^th January - Free morning & The Guinness Storehouse

Your morning is free to explore the Dublin you now know a little better. Browse the shops, grab a coffee and go for a stroll, check out some of the local historical buildings and monuments you passed on your walking tour or visit some of the other attractions and experiences that make up the culture of the city. We particularly recommend 14 Henrietta Street and Kilmainham Gaol.

This afternoon it’s off to one of the most iconic sights in Dublin, The Guinness Storehouse. Arthur Guinness must have known what a special product he had when he signed a 9,000-year lease in 1759, for the handsome sum of £45 a year. Little did he know his beer would become one of our most famous exports, known the world over.
Spend the afternoon at St James Gate, learn the history of Arthur and Guinness, test your skills at pouring the perfect pint and sit back and relax enjoying the views from the sky bar with a pint of the Black staff after. A great way to end a day in Dublin.

Overnight: Dublin 2 | Leinster Hotel
Room Type: Classic Double/ Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4 - Monday 27^th January - Rock of Cashel

This morning, your private guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and after some short introductions, you will begin your Irish adventure together. You’ll head straight for what is known as the Kingdom of Kerry, a stunning region on the southwestern coast of Ireland, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage. The drive is under 4 hours, and we’ve got some stops planned to break up the journey such as a visit to the Rock of Cashel, a cluster of immaculately preserved medieval buildings including a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, and a fifteenth-century Tower House.

Your hotel this evening is a stunning Manor house in the heart of Killarney National Park.

Overnight: Killarney | Cahernane House Hotel
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5 - Tuesday 28^th January - Killarney National Park

Killarney National Park is the most famous of Ireland’s national parks – and with good reason, as it is flourishing with breathtaking mountains, lakes and waterfalls. You’ll take a tour of the famed Killarney Lakes with Dux, your Kerryman skipper who has been sailing these lakes since he was a child with his family. Grab some lunch before you step back into the past with a visit to Muckross Traditional Farms, which showcases a very different Ireland – the Ireland of the 1930s and 1940s. Back then, a trip to the well was still a daily chore for the housewife and electricity had yet to be introduced to the countryside.

Overnight: Killarney | Cahernane House Hotel
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6 - Wednesday 29^th January - The Skellig Islands

Located about 7 miles off the western coast of Ireland are the Skellig Islands, Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. Perhaps most famously known as an otherworldly film site in Star Wars, historically, Skellig Michael was inhabited from around the 6th century onwards when a group of monks withdrew from civilisation and took residence on the island. Between the 6th and 8th centuries, a monastery was founded on Skellig Michael and the famous stone ‘beehive huts’ were built by the Christian monks as habitations for those who chose to reside on the island.

Today you will embark on an eco or non-landing tour circling both islands, getting right up close to Skellig Michael and the Little Skelligs to see both the wildlife and the historical sites. There is an abundance of marine and bird life on and around the Skellig Islands. Thousands of gannets, puffins, guillemots and razorbills come here to nest. Humpback whales, bottlenose dolphins and grey seals are never very far away.

Overnight: Killarney | Cahernane House Hotel
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7 - Thursday 30^th January - The Burren with Goat Farm and Cheese Experience

The Burren’s rocky alien landscape is said to be the inspiration for Middle Earth in JRR Tolkien’s world-famous Lord of the Rings trilogy – as you explore this region today you’ll see why!  Today you will pay a visit to a charming, locally-owned goat farm for an immersive tour and tasting. Meet and feed the tribe, visit the milking parlour, and learn about the history of goat farming in Ireland and the traditional methods used to care for them and produce award-winning goat cheese. You’ll witness the cheese-making process firsthand and enjoy a tasting of their full range of Irish cheeses, right there on the farm!

In the late afternoon, you’ll visit the Cliffs of Moher, after the crowds have departed, make sure to take that selfie for those at home!

Overnight: The Burren | Gregans Castle
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 8 - Friday 31^st January - Traditional Irish Music

Traditional Irish music – called simply “trad music” in Ireland – is perhaps the most accurate Irish culture stereotype. Irish trad music has endured better than most European folk music – and it is simply everywhere you go in Ireland. Today however we have a unique Irish Music experience for you outside of the usual pub setting.
Meet Christy Barry and his partner Sheila who have entertained friends and musicians at their home for many years, sitting around the fire playing music and telling stories. A truly bespoke experience that will stay with you forever.

Overnight: The Burren | Gregans Castle
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 9 - Saturday 1^st February - Galway Food Tour

We leave Clare and we make our way farther North this morning, passing through Galway, also known as the ‘town of the tribes’!

The small centre of cobblestone streets and colourful storefronts is vibrant, fun and cosmopolitan. What better way to explore here than a delectable food tour? Tantalise your taste buds with a delightful journey through Galway’s culinary scene. From artisanal cheeses, and craft beers, to handcrafted chocolate, this will be a true feast for the senses. Afterwards, you have free time to explore the city as you please before taking your way to Ballynahinch Castle Hotel in the heart of Connemara surrounded by the 12 Bens Mountain Range.

Overnight: Connemmara | Ballynahinch Castle Hotel
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 10 - Sunday 2^nd February - Exploring Connemara with Sheepdog Demo

This morning it’s a 45-minute drive through the windswept Twelve Bens Mountain Range to Killary, Ireland’s only fjord.

Start the day with a sheep-herding demonstration at a local farm, and you’ll have the opportunity to cut peat from the bogs – a method that’s been used to harvest fuel in these parts for aeons. From there, walk an abandoned famine route along the southern shoreline of the fjord.

After a pit stop at a local café for lunch, you’ll transfer back to Ballynahinch Castle. You will have some free time to enjoy the estate this afternoon – go fly fishing, have a pint by the fire, or simply kick back with a book by the river. There are estate walks to enjoy if your feeling energetic.

Overnight: Connemmara | Ballynahinch Castle Hotel
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 11 - Monday 3^rd February - Falcons and Ashford Castle

This morning you’ll be exploring some of the most breathtaking parts of The Wild Atlantic Way, a spectacular coastal driving route that stretches along the rugged and untamed coastline of Ireland’s west coast! Once described as “a savage beauty” by author Oscar Wilde, explore the wild, windswept region with your guide. You’ll visit Kylemore Abbey, a haven of history, beauty, and serenity and home to a Benedictine order of Nuns for the past 100 years.

Afterwards, it’s a 1-hour drive to the village of Cong, the backdrop of the Oscar-winning movie, The Quiet Man. This afternoon we arrive at Ashford Castle, on the Galway and Mayo border, and to the oldest falconry school in Ireland, where we will be joined by an expert to learn about this fascinating Medieval sport and then see the birds of prey in action.

Overnight: Cong | Ashford Castle
Room Type: Deluxe Lake
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 12 - Tuesday 4^th February - Exploring Mayo

The choice is yours today to stay at Ashford Castle and enjoy the stunning setting or head to Mayo with our guide to check out the family’s origins. Venture west to the coast to the majestic Acaill (Achill Island) and explore the tropical Keem Bay. Mouch around Westport with its quaint streets, tiny cafes and traditional storefronts or visit The Lost Valley of Uggool, home to the Burke family for over three centuries where you can get a unique window into the cultural heritage of the west of Ireland.

Overnight: Cong | Ashford Castle
Room Type: Deluxe Lake
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 13 - Wednesday 5^th February - Back to Dublin

This morning, we say goodbye to the west and make our way back to Dublin. Here our guide will say goodbye to you at your hotel leaving you to enjoy your final night in Ireland.

Overnight: Dublin 2 | Leinster Hotel
Room Type: Classic Double & Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 14 - Thursday 6^th February - Depart

A private transfer will take you to the airport in time for your flight home. We hope your time in Ireland has been memorable and we look forward to welcoming you to our little island once again.

Meals Included: Breakfast